Triumph Repair: Spitfire Brakes, auto part stores, brake pipes

Question
QUESTION: Hello,
  
     I've replace the master cylinder, the new master cylinder has a bigger reservoir and is position at a slight angle not sure why but is. Bleed the brakes and got better resistance from the last time but not great, drove the car and try the brakes theres no pressure when braking forwards and stops very slowly.

I have no leaks, its got all new hoses and new 4.76mm x 0.71mm 3/16 brake pipes with some pipes with some of the original fittings, plus a new master cylinder. Its got the original manifolds, new rear wheel pistons and placed new seals and pistons in the calipers.

I've noticed a twist in a pipe so will re-cut and flare but a part from that do not know what to do. Need help to resolve the problem!!

ANSWER: Hi Jason,
You didn't tell me what year this Spitfire is so I can't tell if it is a single circuit master cylinder or a dual circuit master cylinder. Either way when working in dealerships I would at times run into a problem bleeding So I needed to know for sure if the master cylinder was at fault. Even a new master cylinder can be at fault. I worked out a quick method to be 100% sure the master was good or bad.

This works on all master cylinders, single circuit or dual circuit. Here in the US most auto part stores sell a brake bleeder valve assortment. I found that most of the time there was a bleeder valve in that assortment that would fit into the brake line hole so I removed the brake line or lines and put the bleeder valve/s in place of the lines and then I would fill the reservoir and pump the pedal and bleed at each bleeder valve (dual circuit) and I should get a rock hard pedal. If the master was bad the pedal would slowly go to the floor proving 100% that the master was bad. If you get a rock hard pedal and can hold it, then it proves the master is good and you have other problems like something traveling too far or air you are not getting out of the system. In many cars the brake bleeder in the front caliper is the same as the brake line in the master cylinder so I could use them. I would slip a small plastic hose over the bleeder valve and run the hose into a jar or can so as not to make a mess and remove paint around the master cylinder. It was a lot of work but when faced with a car that didn't want to bleed correctly it told me for sure if the master was good or not.
Howard

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hi Howard,
Its a 1977 Spitfire 1500 overdrive and a single circuit brake system.

Answer
If you have a soft pedal then run the test I quoted and if the master is good then connect the line up again and bleed the brakes again and pull the hand brake all the way up to see if it makes any difference in the pedal feel. If it brings the pedal up any at all to a harder pedal then adjust the rear brakes. If not you need to remove the front wheels and have someone pump the brakes hard but slowly while you watch carefully at the front disk in relation to the caliper to see if there is any movement at all in the disk. if you see the disk flexed to one side or the other you have a stuck piston in one side of the caliper. Check both front brakes that way.
Howard