Two reservoirs.
Trace them before service.
IMG_6960–6961 show two nearby hydraulic reservoirs: a larger pale LOCKHEED-marked cap and a smaller black cap with a brake-fluid warning. Their positions make brake and clutch roles plausible, but the photos do not trace either hydraulic line to its destination. Record the actual circuit on the car before opening a reservoir, buying a cylinder or adding fluid.
The larger pale reservoir is the likely brake-master reservoir and the smaller black-capped cylinder is the likely clutch master. These are photo-based hypotheses. Moss lists the Midget brake hydraulics separately from its clutch hydraulics; catalog architecture alone cannot prove which cap is on which circuit of a modified car.
What the photographs show
Separate master mounting, reservoirs, boots and local outlet comparisons ↗ now expose shared estimated flange/box bores. Cylinder identities, bore dimensions and hydraulic destinations remain unverified.
Separate native pedal support, shared pivot and clevis joints ↗ now replace the coarse mechanical linkage. Center stations, housing dimensions and all fits remain estimates; no fitted hydraulic circuit or removal procedure is established.
Inspect the new factory brake-network comparison and its limits ↗
Inspect the pedal-box reference
The whole-car model now adds an open pedal housing, separate top cover, shared transverse pivot, two pendant pedals and the two photo-led cylinder envelopes. The larger pale-cap unit is paired with a factory dual-line brake comparison and the black-cap unit with a separate clutch-master comparison. Those pairings remain provisional: the geometry does not trace either fitted circuit.
| Factory relationship | Modeled comparison | Limits |
|---|---|---|
| Dual-line pedal plate · PDF p. 163 | CHA375 pedal box and CHA333 top cover in the 1500 configuration; shared brake/clutch pivot. Brake pedal ↗ · Clutch pedal ↗ | Box shape, shelf notch, bulkhead opening, pedal/pivot positions, bores and local body profiles are estimates. Fixing the box during separation is a display convention, not a welded attachment. |
| Dual-line brake master · PDF p. 164 | Elongated cylinder, reservoir, flange, pushrod/clevis and two outlet cues. | Outlet count comes from the factory comparison, not a count established in the owner photo. Fitted identity, internal seals, stroke, clearances and actual line destinations remain unverified. |
| Clutch master · PDF p. 154 | Separate cylinder and pushrod/clevis. BHA4615 precedes AAU2298; North American change at GAN6-167343, compared with GAN6-169644 outside North America. | Neither reference identifies the fitted cylinder. The model does not establish its bore, pipe configuration or connection to a slave cylinder. |
All cylinder/reservoir dimensions, port sizes, pushrod lengths, axes, lever ratios and body stations are estimates. The pedal ends coincide with reference clevis centers to explain the connection; that does not validate free play, pedal travel or a correct operating stroke. Return springs, stops and brake-light switch remain unmodeled. The added brake-network comparison does not establish complete fitted plumbing. The separate 1500 slave and release study ↗ now adds estimated gearbox-side architecture; it does not trace the fitted circuit.
The pale LOCKHEED cap and black warning cap remain the direct photo observations. Earlier locator markers that called the black cap “brake” and pale cap “clutch” have been changed to cap-based names; no circuit has been promoted to confirmed. Model separation supplies no loosening order, pipe-disconnection procedure, safe removal path, fluid choice or bleeding sequence.
Record before choosing parts or fluid
| Question | Evidence now | What to verify on the car |
|---|---|---|
| Which circuit? | Two independent-looking reservoirs; positions suggest brake and clutch masters. | Trace each master-cylinder outlet line to the brake distribution hardware or to the clutch slave. Take a continuous sequence of photographs from the reservoir to its destination. |
| Which cylinder? | Cap color and visible housing only. Moss lists a dual-line brake master for the 1500 and a separate clutch master. | Read casting or stamped numbers, count outlet ports, photograph mounting and pipe fittings, and measure bore only as part of an appropriate overhaul. |
| Fluid and condition? | The black cap is embossed DOT 3; levels and actual fluid cannot be reliably read from these top views. | Record the applicable manual specification, any service history and the fluid already in each system. Inspect level, wetness and pedal behavior separately; investigate low level or leaks before a road test. |
Ten-minute parked inspection
- Park level, engine off and key out. Photograph both caps and the complete master-cylinder area before moving anything; protect nearby paint from hydraulic fluid.
- Follow each rigid line by sight. Photograph its next connection and continue until its brake or clutch destination is established. Do not loosen a line just to identify it.
- Record any casting number, reservoir shape, outlet count and visible level for each master. Keep “unknown” where a line disappears under the car or behind a panel.
- Check for wetness, corrosion, chafing and unsupported pipes at the reservoirs and accessible connections. Photograph findings before cleaning them.
- With the car stationary, record brake and clutch pedal feel separately. A sinking brake pedal, leak or uncertain brake condition calls for diagnosis and repair before driving.
- Use the verified cylinder identity, the applicable factory procedure and known fluid history before ordering rebuild parts or adding fluid. The wording on a possibly replaced cap does not identify the existing fluid.