I was so appalled by the state of some Le Mans 50th Anniversary traveller's brakes that I thought I would add this entry into the technical section to start it off.
I have included the Girling service bulletins for Javelin hydro-mech, hydro and Jupiter. Study them carefully and then look at my checklist.
1. Make sure there is no play in the drum through bad bearings or a worn axle shaft. I have had to either file the flange on the rear axle or fit an oversize washer so as to clamp the hub tightly onto the taper.
2. Make sure there are no oil or grease leaks through the axle seals. I use non Melting grease Admax B3 from Duckhams but you need to remove all the old grease first. Like all seals make sure the surface they run on is not worn or scratched.
3. Check all brake cylinders are not leaking. If the inside of the brake backing plate is not free from fluid, oil or grease you have a problem. The shoes should not be black, or worse, oily.
4. Check each wheel in turn to make sure the cylinders operate both shoes evenly by taking the drum off and having an assistant slowly operate the brake pedal. Do not let either cylinder move more than 0.5cm as it may move the seal onto an unused and hence rough area (and so damage it) or worse it will pop out. You might go cross eyed checking this!
5. Check you have the black, yellow and green springs and that they are in the correct holes and are not stretched or broken. Refer to the diagrams.
6. Check you have the shoes fitted the correct way round (not upside down or inside out) The adjusting posts should meet the adjusters at some point! The shoes are leading and trailing so check they react to the normal forward rotation of the wheel. Unless you want good reverse braking! See Fig 4,5 and 6 of the Hydraulic Wedge Brake. I will let you think about it. Note that I mark all my shoes and the spares with where they are fitted and which springs go in which holes. In this way spare shoes can be fitted faultlessly on a rally. Note I always bed the shoes and the spares in before a rally.
7. Check the shoes are positioned correctly on the pistons. Of course, use brake grease in all the appropriate places. It is a good idea to take off and clean the adjuster and rear brake cylinder which should just slide and not be clamped to the backing plate.
8. Make sure the master cylinder pivots freely. I also put an extra return spring on the cylinder plunger as well as the return spring on the foot brake. Make sure there is at least 1cm play on the foot brake otherwise the the master cylinder will not return properly and you will end up with no brakes. This has happened at least twice before to me. Hence the second spring.
9. If fitting a master cylinder kit, make sure the rubber is the correct size even if it says so on the box! There is one type that looks the same but is not as tight a fit, and needless to say fails very soon.
10. I use Silicon fluid and have done for ten years in rallying and racing, no problems , I do not have to change the cylinders every year.
11. My shoes are riveted and glued having seen problems with both separately. They are also competition linings which are not available now and not really suitable for normal driving as they need to be hot.
12. Oh yes and fit a microswitch for the brake lights. I used one on the floor board for years but picked up some new original-type at an auto jumble so have those now. I have seen the fluid pressure type used also.
13. I fitted a fluid warning sensor to the reservoir. May save pounds and a life. If you do not check EVERY time you use the car.
14. I had a new copper brake line burst on the Javelin. I think it was badly manufactured tube. OK I do have a servo fitted but?*!