I'm new to the list and have a couple of questions that I hope someone can
help me out with. My car is a '66 Series V (or so the registration says).
Serial number is 395015371. My questions are:
1. The car has the Girling 7" servo unit. It was working but was leaking
brake fluid into the vacuum cylinder. I replaced all the seals using a
rebuild kit from Victoria British. I've done master and wheel cylinders
before, so it didn't seem like it should be that big a deal. When
reinstalled, the servo unit did not seem to be working. There was no
modulation at all. The brakes were very hard, and easy to lock up. I seem
to be getting decent vacuum from the vacuum hose. The new seals seemed very
tight, perhaps too tight. I removed some of the seal on the main piston in
the vacuum unit, so I know that it moves, and still does maintain a seal. I
took everything apart and very carefully rebuilt again (using the same
seals). Same result. I have tried simply running without the servo unit,
but again the brakes were very hard, and locked very easily. Should a
rebuild work on one of those units? What might have gone wrong? Is there
anything I should do or try differently? I know that you can purchase a new
servo for about $400. Is that perhaps the best, if a somewhat expensive,
solution. Is there a source for used or rebuilt servos?
2. I need to replace my soft top. Is it a job I should attempt myself, or
is it one best left to someone with experience? The trickiest part looks
like attaching the top to the header rail. Mine appears to be riveted.
Other attachments (at the rear and on the side rails) seem to be screwed.
Are there differences between the tops from different vendors or are they
all the same? Any suggestions, tips, or comments would be appreciated.
3. The lower front shock mounts on my car are different from those in the
workshop manual. The lower mount is simply a stud (it looks similar to the
Series I-III) that is bolted from the bottom onto a narrow steel plate that
spans the hole in the lower link and is screwed onto it from below.
Pictures of the Series V front end show a shock with an eye for a lower
mount, that bolts to a double eared mounting bracket that is bolted to the
bottom link. Has anyone seen a similar set up to mine, or is mine someone's
personal modification that allowed the use of some certain type of shock?
Again, any input would be appreciated.
Thanks for any help you can provide. I get a kick out of reading all the
various postings and responses, even if some are a bit over my head. I feel
fortunate to be able to tap into all the Sunbeam expertise out there.
Jim Schwellenbach
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