Location of brake/clutch reservoir bottles

Talk about the E-Type Series 2

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Steve1967
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#1 Location of brake/clutch reservoir bottles

Post by Steve1967 » Sun Oct 13, 2019 1:52 pm

Hello all, can I ask for some help?
I am restoring a 1967 S1.5 that I bought from the USA a few years ago. Things are going well and the body/engine and rear axle are all done and fitted. I have converted the car from LHD to RHD. All good so far.

I am struggling to find the correct place to locate my brake and Clutch fluid reservoirs. All 3 of mine were on the LHS engine frame but I can see that this isnt correct for a RHD Car. I have been trawling through mountains of pictures and other data sources for my year and RHD, I can see some that have all three bottles on the RH bulkhead and some that have two there, and one on the LHS supported by a bracket attached to one of the pedal blanking plates.

Can anyone tell me definitively where the correct place is please? Some pics attached so you can see where I'm up to.

Thank you in advance!!!

Steve

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Steve living in Tewkesbury, UK
1967 E Type 4.2 series 1 OTS
1960 Austin Healey 3000 BT7

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tim wood
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#2 Re: Location of brake/clutch reservoir bottles

Post by tim wood » Sun Oct 13, 2019 7:00 pm

On my original RHD car the reservoirs were fitted with 2 ( brake and clutch) on the right had side with the rear brake reservoir fitted to a bracket attached to a blanking plate fitted where the pedals would have exited on a LHD car. I think that you have seen pictures of that arrangement.

When I converted my current car from left to right I replicated this and the parts are easy to come by.

Hope this helps
Series 1 FHC purchased 40 years ago. Courted my wife in it.
Series 1 2+2 when the kids were small now sold.
Series 1.5 OTS in opalescent maroon, Californian car. My retirement present.

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grimes6
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#3 Re: Location of brake/clutch reservoir bottles

Post by grimes6 » Sun Oct 13, 2019 10:06 pm

Hi Steve,
I have attached a photo of my original rhd series2 roadster showing the firewall details.

regards,
Greg
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johnetype
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#4 Re: Location of brake/clutch reservoir bottles

Post by johnetype » Sun Oct 13, 2019 11:16 pm

One of your photos shows the brake "T" piece and brake light switch mounted high up on the picture frame which certainly isn't correct.

You're welcome to come round and have a look at my car, PM me if you'd like..
John

1969 Series 2 FHC

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Steve1967
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#5 Re: Location of brake/clutch reservoir bottles

Post by Steve1967 » Mon Oct 14, 2019 2:48 pm

Hi John, Greg and Tim, thank you thats brilliant!

As you can see I'm not being a slave to originality, but I do want things where they should be if I can!

Greg, thank you for that picture, thats terrific. Most pictures are taken standing by the screen into the engine bay so you cant see the bulkhead. That one is perfect.

I notice your two low pressure vacuum hoses from the servo go into two pipes behind the bulkhead from underneath the heater control valve. Mine doesn't have this for some reason. See photo's. I think mine will have to have longer rubber pipes feeding behind the engine to the other side and the master cylinder? I dont know if the bulkhead is for LHD only? I thought they were for both but certainly mine is different than yours for some reason.

John, thanks for your comment. I put the junction and brake light switch there as this is where it is shown in one of my restoration books, it is also where it was when I took it off the car. Happy to bow to superior knowledge though. I will check this out.

I would love to come over and see your car and take a few photo's. I'm in Tewkesbury so not too far away. I will PM you my contact details if thats OK?

Thank you again for your really helpful replies.

Steve

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Steve living in Tewkesbury, UK
1967 E Type 4.2 series 1 OTS
1960 Austin Healey 3000 BT7

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288gto
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#6 Re: Location of brake/clutch reservoir bottles

Post by 288gto » Mon Oct 14, 2019 6:12 pm

Hi Steve, looking at the pictures of your bulkhead it would appear that you have an early Series 1 4.2 arrangement without the vacuum pipes running inside the bulkhead. I would have a look at the parts catalogue for a Series 1 rather than 2 . The bit that threw me is that you have later “notched” ribbed cam covers . Is your centre dash toggle switch or later Series 2 style rocker switch?

External vacuum pipe set up shown below


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Last edited by 288gto on Tue Oct 15, 2019 7:51 pm, edited 2 times in total.
Simon
1969 S2 OTS

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johnetype
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#7 Re: Location of brake/clutch reservoir bottles

Post by johnetype » Mon Oct 14, 2019 8:04 pm

I made my comment on the basis of your car being a Series 2. Now that Simon has pointed out it's a 1.5, it may be that the brake light switch is up on the picture frame. The acid test will be where the brake switch wires are on the wiring loom you use.

Time to get my reference books out!

I got your PM and will follow up.
John

1969 Series 2 FHC

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tim wood
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#8 Re: Location of brake/clutch reservoir bottles

Post by tim wood » Mon Oct 14, 2019 8:23 pm

Mine is a 68 series 1.5. The brake light switch is beside the servo , left hand side on footwell end plate. Same as on my previous series 1.
Series 1 FHC purchased 40 years ago. Courted my wife in it.
Series 1 2+2 when the kids were small now sold.
Series 1.5 OTS in opalescent maroon, Californian car. My retirement present.

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tim wood
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#9 Re: Location of brake/clutch reservoir bottles

Post by tim wood » Tue Oct 15, 2019 10:41 am

sorry about the poor photo but you can just about see the brake light switch and connections to the right of the servo.
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Series 1 FHC purchased 40 years ago. Courted my wife in it.
Series 1 2+2 when the kids were small now sold.
Series 1.5 OTS in opalescent maroon, Californian car. My retirement present.

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paulsco
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#10 Re: Location of brake/clutch reservoir bottles

Post by paulsco » Tue Oct 15, 2019 11:59 am

Mine is a November 65 Series One and the vacuum pipes are inside the bulkhead, the earlier ones were external.
The LHD does not need this additional pipe, which is why you haven't got it, but when converting to RHD one has to be installed.
The parts manual for the Series One does not show this, but the Series two Manual and 2+2 does.

Paul
65 Series 1 FHC, 68 Jaguar 340

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288gto
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#11 Re: Location of brake/clutch reservoir bottles

Post by 288gto » Tue Oct 15, 2019 12:35 pm

Hi Paul, this is what is puzzling me. In theory Steve should have at least one vacuum pipe inside the bulkhead but based on his picture of that area, there never was one . The lhd cars still have the extra hole in the bulkhead but I can’t see any unless I’m missing something??
Image

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Perhaps I can’t see the holes because the picture is dark but the other side of the bulkhead doesn’t seem to have them either. Has the bulkhead been repaired in that area?
Simon
1969 S2 OTS

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Steve1967
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#12 Re: Location of brake/clutch reservoir bottles

Post by Steve1967 » Wed Oct 16, 2019 12:27 pm

Thanks Paul and Simon, it is a mystery. Having seen your earlier post Simon I ordered those external vacuum pipes from SNGB and they arrived this morning, (terrific service, I only ordered them yesterday mid-afternoon!!). The pipes are copper, so I guess they should be painted black?

I can confirm that there are no other holes in the bulkhead, other than those that are obvious in the photo's. While I was ordering the pipes, I asked SNGB about the two large holes, one each side, that will sit behind the header tank to one side and the washer bottle to the other. I guessed there would be a blanking plate or large grommet or something to fill these. SNGB couldn't find anything about those holes at all...... I mean like they shouldn't exist!! They are not simply cut by someone after manufacture as they have a lip on the inside that was formed when pressed. Have you any idea what these might be for and how they are blocked off?

Sorry for all the questions but the car was largely un-assembled when it arrived and many parts were missing.

I shall let you know how I get on with the pipes when I've offered them up to the car. I cant understand why I have these when Paul's car is 2 years earlier and doesn't have them? I know my engine block is a replacement but otherwise the numbers match my heritage certificate details for the late 1967 car.

Thank you again. Your comments and contributions really have helped me understand how the thing goes back together!

Warm regards

Steve :thankyouyellow:
Steve living in Tewkesbury, UK
1967 E Type 4.2 series 1 OTS
1960 Austin Healey 3000 BT7

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Steve1967
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#13 Re: Location of brake/clutch reservoir bottles

Post by Steve1967 » Wed Oct 16, 2019 12:32 pm

PS perhaps I should add this thread to the Series One page to see if anyone there has any ideas?
Steve living in Tewkesbury, UK
1967 E Type 4.2 series 1 OTS
1960 Austin Healey 3000 BT7

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paulsco
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#14 Re: Location of brake/clutch reservoir bottles

Post by paulsco » Sun Oct 27, 2019 7:36 pm

Steve,

The two large holes in your bulkhead are what was used on the 3.8 with the bellows servo, so it would appear to me that you have an earlier bulkhead/shell??
As it was only the later cars that had intermnal vacuum pipes, this is why the holes are missing for your vacuum pipes?

Paul
65 Series 1 FHC, 68 Jaguar 340

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#15 Re: Location of brake/clutch reservoir bottles

Post by 1954Etype » Sun Oct 27, 2019 8:30 pm

How many holes for the loom do you have in the panel where the voltage regulator bolts on? You should have 2 (1 for the alternator loom and one for the under bonnet loom). The 3.8s have one.
Angus 67 FHC 1E33656
61 OTS 875047

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#16 Re: Location of brake/clutch reservoir bottles

Post by paulsco » Mon Oct 28, 2019 1:20 pm

Steve,

I see in your picture, that the pedal box opening in front of the large round hole is the larger type, which is used for the later type pedal box??

I am no expert, but I would think that this is an unusual combination?

Paul
65 Series 1 FHC, 68 Jaguar 340

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288gto
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#17 Re: Location of brake/clutch reservoir bottles

Post by 288gto » Mon Oct 28, 2019 1:51 pm

paulsco wrote:
Mon Oct 28, 2019 1:20 pm
Steve,

I see in your picture, that the pedal box opening in front of the large round hole is the larger type, which is used for the later type pedal box??

I am no expert, but I would think that this is an unusual combination?

Paul
Looking at the lack of an original seam and spot welds, it would appear that the bulkhead has had some repair work. As I see it, based on the posts so far, if Steve is looking for originality he is going to have to fit internal vacuum pipes which will require the accurate drilling of holes in the bulkhead. If originality is not a concern, the earlier external pipe set up should work fine.

Enlarged pics of what look like repairs from Steve’s post.


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Simon
1969 S2 OTS

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Steve1967
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#18 Re: Location of brake/clutch reservoir bottles

Post by Steve1967 » Thu Oct 31, 2019 10:20 pm

Thanks Simon, in fact I did those welds myself as the originals were pretty crappy, but I have since found the reason.

A very helpful chap at Martin Robey's went off to speak with one of their experts and it turns out that my bulkhead is from a 1961/2 3.8 E Type, (as a reminder mine is a 4.2 '67 car). The holes I was questioning stopped when the 4.2 was first produced. So the bulkhead was presumably fitted to repair accident or rust damage years ago.

Having got that information, I have now fitted internal vacuum pipes and made some blanking plates to cover the larger holes. They are mostly obscured with the header tank and washer bottle anyway so they wont be highly visible. This will also be the reason why the welds looked so crappy and needed replacement. As did the inner and outer sills and boot floor, all dreadfully patched up. It must have been a long time ago due its poor condition. These have all been replaced with new now so all good.

Anyway, not good news, but the riddle has been solved and solidly repaired.

Thanks for all your excellent contributions. This Forum is fantastic!!

Steve
Steve living in Tewkesbury, UK
1967 E Type 4.2 series 1 OTS
1960 Austin Healey 3000 BT7

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288gto
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#19 Re: Location of brake/clutch reservoir bottles

Post by 288gto » Sat Nov 02, 2019 8:08 am

Glad you got to the bottom of it and for updating us Steve. All the best with the rest of the rebuild.

Simon
Simon
1969 S2 OTS

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