I’m currently in the process of rebuilding the braking system on my ’77 1300.



Whilst flushing out the hard lines in the car I found that the brake fluid reservoir is split into two sections with a baffle. I found this out the hard way wondering why I couldn’t get fluid out of the rearward reservoir hose.

Does any body know why it is baffled? Is it to allow one circuit to remain functional should the other fail?

With the cap being located at one side it is impossible to see the fluid in one half.

Should you have to fill the reservoir to very nearly full before it starts filling the rearward section or does mine have a problem such as a blockage? I.e. is the baffle there to stop surge and one pipe picking up air?




This has left me confused so if anybody can shed some light it would be great.


Thanks

Yes, I believed you have answered your own questions. The baffle is there to retain the function of one circuit should the other fail. But as far as I remember you don't have to fill it nearly full before it starts filling the rearward section. Is your reservoir original? Mine perished after only 25 years, so yours should be in a pretty sorry state...

Yes as far as I'm aware it is original. However the car was off the road for a while which may have helped prolong its life.

Does your reservoir have the cap at one side so you can only see into one section?

Can anybody recall how far they had to fill the reservoir before it goes over the baffle?

Yes, I seem to recall that the cap was to one side. I now have two reservoirs for the brakes, as the early models had, because the single reservoir is apparently impossible to get.