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 Posted: Apr 23, 2018 07:45AM
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For those curious, it appears that the new booster had failed internally and was leaking fluid out the breather/vent in the top.  

 Posted: Apr 17, 2018 07:38AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dklawson
I like the suggestion above to bypass the booster (at least temporarily) to confirm the problem you are having originates there.

The "sending unit" on the T attached to the car's frame is the brake light pressure switch.  Later cars don't use that hydraulic switch, they have a pedal box mounted mechanical switch.

There are a couple of ways to post pictures.  However, the best way is often to upload your photographs to one of the online hosing services.  Others that use them will have to suggest which is best. 

Once you have the pictures uploaded online, start posting a message and look at the top, right corner of the editor screen.  You will see an icon with a pointy mountain.  Click it and you can cut-&-paste the address of your picture in the pop up window that opens.

Also... when typing in the editor... keep scrolling down below the text window you are typing in.  Just below the edit window our host has posted steps for how to manually type in the address to link the image.  

Finally, a third way to add a picture is to open up (2) browsers (not 2 tabs, 2 browser windows).  In the first, open the editor, in the second, open the image.  Make both windows "normal" size, not maximized.  Drag the picture from the browser with the image to the editor.  (i.e. the cat image below was dragged into the editor).

All these methods expect you to have an image online somewhere.  Since I don't have a cell phone (smart or otherwise) I cannot tell you if there is a way to post images directly from your phone.



Thank you.  I will give it a try.

 Posted: Apr 17, 2018 03:49AM
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US
I like the suggestion above to bypass the booster (at least temporarily) to confirm the problem you are having originates there.

The "sending unit" on the T attached to the car's frame is the brake light pressure switch.  Later cars don't use that hydraulic switch, they have a pedal box mounted mechanical switch.

There are a couple of ways to post pictures.  However, the best way is often to upload your photographs to one of the online hosing services.  Others that use them will have to suggest which is best. 

Once you have the pictures uploaded online, start posting a message and look at the top, right corner of the editor screen.  You will see an icon with a pointy mountain.  Click it and you can cut-&-paste the address of your picture in the pop up window that opens.

Also... when typing in the editor... keep scrolling down below the text window you are typing in.  Just below the edit window our host has posted steps for how to manually type in the address to link the image.  

Finally, a third way to add a picture is to open up (2) browsers (not 2 tabs, 2 browser windows).  In the first, open the editor, in the second, open the image.  Make both windows "normal" size, not maximized.  Drag the picture from the browser with the image to the editor.  (i.e. the cat image below was dragged into the editor).

All these methods expect you to have an image online somewhere.  Since I don't have a cell phone (smart or otherwise) I cannot tell you if there is a way to post images directly from your phone.



Doug L.
 Posted: Apr 16, 2018 12:03PM
 Edited:  Apr 16, 2018 12:14PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by tothefloor
Hi welcome to the forum. Just for your own knowledge and so you can find parts later you may want to post some pictures of your car. It may not be a 66 Cooper S. I've had my Mark 1 for 40 years and I am not aware that any mark one had a sending unit in the brake line. As for posting pictures there's a green box in the left hand corner I think it has something to do with that but I can't post them either anymore.
Not terribly computer literate which is why I have not posted any pictures thus far but since my father bought the car new in 1966 and I still have the warranty plate and bill of sale, I can promise it is indeed a cooper S.  He owned the car until the mid 1990s when cancer and financial trouble forced it's sale.  I bought it back in 2013 and had it restored.  My father had removed the vacuum booster but when we got the car back, we had the original one rebuilt and that is what's in the car.

 As the brake line leaves the front of the booster, it travels downward where a 'splitter' is attaches to the 'frame'.  From there the brake hose goes to the passenger side front wheels and a line goes to the driver's side.  The top of that 'splitter' has some type of sending unit on it as it does have two wires that come off of it.  

If someone can walk me through how to post pictures I have on my phone, computer etc, I would be happy to post them.  

Thanks for all of the replies everyone.  As my time and repair skills are limited, the plan for now is to have it towed to a local British car repair shop and have them sort it out.  I had hoped it was something I could do myself without having to have the car towed again but it appears that is not the case. If anyone is local here in the Phoenix area and wants to take a look to help out, please let me know.

 Posted: Apr 16, 2018 11:35AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Minimike1
Good idea.  By pass the booster entirely with some brake lines and see if you've solved your poor brake performance. If it's the case, you can get a MK 3+ booster, not correct for your car, or do with out the booster.  It's not necessary. 
Bear in mind that will have to push harder - a lot harder depending on...

Had the same symptoms/leak in my Inno many years ago, the only failure of that type I have ever had - and it was the diaphragm.

 Posted: Apr 16, 2018 11:09AM
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Hi welcome to the forum. Just for your own knowledge and so you can find parts later you may want to post some pictures of your car. It may not be a 66 Cooper S. I've had my Mark 1 for 40 years and I am not aware that any mark one had a sending unit in the brake line. As for posting pictures there's a green box in the left hand corner I think it has something to do with that but I can't post them either anymore.

 Posted: Apr 16, 2018 09:17AM
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US
Good idea.  By pass the booster entirely with some brake lines and see if you've solved your poor brake performance. If it's the case, you can get a MK 3+ booster, not correct for your car, or do with out the booster.  It's not necessary. 

 Posted: Apr 16, 2018 08:53AM
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US
Yep, what Minimike said.  If your brake servo is the original style, they often leak since they are 50 years old.  New ones are expensive and repro while parts to rebuild the original Lockheed servo are hard to find.  The cast iron bores are often pitted but can be sleeved.  Depends upon your skill and patience  
A temporary fix is to make up a short brake pipe to cut the servo out of the equation.  Then you can still drive your car while you figure out how to fight the battle.

 Posted: Apr 16, 2018 07:20AM
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Thank you for your reply.  Thick rubber hose to the intake is not the issue, there is a smaller rubber hose that seems to run from the from what looks like a vacuum bladder about 3 inches to the vacuum booster itself. This would be much easier if I could post pictures which I have not been able to successfully do yet.  

 Posted: Apr 15, 2018 04:57PM
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US
good idea to put your location in your profile or at least in this thread.    The thick rubber hose on the booster is a vacuum hose.  If there's fluid coming from that hose, the diaphram in the booster is compromised.  That's the vacuum side and no fluid should be there.  All fluids leak down due to gravity.  Wipe the whole area clean, have someone step on the brake while you watch inside the engine compartment. Do this with engine off, and then with engine on.

BTW DOT 3 brake fluid is a great paint stripper.  Wash down your parts with brake clean in an aerosol, or Ajax gold dish soap.  

Someone near you who's a mini guy might offer to help you locate the leak if you tell us where you are.

 Posted: Apr 15, 2018 03:40PM
 Edited:  Apr 15, 2018 03:47PM
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I'm new here and will apologize if I missed a search function or if this topic is already covered and I simply missed it.  I have a 1966 Austin Cooper S that was recently rebuilt from the ground up.  Since the restoration, the brake pedal feel has been an issue but they seemed to function until a few weeks ago.  I noticed a small amount of fluid on the garage floor by the passenger side front wheel and the brake line had fluid on it.  The caliper was dry and there is a (forgive my ignorance)  splitter up above that divides the lines between the two front wheels.  It has a sending unit attached to it.  I assume the leak was there, had it tightened, the brakes bled and they seemed work again but still with poor pedal feel.  That lasted about a day.  Small puddle of brake fluid is back, line is wet but seems to be dripping from above, possibly from the vacuum booster area/proportioning valve.  There is an air valve that angles off of it to left when looking in the engine bay with a hose coming off the back which makes a turn and plugs into the vacuum booster.  The fluid may be dripping from there.  The hose was very loose and came off very easily.  If it was supposed to seal or provide vacuum, I doubt it was functioning.  Any ideas?  I will try to post pictures but I'm new here and not sure how successful I will be.  Thank you everyone in advance.