Silicone Brake Fluid /MGB

[Bill Traill]

Bill

> I'm confused about how you could blame silicone for the MGB >clutch problem.

Steve, I believe the master cylinder piston didn't return all the way back. In both the B and TC after converting to silicon, the brake master cylinder piston would hang, and after a few seconds I could feel it pop back. In a few days of use the problem went away. On the B clutch system there is no spring to pull the bearing off the throw- out pad and thus force the MC piston home. It may have been something I did then, but I have to say I have replaced the clutch in my B every 40,000 miles or about 5 times with no problems before silicone or after going back to DOT3. This was 20 years ago...maybe silicone is improved now. I know this not an MGB list (is there one?)... but the diaphram spring pressure plate on my B would break like clock work every 40K and I got so I would have the engine and trans out in 1 hour 30 minutes flat... with beer break (making shim stock). I never drove hard or abused the clutch. Finally, I put in an MGA clutch pressure plate (real springs)...no problems last 80K. Any other B'ers have clutch problems like this?? Bill DCO TC#5221 B/GT#99514

[Ray]

You should have a spring in the MC..... Ray

----- Original Message ----- From: "Bill Traill" bill@clovermachine.com> To: mg-tabc@yahoogroups.com> Sent: Thursday, December 13, 2001 7:47 PM Subject: [mg-tabc] Silicone Brake Fluid /MGB > Bill > > I'm confused about how you could blame silicone for the MGB >clutch problem. > > Steve, > I believe the master cylinder piston didn't return all the way back. > > In both the B and TC after converting to silicon, the brake master > cylinder piston would hang, and after a few seconds I could feel it > pop back. In a few days of use the problem went away. On the B > clutch system there is no spring to pull the bearing off the throw- > out pad and thus force the MC piston home. > > It may have been something I did then, but I have to say I have > replaced the clutch in my B every 40,000 miles or about 5 times > with no problems before silicone or after going back to DOT3. This > was 20 years ago...maybe silicone is improved now. > > I know this not an MGB list (is there one?)... but the diaphram > spring pressure plate on my B would break like clock work every > 40K and I got so I would have the engine and trans out in 1 hour 30 > minutes flat... with beer break (making shim stock). I never drove > hard or abused the clutch. Finally, I put in an MGA clutch pressure > plate (real springs)...no problems last 80K. Any other B'ers have > clutch problems like this?? > > Bill > DCO > TC#5221 > B/GT#99514 > > > > > Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/ > > >

[The Wilsons]

I switched to silicone in the brake and clutch systems of my 1963 B during a renovation 14 years ago. They have both performed flawlessly ever since. I did replace a sticking brake light switch two years ago. This switch was 36 years old at the time, so I did not attribute the failure to the silicone, but maybe. The replacement from Moss has worked well since then. The perpetually conflicting reports presented for silicone fluid should tell us that it CAN work but that it's not a given that it will. Cleanliness, diligence and perhaps a bit of luck (for example, that tolerances don't stack up unfavorably) are required. I certainly will use silicone in my basket case TC when I get to that point.

>...the diaphram spring pressure plate on my B would break like clock >work every 40K... Any other B'ers have clutch problems like this??

Not me. I've replaced the clutch only twice in 260,000 miles of driving my B. Cheers, Russ Wilson

[Ray]

> >...the diaphram spring pressure plate on my B would break like clock > >work every 40K... Any other B'ers have clutch problems like this??

Sounds like a defective part.... Best, Ray