Replacement Parts
I've just completed a 1700 mile trip around France in my Bristol 400 that I've spent 3 years totally rebuilding. To avoid brake problems I've bought and fitted a new Lockheed Delphi Master Cylinder. The brakes have failed four times now! I've rebuilt the master cylinder once to discover the genuine Lockheed replacement seals don't fit the genuine Lockheed Cylinder and I've returned a new Servo in the belief that it may have accounted for fluid loss.
I thought I'd fixed them but was never happy with the way the pedal feels. I noticed before I left that the level was low and topped it up, but by the time I arrived in SW Brittany, it was going to the floor and I'd almost lost any stopping power. I checked the level again to find that there was almost no fluid left, so I bought more, topped it up again and remarkably the pedal returned, so I spent the rest of the trip regularly topping up the reservoir.
Brian May was with us and had customers return these cylinders as faulty. Past Parts are the leading specialist re-sleevers and repairers and they explained they may not be able to repair them and that they were aware of the problem. I subsequently discovered that several trade people have had problems and told Lockheed as long ago as 2004! They are made for Lockheed by LPR in Italy.
The main issue is that there is no baffle in the lid to stop fluid going straight out of the breather - hence emptying the reservoir, but proper Lockheed lids won't fit because the thread is metric.
I've had to buy another Master Cylinder that I'm promised is an exact copy of the original and made by TRW.
Lockheed Delphi are ghastly and their technical department can't even look up the master cylinder number, that must be done by the stockist.
I've had other problems with the quality of new parts but this is the most serious and the one which has most angered me.
If anyone has master cylinder issues I'd recommend having the original re-sleeved by a specialist and avoiding new ones like the plague.
Ashley
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