Does anyone know if the strength of a brake master cylinder can be adjusted. I have done a seira rear disc conversion on my mk4 escort cabbie and just cant get the brakes right, after endless times of bleeding the system they are still crap. The servo and breake master cylinder are new, the sevo is a genuine ford part but the master cylinder a pattern part. I was told the cylinder may need adjusting to suit the setup. apparently there is a screw inside the flange where the cylinder ataches to the sevo.Has anyone herd of this?

 

The length of the push rod maybe adjustable yes, bit it wont affect any pressure.

Have you tried taking the caliper off to bleed it (ie so the bleed nipple is at the very top)

How are you bleeding them ? 2 man method ??

 

I have taken to calipers off and turned it so the bleed nipple is at the very top and have tryed the two man method and the E ZeeBleed many times but just can not get a good pedal?My friend has the same set up but he has used the origonal master cylinder and servo that was on the car and his brakes are awsom. Also he has just relied on the factory fit bias valves but i have a lockwood one aswell but its fully open,i cant see this affecting the front brakes aswell though?? May have to get a O.E Ford master cylinder and see if it makes a difference.

 

Which brakes are crap, the front or the rear ?

Have you put bigger ones on the front at the same time ?

What is the size of the M/C ?

 

their is an adjustable rod inside the master cylinder when u split it from the servo with a lock nut, wind it in 1/2 a turn

 

also is your bias valve working?

 

That rod inside the servo shouldnt really be played with tbh, it just holds the brakes on partially, which obviously isnt good.

When i first did my rear disc & 4 pot conversions they were crap but they do improve a lot when they bed in.

As Tony asked what brakes have you got all round and what size master cylinder?

 

I have got siera 2wd cossie calipers and discs on the rear and standard s2 turbo calipers and discs on the front
. its hard to tell which ones are not working they all seem crap. i tryed winding the wilwood biast valve shut to see if the fron calipers were doing there job but it didnt make the slighist bit of difference? also when the brakes start to work the pedal is almost past half way point before hitting the floor its all very odd?

 

How do you have the 1 bias valve plumbed in to a diagonally split system ? Or have you re-piped them with a different split ?

Were trying to help

 

The two rear ports on the master cylinder are teed into one line which then goes through the biast valve and tees off again into each caliper at the rear. I also jointed out the biast valve to see if it was faulty but made no difference I also wondered if this was somthing to do with the problem,cos like i said my mate just changed the drums for calipers with the coversion bracets on his cabbie with out touching any thing else and his brakes work realy well.So he will still has the diagonal split?

 

T-ing the mastercylinder outlets together could make it tricky to bleed in my opinion......

 

Mmmmm, may be i will try re-piping them with the diaganal split and see if there is any improvement.May do away with the separate willwood bias valve as well see what happens?

 

I just picture the 2 oultets tee'd together and in theory it could be just pumping the air out of one outlet and striaght back in the other if you get me?

I'd say almost definately thats a contributing factor if not the only thing wrong

What size is your master cylinder?

 

coo,l im going to re pipe!

 

when u did your conversion did u use an extra bias valve? and if so how did u pipe it into the rear calipers using the diaganal setup?

 

I didnt alter the piping on mine i just changed the brakes.

Mine just has the inline fixed rate compensators

 

Why dont you try clamping the flexi hoses one by one and try the pedal each time to see if it helps, you can elimanate each side that way.

 

sounds to me like the bias valve and the pipe work is deffinatly the problem? First job next weekend i think Cheers guys!

 

The Bias valve shouldn't be a problem!

As i said above what size is your master cylinder?

 

Just a standard s2 turbo one

 

But is it?
Is that a cabriolet in your Avatar?
If so it's probably got a 22mm M/Cylinder which may explain your
current dilemma.
If unsure look on the side of Cylinder and it will have either 22, 23 or 25
Cast into it.
The 25 mm is the RST one.

 

Theres no such thing as an S2 master cylinder with 4 outlets, if it is the cabriolet in your avatar it will be a 23mm item.

Get one off any Mk4 Escort/Orion with ABS and you'll find it only has 2 outlets, that should solve your problem