Capri brakes

savagethegoat · 04-09-2015 10:52am #1

Here's an odd one for you..I lent my Capri to my son and when he returned it he told me the brakes had failed, which they had without doubt...just a tiny bit of brake right at the end of the travel and no amount of pumping would improve that. He told me the reservoir was empty, so he'd re-filled it. I put it away in the garage and left it untouched whilst on a roadtrip in my classic Transit for a fortnight and I went this morning to see about fixing it and ....

it's healed!....

is it possible there was a lot of air in the system and it's worked it's way out whilst stood? He had filled the reservoir to the top and the level had gone down to around the normal mark....I can't see any leakage and there's quite a good pedal at this time.

savagethegoat · 04-09-2015 2:38pm

I've fpund a bit of a leak in one rear wheel cylinder (suspected) but can't get the alloy off the hub....any tips?

hi5 · 04-09-2015 3:23pm

Loosen the nuts out to the last thread, then let the car back down to the ground, then rock the car.

savagethegoat · 04-09-2015 3:27pm

tried that... :-(

shineon23 · 04-09-2015 4:00pm

Are you on the capri power forum?

A lot of helpful capri owners on there.

savagethegoat · 04-09-2015 4:21pm

no I'm not but it isn't a Capri specific problem.....I've doused it with WD40 and left it sitting with one edge of the wheel on a baulk of timber in the hope that the sideways forces will move something overnight :-) don't know what else to try at this stage (obviously tried a big hammer, maybe a bigger one?

carchaeologist · 04-09-2015 5:57pm

Loosen the nuts a bit, then go for a short drive. Never failed for me.
Be careful you don't lose the wheel though.
Another trick is loosen the nuts, jack up the offending wheel, lie down on the ground with your feet facing the wheel and kick it as hard as you can.
That type of corrosion gets some hold, might take some kicking.

savagethegoat · 04-09-2015 6:04pm

OK the drive idea sounds drastic but I'll give it a go! Presumably low speed manoevering around the yard would be the first step! I've tried kicking it...mostly in frustration

carchaeologist · 05-09-2015 1:03am

savagethegoat wrote: »

OK the drive idea sounds drastic but I'll give it a go! Presumably low speed manoevering around the yard would be the first step! I've tried kicking it...mostly in frustration

Low speed should do it. You will hear the bang as it releases.

savagethegoat · 05-09-2015 9:35am

no go....went up and down the road, even tried a handbrake turn...nothing........howabout if I tied a rope round it and tries pulling it off with the Transit? Sideways on like? short sharp shock

hi5 · 05-09-2015 10:24am

Drive the car up beside something solid (a wall), put a jack on its side on the ground and force the bottom of the wheel inwards with the jack.

savagethegoat · 05-09-2015 11:16am

will try that later

savagethegoat · 05-09-2015 1:47pm

no good..... :-( It'll have to go to the mechanic

type85 · 05-09-2015 5:59pm

Just jack the car up and put on an axle stand, lay down underneath and give the wheel (rim not tyre) a clatter out with a lump hammer or sledge. rotate the wheel 90 degrees between blows. It WILL come off once you put some muscle into it.

savagethegoat · 05-09-2015 6:10pm

Tried that :-(

type85 · 05-09-2015 8:42pm

You'll just have to hit it harder. Make sure your hitting the wheel and not the tyre.

savagethegoat · 05-09-2015 9:51pm

you can't really hit an alloy.....i'll try a bigger hammer.....but i'll have to pad it out with some timber...

unfit2006 · 05-09-2015 9:53pm

As above ^^. A few sweet "taps" of a lump hammer or sledge will do the trick. No point hitting or kicking the tyre. Hit the rim using a piece of 3x2 to protect the rim from damage. Turn the rim 90 degrees every few strikes.

Capri brakes

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