I'm going to replace all 4 brake hoses with new items (just need to replace one corner but thought I might as well do them all).

Any advice on the best sequence so as to minimise fluid loss and the bleeding afterwards?

The bleeding should be as per manual, but as you take them apart, be ready to straight away put the new hoses back on (more so for the back than the front, the front you can plug if you have the little rubber grommets).

Easiest and least messy way is to simply get them back together as fast as you can once you have removed the old hose. It's a pretty messy job, and brake fluid isn't my favourite chemical of choice once it dribbles up your sleeves.

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SooperDooperMiniCooperExpertEngineering

All garage work involves equal measures of enthusiasm, ingenuity and a fair degree of irresponsibility.

Sorry wrong forum too.

Mike how longs the brake fluid been in thier...maybe good to replace it anyway

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Stop Licking the Dog...I Don't Care Who Started It

Still pretty good - its about a year and a half old.

Mike,
If you keep the MC topped up and are quick at swapping the hoses, you will find they will gravity bleed, particularly the fronts.
I just swapped a front caliper on Barney due to a leaking seal, it gravity bled in a couple of minutes- no pumping needed.

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DrMini- 1970 wasaMatic 1360, Mk1S crank, 86.6HP (ATW) =~125 @ crank, 45 Dellorto (38 chokes), RE282 sprint cam, 1.5 rockers, 11.0:1 C/R.

good stuff mike.
gravity feed like Kev has siad or you could also try cling rap under the cap to seel it and this should slow it down

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Stop Licking the Dog...I Don't Care Who Started It

I have a couple of golf tees in my tool box for such occurances

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David L


My greatest fear in life is that when I die my wife will sell my Mini and tools for the price I told her I paid for them!

Or buy a Gunson's Ezibleed from MS (UK) and pressure bleed the system. No pumping, just use your spare tyre to drive the air out of each bleed nipple. I use it on all my cars and it works fine - the latest Mini World magazine has a feature on it.

Just beware that within the selection of caps supplied in the kit, there is not one to fit the Aussie Mk2 single circuit big plastic type brake master cylinder.

I drilled a small hole in the top of a spare cap to fit the Ezibleed adaptor to and it solves the problem.

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Slide
1965 Mini Van (1360)
1970 Mk2 Cooper S (1310)
1978 Rover SD1 V8 (4.6)
1996 Land Rover Discovery V8 (4.0)

If you`d like to do them all with the minimum amount of fluid loss then -->

simply release one bleed nipple (it doesn`t matter which one) then put your foot on the brake pedal & push it to the floor,,, use a piece of broomstick or a section of pipe from your vacum cleaner handle (which is what i use:-) ) & stick it onto the pedal & jam it between the seat crossmember & the pedal to hold it to the floor while you`re doing the job... when done this way no fluid will pass through or leak out at all & you can happilly do all 4 hoses with barely one drop being lost after the initial press to the floor , which you can safely & easilly catch in a hose & bottle as you do it.

easy-peasy

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No offence intended here but--> anyone writing a book about minis 30 years ago may not have experienced such worn or stuffed-with components as we are finding these days.

You should put your heart & soul into everything you do.

Thanks guys- thats actualy what I was thinking (the holding the pedal down bit) but didn't realise you had to open a nipple first. I thought depress, then open the nipple - catch the squirt and leave the pedal down. I use a hammer jammed between the pedal and the steering wheel mounting bracket when bleeding on my own - its just the right lenght.

I'm restoring a 69 van at the moment (Pics soon), i put a couple of holesaw holes in the inner guards near the brake pipes, so changing hoses should be a lot easier

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--Insert legal disclaimer here--