"Back in the day.." the advice I was given is that typically, (not just Mini) brake cylinders wear proressively - the back-and forth action is a short but repeated stroke, and as brake linings wear, the active area moves outward. The result is that the bore wears more farther in and becomes slightly conical. They don't leak until one puts in new shoes. Then the partly worn seals are moved back into the area of the bore with the most wear and the seal is less reliable. They start to weep then leak, sometimes all over the nice new shoes. The advice was that one could put new seals in, but unless the bore was honed and brought back to cylindrical it would likely leak eventually. On that advice, I bought new cylinders, despite a hone kit looking like such a "tenchnological" tool!.

... asssuming the brakes on the Desoto actually work....

I just installed the repair kit and wish I had bought replacement cylinders instead. I realized upon reinstalling that the female threads which accepts the brake hose were stripped because the PO had over tightened. Now I have to wait another week until the new cylinder comes :(. The $10 savings is not worth the risk. Seems the soft Al threads are easy to strip.

the bloody new seals worked! it only took some good cleaning of the bore and 12 dollars worth of 4 new little rubber seals

Hi Alex, the point is that Kev doesn't need a manual 

 

Cheers, Ian

I'm using single LE brakes on the front of my '60 Austin and removed 3/4 bore cylinders from tthe rear. (I need to replace with 5/8 inch bore) The 15/16 bore fronts are somewhat pitted so considered boring, reaming and polishing the 3/4 to 15/16. (Exact same casting). Since this is one time project I decided I would just buy new and didn't want to invest a lot of time and didn't hav e the proper tooling either.

For the single LE cylinders (and rears) one could conceivably bore the 5/8 to 11/16 or 3/4, take the 11/6 to 3/4 and take the 5/8, 11/16 and 3/4 to 15/16 all without sleeving. Basically boring oversize with a brand new surface. Don't know about the casting for the twin LE cylinders but boring the smaller to larger may work.

I also looked at sleeving and conceptually SST tubing from //www.onlinemetals.com/merchant.cfm?id=18&step=2&top_cat=1

can be selected for minimum machining.

FWIW

LOL

Yes you can.

//www.amazon.co.uk/The-Radioactive-Boy-Scout-Backyard/dp/037550351X

 

Apple hydraulics is the place to send 'em if you dont have anybody local. All my restoration stuff goes there from Rolls-Royce to Midget.......

 

Hey, I even popped my head into a church on Palm Sunday, granted it was only for a few minutes, the church by the cemetery were Eva Perón is buried, La Recoleta Cemetery, Buenos Aires. Didn't want to stay too long out of fear of bursting into flames ! I'm going to do some checking on sleeving wheel cylinders (SS), won't help you now but might in the future.

Maybe I should track down the guy that's still using this truck every day, see if he had his cylinders sleeved. Still can't believe I saw a Desoto being used on a daily basis. 

SxS 

The trouble is that not all of us have a shed in the backyard with enough tools to build a nuclear power plant from scratch ..or the necessary skills )

Cheers, Ian

Back in the 60s we used to sleeve them with brass. That was easier to work with than SS, and lasted very well without pitting.

Must admit that I've not seen any for sale (never looked)..... You take your old cylinders to the local shop where they bore the old cylinder, insert the stainless sleeve, hone to size , drill the bleeder port.  I've had my master cylinders, slaves and booster sleeved.  I'm probably lucky that my local guy does resleeving mainly for the transport industry so this is a routine process for him and this reflects in price.  As I said, last time I paid about teh same as a new cylinder would cost (wish I could buy one for 7 bucks...)He also has an interst in old cars and does stuff for people running cars whose manufacturer has long left the scene (sound familiar 

Wheel cylinder for a 1914 Graham Paige? Certainly Sir... (I made that up - they probably had mechanical brakes ..but you get the idea.)

Cheers, Ian

 One of my main concerns that lead me start this thread and consider the kits. Is the HUGE price difference between plain seals and cyls, in this part of the world that i am. If i can do my job with 12 dollars instead of 80! practically speaking, i'll try and do it with 12. If i was in the UK no doubt, i would go for new cyls. Getting parts here is not easy and the mind has more work to do in order to find solutions!

Jonathan i hate redoing things as well mate, it kills me! as for the church part! easter vacation is coming! shagging is in the schedule

Jem! the DOT rating recommended by the manufacturer, is based upon the design of the system! If the car was delivered with DOT 3 fluid, the internal components of the system (seals, brake hoses etc) were specifically designed and tested for compatibility with the chemical composition of DOT 3 fluid.

Other DOT ratings typically contain a different chemical composition so compatibility of system components may be an issue in that case.

But in case of our beloved 56yo Mini, many alternations in parts have happened through the years and rubber compounds surely changed!

Yes, I like the idea of stainless sleeves too.  BUT, it's back to the general contention that Mini owners are, um cheap!  The few of us right here might consider REALLY good ones, but most people.... We sell them for less than $25... Alex can do better in England... VERY few people would go for $119 for stainless sleeves!  

"WHAT!!... No thanks, I could buy FIVE of the regular ones!! How long am I going to live ??!!"

I am curious about what brake fluid you all use....  I've switched to DOT4 Synthetic, which is sold as 'backwards compatible' AND does not seem to instantly remove paint. I've had no issues in any of my old cars.... even when mixing with DOT3. I rebuilt the rear brakes of my 74 Mazda Rotary Pick-up, and just topped up the master with DOT4. No problems since last year.

As a life long mechanic I HATE doing things (or redoing) over and over . I also like the idea of the stainless steel sleeve. I also don't know where they can be purchased, pleaase enlighten us. This is the reason why I went with SS pistons on the calipiers, if I could sleeve them I'd do that also.

Dimitris, I know you have the ability to rebuild them, but if they could be sleeved it would be a long term solution and would free up time more wisely spent on drinking and chasing women   going to church .

Yeah, that's what I'd do.

I don't i was referencing stainless ones, know where i could buy some ?

You might fit new seals, IF they are better quality than what's in the new cylinder.
Cylinders from the far east are more likely to have crook seals.
In my case, the leaky cylinder was Italian made. New seals made in Oz fixed it. But I doubt we still make seals here. :(

I've found that a good clean up with wet & dry or wire wool will usually refresh a leaking/siezed cylinder as long as the seal isn't torn or too hard.

The incredibly low cost of new cylinders is the reason seal kits are generally out of fashion. 
Why spend £4.63 on a seal kit (GRK2014) which may or may not work when you can spend £7.80 on a complete new cylinder ?

..And where do you buy your replacements.... oh , I see.....

Cheers, Ian