Hi All,
Any tips / Tricks to reducing the amount of travel in the brake pedal before it starts doing anything? Im used to the non-assisted nature of this type of brakes, but currently they are not be confidence inspiring.

System is the standard Ginetta box with twin masters with bias bar.

The car came with another hydraulic bias valve in the rear, but I've removed that thinking the bias bar should be sufficient.

Masters are below the level of the calipers, reservoir is above them (just about)

1) adjust the rear shoes correctly,
2) on the fronts ensure the pads/pistons arn't being knocked back by runout, or the seals pulling them back.
3) set the pedal to piston pushrods with the tiniest amount of 'slack'

edit: add slack front wheel bearings to 2.

[Edited on 6/3/16 by gremlin1234]

make sure the fluid is fresh too moisture contamination will cause spongy peddle

are you sure you have not trapped any air??? I have the same problem on mine at the moment after a brake re-build and am pretty sure it is air in the system

Before we go off at a tangent are you using Sierra or similar calipers on the rear ? if so the most likely cause is the orientation of the rear calipers is not exactly the same as on the donor car the calipers were fitted to. The normal way round this this is unbolt the caliper an tilt it so the nipples are at the top and then bleed. The same could also apply to the front especially with certain makes of aftermarket calipers.


In any event you should also be able to tell if the excess travel is in the front or rear circuits by observing the master cylinder push rods when you press the brake.

It goes without saying you need to check every union for leaks while under pressure -- use a torch and look foe even the tsign of dampness. It is not unkown for tiny leaks in unions to allow air in on the return stoke but due to the much higher viscosity only show a tiny trace of fluid leakage.

Moisture in the fluid won't give excess travel until the car is in hard use when the brakes get very hot and the water in the fluid starts to boil.



[Edited on 7/3/16 by britishtrident]

Sorry to jump on your thread Anton (I was about to post on the subject this am :-))...

This is a pic of my rear calliper... I assume this is the correct way round?? I just noticed I have a loop in the brake pipe behind the calliper!!

https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/k_n1hfGO-LW9VVWeGmgyL2-vWs37cn_gW1jg_vRcqYg?feat=directlink