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MG MG Y Type - FITTING THE RETURN SPRING ON FRONT BRAKES

No doubt many of you will have done this job before as indeed I did on a number of occasions with my TA

However fitting new return springs on the YT has proved to be an absolute bugger. It's something that I mentioned on the Llannerchinda trip a couple of weeks ago when we forced to use alternative transport - sorry chaps an MGF!

I had one or two novel suggestions most of which I have completely forgotten! As our time has been taken up with domestic travels to see Jo'a Dad (and building a N Gauge railway for him - he is nearly 96 - and it was good fun) and to visit one of our daughters our time has been taken up!

Yesterday afternoon I fitted new cylinders to both sides and reinstalled the rest of the parts (as an aside can someone please tell me why MG choose to fit one easily removed securing bolt between the rear brake plate and the cylinder and a best described bolt with a nut type fitting, which despite being soaked in plusgas took an age to undo?!)

So have you any straightforward solutions to my conundrum please?

Thanks
Jerry
Jerry Birkbeck

Jerry

As a one man job - patience and persistence secure one shoe with the retainer pin spring, stem and cup and then fit the return springs, stretch and use a G Clamp (C Clamp in the US) to hold it in place while you fit the second retaining spring, stem and cup.

As a two man job, ... as above but have someone else stretch the spring into position and hold it while you fit the second retaining spring, stem and cup.

It takes a while and is certainly easier to do sitting on a shop stool with the car on a hoist than it is sat on your backside with the car on axle stands.

Paul
Paul Barrow

Hi Paul

Thanks for that but a Y and YT are different from a YB which has twin leading shoes and two springs.

The Y abd YT hsve a single spring which makes the job hard work but simple as there are not 2 springs to fix!

Off to bed now so I'll catch up on any thoughts tomorrow.

Thanks
Jerry
Jerry Birkbeck

Jerry,
I have never worked on a YB, but have done brakes on lots of cars over the years & return springs can be tough.

A long time ago I bought a large but damaged screwdriver at a swap meet for $1. I cut off the damaged blade & ground out the end of shaft creating a "recessed dome" as best I could.

Poke the tool through the spring eye, then "locate" it on the spring post using the recess & lever the spring into place.

It's always worked for me.

Good Luck

Tony
A L SLATTERY

one spring or two Jerry, as Tony and I have said, principle is the same - attach and lever ... with lots of patience and strength.

Paul
Paul Barrow

Hi Jerry, glad to have shared your company at Llanerchindda. Apologies for being in the MGTF also, as the Y block was still at the machinists. Now back and being re-built, hope to be mobile again soon. Regarding front (or rear) brake pull off springs on a YA/YT. One method I have found to work is to fit one end of the spring in the appropriate hole in one shoe and then pass a length of strong string through the the other shoe and then onto the end of the spring, tie it into a loop and with a good pull on the loop it is possible to guide the hook into it's rightful place, especially if you haven't put the shoes onto the posts yet as this allow the shoes to move forward and thus be closer together requiring less tension on the spring.
Dave
D P Jones

Hi Jerry,

Suggest you start by attaching the pull-off spring to both shoes before positioning the shoes onto the backplate. Keeping the spring attached, fit the first shoe to the backplate, with its upper end in the slot in the piston and its lower end over the anchor pin (item 34, maintenance manual page L8).

Don't fit the lower end of the second shoe over the anchor pin yet. Grip the upper end firmly and using a suitable lever (I use an old screwdriver) pull the second shoe away from the first in such a way that the spring stretches sufficiently to let you slip the brake shoe tongue into the slot in the piston.

You can now lever the lower end of the second shoe over the anchor pin and fit its circlip - job done!

Takes a lot longer to put into words than to actually do it, and it has always worked for me.

Bill.
W M (Bill) Bennett

Thanks to all of you.

I had a few other jobs to do on the MGF to do which was a useful diversion even though I was dealing with plastic wing mirrors, one of which I caught(again)reversing into the garage. That I resolved and the other was replacing a couple of bulbs in the front flashers. Sounds easy just prise off the cover with a screwdriver - fine on one side but on the near side the plastic clip snapped so after failure with superglue i had some success with drilling a hole sufficient for a pozi drive. Job done but a waste of a couple of hours. Why didn't they fit a couple of screws to properly fix and secure the light unit - so much easier?

Anyhow I'll try your method Bill having tried an adaptation of Tony and Dave's ideas. Though because of other commitments that will have to wait until Thursday. I'll report back when I have success!

All the best
Jerry
Jerry Birkbeck

Ah the joy's of the MGF front flashers; been there, done that...

Willem van der Veer

How true Willem!

Anyhow just a quick note to say how effective Bill's technique is for fitting the return spring. I fitted the off/side spring in just over 10 minutes. Flushed with success I thought that that brief foray was enough for the day and ended my pre dinner spell on a positive note.

Though thanks for all your help but I would steer you to Bill's solution, which he has used for years. If I can do that without ending up frustrated,hoaarse through amplfying my thoughts in some very 'colourful' (strange expression) language and wondering what if anything I have achieved is of value, then believe me its a good feeling!

Thanks
Jerry
Jerry Birkbeck

This thread was discussed between 29/07/2016 and 03/08/2016

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