The Rover-Landers of BC

Hi All, I'm looking for any information about installing a dual circuit brake system into a 1955 86" series 1. Has anyone done this locally and has pictures? I'm curious about hood clearance with the overhead pedals and resivoir as well as parts required info. Thanks for any input. Jerry

Hi Jerry, I did it on my IIa, but thats quite a different beast. Should be a project worth watching...

cheers, Dave

If you are a tinkerer then have a blast otherwise I would have to ask "Why?". You can play the "safety" card but I would suggest that it is not worth the effort. Brake failure is not very common, especially in this part of the world considering that most failures would be caused by rusted lines. If you do regular maintenance then you should likely have already addressed any areas of concern well before a failure. I had a brake line blow out on a '71 in Ottawa years ago and the dual system did nothing. By the time the line blew the system was so old that the shuttle valve was likely stuck as well. If you are in the bush and have a failure all you have to do is pinch the affected line off and carry on. A short wheelbase S1 is a pretty light vehicle and the stock brake system is more than up to the task. When I rebuilt my SII '88 I put vacuum assist 11" brakes on it because I thought that I might pull a trailer. After 15 years of driving it I never did any significant trailer work and if I had to do it again I would not bother.

Hi Guys, I'm questioning going to a dual circuit system beause I'm already installing overhead pedals into the modified bulk head. I currently have set up the brake system as a single circuit system and when I look at the work I'll go through modifying the bulk head footwells I though it wouldn't be a long streach to replace the 4 / 5 way valve with an adjustable proportioning valve and rather than using the 109 master cylinder I currently have, going to a dual circuit master cylinder from a newer land rover. My concern was with clearance with the hood to the resivior. I'm replacing the foot wells on both sides of my bulkhead so modifing the mounting height would not be a lot of work, as long as the pedal doesn't get to low on the foot well. The tranni shields will be modified as well. I'm putting a 2.5 Diesel with a series 3 gearbox into the truck.

You will be changing the wheel cylinders in conjunction with the master then? What I am getting at there is that you will want to be conversant with hydraulic theory before you go about changing masters and the like.

I have installed front and rear series 3 nos military diffs with 11" brakes.

Hi John, I forgot to answer your main question. I'm a commercial transport mechanic and hold a CVIP inspectors license. Well versed in hydaulic theory as well as discussed this with a rover Guru with decades of experience in this type of stuff. The master cylinder will match the wheel cylinders.

Hi Dave, I'll have to start snapping pictures and post it in the projects section. So far I have the frame done, nos diffs installed with Parabolics. Bulk head footwells and center section removed, blasted and primered the bulkhead and will begin reworking the footwell soon.