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MG MGA - Master cylinder

I have to buy a new master cylinder for a MkII 1600. Is it necessary to buy the larger capacity cover which is an expensive separate item?
J Houlgate

Don't you have the old one? You can swap it over.
Art Pearse

No,I have discovered that the existing cylinder is wrong for the car, being the 3/4" bore version,as opposed to 7/8", which is why I have to replace it. It has the flat top applicable to the drum-braked 1500 car and I am just wondering if I need to add a very expensive large capacity top cover. It is difficult to get definitive advice on this.
J Houlgate

JH

I ran my converted 1500 front drums to discs with a flat top for a number of years without issue. However, I eventually fitted a repro extension - £30 from Bob West about 5 years ago. If you have not yet got a replacement MC I suggest you also chat with him about options.

Cheers

Steve
Steve Gyles

I also ran my 1600 with the flat top with no problems and only changed because it wasn't original.....................Mike
m.j. moore

My 1600 also has the flat-top reservoir cover and it works just fine.
The car has an 1800 engine and gets driven hard at times without any brake problems.

Last summer we took the car on a tour of the Mont Blanc region of the Alps and the brakes coped very well with all the long descents down from the passes, the Grand St Bernard being the highest.

On one of the descents, my co-driver who never thought to use engine braking to slow the car, almost had the brakes on fire! Luckily, he ran out of mountain before we ran out of brakes. They were still working fine at the foot of the mountain although it was a little worrying to see blue smoke rising from the wheel arches.

My theory is that him being a retired preacher, the prospect of crashing through the barrier and falling the 1000 feet to the valley floor doesnt appear to worry him as much as it does me.

I think the idea of the larger reservoir is to prevent the brake fluid level from dropping too low when the brake pads become worn down.

I may fit a bigger cover some time in the future when I have run out of other things to do to the car, but it is not a priority for me.

Colyn
Colyn Firth

This thread was discussed between 24/04/2013 and 25/04/2013

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