If you ever think you've got everything dialed in... think again.
Last Friday, on my way home from the desert, I found the brake pedal going to the floor. Got out, checked everything for leaks, found none (remember how well dust masks everything?), fluid level seemed to be near the top, so I decided that my master cylinder hit the deck.
Drove the truck 80 miles back, from near sea level to 4100 ft then back to near sea level through traffic (fun without brakes!). Had to downshift to the 2nd before every light and use parking brake for a few times.
Miraculously or not, found a brand new MC sitting on the shelf in my garage (of course, it had to be a four-port, non-ABS, earlier Classic version), and figured I'd replace it on Saturday.
Next morning, found a few drops of brake fluid on the garage floor somewhere under the steering column. It turned out that one of the brake lines going from the ABS unit to the rear axle was rubbing against the framerail (factory assembly!), and in 20 years and 260kmi finally chaffed itself through, about an inch from the union. There very little fluid left in the reservoir - I guess I had just enough to see me home the day before.
Had to pillage the brake line off some of the junk D1s behind a friendly LR shop - it was from a 97 truck, and the line was routed very differently so there was no chance for it to happen. Then, of course, I found that the reservoir is almost broken apart on the old MC, so I replaced the MC, too. And I couldn't route the brake line without taking out the steering shaft, so that was replaced as well. And... but I'll stop here.
So... if you have any of the early D1s, next time you're under the truck, check the area where two brake lines go from the firewall to along the left framerail.
Last Friday, on my way home from the desert, I found the brake pedal going to the floor. Got out, checked everything for leaks, found none (remember how well dust masks everything?), fluid level seemed to be near the top, so I decided that my master cylinder hit the deck.
Drove the truck 80 miles back, from near sea level to 4100 ft then back to near sea level through traffic (fun without brakes!). Had to downshift to the 2nd before every light and use parking brake for a few times.
Miraculously or not, found a brand new MC sitting on the shelf in my garage (of course, it had to be a four-port, non-ABS, earlier Classic version), and figured I'd replace it on Saturday.
Next morning, found a few drops of brake fluid on the garage floor somewhere under the steering column. It turned out that one of the brake lines going from the ABS unit to the rear axle was rubbing against the framerail (factory assembly!), and in 20 years and 260kmi finally chaffed itself through, about an inch from the union. There very little fluid left in the reservoir - I guess I had just enough to see me home the day before.
Had to pillage the brake line off some of the junk D1s behind a friendly LR shop - it was from a 97 truck, and the line was routed very differently so there was no chance for it to happen. Then, of course, I found that the reservoir is almost broken apart on the old MC, so I replaced the MC, too. And I couldn't route the brake line without taking out the steering shaft, so that was replaced as well. And... but I'll stop here.
So... if you have any of the early D1s, next time you're under the truck, check the area where two brake lines go from the firewall to along the left framerail.
atriot: