Focus mk1 - Ford focus mk1 brakes

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Sun 16 Apr 2017 19:32
Focus mk1 - Ford focus mk1 brakes - Harry_b_1996

Hi all first time on anything like these sites. I had my mot 2 days ago it failed on two front hoses which I'm cool with. But also failed on imbalance brakes on the rear local garage took them apart cleaned them had a look etc all looks fine as they did them 12 months ago. I had a look myself today and everything seems fine. But when i had a look around the brake pedal i saw fluid leaking slowly out of something I'm unsure off. Any help please.

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Sun 16 Apr 2017 20:17
Focus mk1 - Ford focus mk1 brakes - gordonbennet

If you poke your head up as far as you can with a torch to see where the top of the brake pedal lever is, you should see the brake rod which goes into a rubber bellows seal as it enters the brake master cylinder, if fluid is coming from that then you have a failing master cylinder, replacement is straightforward...i'm assuming the master cyl is direct action and not the lever system as found on RHD Ford Escorts with the master cylinder fitted to the nearside.

I assume the rear brakes are drums, in my experience if the master cylinder is on the way out then it's possible the rear slave cylinders might be past their best too, however assuming your garage fully stripped the brakes they should have found any seizing slave cyls and should have peeled the dust covers back to check for leaks, if the rears are calipers you possibly have one starting to seize.

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Sun 16 Apr 2017 20:37
Focus mk1 - Ford focus mk1 brakes - elekie&a/c doctor

The fluid leak could also be the clutch master cylinder.This shares the same fluid reservoir as the brakes.I would get the brakes bled,to to remove any possible air from the system which could be entering the brake master if it is leaking.

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Sun 16 Apr 2017 20:41
Focus mk1 - Ford focus mk1 brakes - Harry_b_1996

Hey thanks for reply. Where the pedal is i can see there's a grey rubber thing which is leaking slightly which i can see as well. Also the rear brakes were all done 12 months ago and when i took the drums of today i couldn't see anything leaking at all. So where the brake pedal is that's called the brake master cylinder ? Could that casue the problems with the rear brakes. As on the test theres a difference of 50% mate.

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Sun 16 Apr 2017 20:57
Focus mk1 - Ford focus mk1 brakes - elekie&a/c doctor

Imbalace means one side is not working correctly.Did you get a print out of the defective side.?Could be a myriad of problems.Seizeed wheel cylinder,air in system,seized pivot points on the brake shoes ,collapsed flexi hose..etc etc.

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Sun 16 Apr 2017 20:58
Focus mk1 - Ford focus mk1 brakes - gordonbennet

As elekie doc notes, if the master is leaking then it's possible air is entering the system, as he correctly says bleeding the brakes might correct the imbalance.

The problem with just looking inside the drums is you don't know if everything is moving correctly, if you have a partially seized slave cyl you won't know till you try it, also is the automatic adjusting mechanism working correctly both sides, or has someone adjusted the handbrake cable up too much wihc can sometimes stop the auto adjusters working correctly....if JohnF reads this thread he's the man who knows about keeping older Focii going for next to nowt.

How you check that is with the help of a competent assistant, with drum removed you hold one brake shoe in place with a screwdriver wedged against the edge of the backplate, and get your assistant to press the brake very gently till you see the other shoe moving, then repeat with the other shoe, that proves the slaves are free and working, only remove one brake drum at a time.

You can check caliper pistons similarly, by getting an assistant to pump them out whilst you watch at the sharp end.

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Sun 16 Apr 2017 21:27
Focus mk1 - Ford focus mk1 brakes - Harry_b_1996

Thanks for your replys, i get what you mean but unfortunately I'm not the best at doing these kind of things, also no one willing to help me out with this kind of stuff which is annoying as i don't wanna go to a garage for them to do work which doesn't need doing. The garage who i took it to them took the drums off had a look which one guy was in the car pressing the brake etc so i think everything in there is working but they also have a mot rolling thing. Which it still read that there is around 47-57% difference in braking. But they also adjusted the brakes and hand brake as now the hand brake is fully on after only 3 clicks which before it was around 7 clicks max now it's only 3. Just doing my head in as car is needed for kids etc.

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Sun 16 Apr 2017 21:44
Focus mk1 - Ford focus mk1 brakes - gordonbennet

Was it still 50% difference after adjusting up?

Presumably they haven't just sent you out to fail another MOT with the brakes still imbalanced>

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Sun 16 Apr 2017 21:54
Focus mk1 - Ford focus mk1 brakes - Harry_b_1996

After they did the brakes etc etc still the same. So weonlymot place was around 50% then went to another garage they cleaned adjusted etc still the same on there roller. So thought might be something wrong on there side so went in to Kwik fit asked them to try and they did was the same there as well. My car doesn't pull stops well and everything. Since my last service around a year ago brake fluid hasn't really moved tbh. So atm for me it's a guessing game and i find it hard to trust garages deffo when I'm clueless lol.

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Sun 16 Apr 2017 22:08
Focus mk1 - Ford focus mk1 brakes - gordonbennet

From where i'm sitting, assuming the slave cyls are working, the auto adjusters too, and you have equal brake force under handbrake, then it can only really be lack of pressure coming down the brake pipe on th weak side.

First thing is to bleed the brakes and see if there's an improvement, though if you have a leaking master cylinder then traditional brake bleeding using the pedal pumping method might well finish it off.

Hove none of these garages tried anything else bar peering at the rear brakes and adjustiing up, no one suggested bleeding, no one got any comments or suggestios about the fluid leak from the back of the master cyl? arn't there ay mechanics out there any more?....shakes head sadly

Edited by gordonbennet on 16/04/2017 at 22:09

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Sun 16 Apr 2017 22:17
Focus mk1 - Ford focus mk1 brakes - Harry_b_1996

Id have a go bleeding but got a feeling I'd mess it up someway or another. And To be honest after he did that he put it on the roller and same reading just seemed he couldn't be bothered with it and said could try two new rear hoses but it be a gamble and qouted 90 quid just for that obviously i said i ain't gunna replace something what your not even sure about yourself didn't look at other things or owt and then replied with your gunna have to get a 2nd opinion mate, just so unsure what to do/who to go to.

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Sun 16 Apr 2017 23:52
Focus mk1 - Ford focus mk1 brakes - Harry_b_1996

Just thought i say cos unsure what difference this would make. Around 5 weeks ago on the rear nearside wheel i had my bearing replaced then I've gone to mot that is the only rear corner thatil is being difficult... Would bleeding the brakes be necessary after replacing the wheel bearing.?

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Mon 17 Apr 2017 09:06
Focus mk1 - Ford focus mk1 brakes - gordonbennet

Would bleeding the brakes be necessary after replacing the wheel bearing.?

In theory no, assuming it was one hub off and one hub straight on, but it's a bit of a coincidence that's side which is now underperforming, any garage worth its salt that had to disconnect the brakes to change the bearing would have bled the system through after.

Have a poke nose at the flexi hose and it's short solid brake pipe behind that drum, i wonder if something has got twisted or crushed and preventing free flow, poorly placed garage lifter for example?

If no joy suggest you ask around your friends, those who run older cars who keep them in fine fettle, who they use as a mechanic and have a chat with them, i'm amazed that three garages can't sort this simple problem between them.

Edited by gordonbennet on 17/04/2017 at 09:09

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