Brake work on a classic is straightforward, methodical work, but the right tools turn it from a frustrating job into a satisfying one. This section gathers the specialist items that the conventional toolbox does not include, the bleeding equipment that turns a two-person bleed into a one-person job, the flaring tools for owners making their own brake lines, the caliper tools the original factory toolkit never included, and the drum-brake service tools that simplify work on the rear of any classic MG.
Bleeding Kits
Brake-bleeding kits cover three formats, vacuum, pressure, and one-man. Vacuum bleeders pull the old fluid through each wheel cylinder by suction at the bleed nipple and are the standard workshop tool for a complete brake-fluid renewal, pressure bleeders apply low pressure to the master-cylinder reservoir to push fluid through to the wheel cylinders, useful where access to the bleed nipples is awkward, and one-man bleed kits, typically a non-return valve fitted to the bleed nipple, allow a single person to operate the brake pedal and watch the fluid in a clear tube without a second pair of hands at the wheel. Each format has its place, and many workshops keep all three. Several classic MGs are notoriously difficult to bleed by conventional pedal pumping, so the right bleeding equipment is particularly valuable, and on the ABS-equipped MGF and TF a complete bleed requires a diagnostic tool that cycles the ABS pump to purge air from the modulator, which a manual bleed cannot reach.
Brake-Line & Caliper Tools
Brake-line flaring kits cover the tools needed to make brake pipes from copper or Kunifer bar stock, particularly useful where the original pipes have corroded, where the routing has been changed, or where a fresh set of pipes is part of a complete brake-system overhaul, the kit including the flaring dies for the appropriate pipe diameters, the bender for forming the pipe without kinking, and the pipe cutter for clean square cuts. Quality flaring tools produce reliable double-flare ends, while poor-quality tools can produce flares that leak or fail in service. Caliper piston rewind tools are essential for any car with handbrake-operated rear calipers, including the MGF and TF where the rear caliper pistons incorporate the handbrake mechanism and must be rotated back into the bore rather than simply pushed, as forcing the piston back without rotating it will damage the handbrake mechanism inside the caliper. Brake-piston spreaders push the piston back into the caliper bore against the residual master-cylinder pressure when fitting new pads to discs of slightly different thickness, producing a much cleaner result than the common screwdriver shortcut and removing the risk of damaging the piston dust boot.
Drum-Brake & Service Tools
Drum-brake spring tools cover the brake-shoe return spring pliers and the hold-down spring tool, both essential for working on the rear drums of any classic MG without bending the springs or losing parts into difficult-to-reach corners of the backplate, with the Girling shoe horn lever providing the leverage needed to manipulate the shoes over the return springs during removal and refitting, the single most useful tool for drum brake work. Brake-shoe-adjusting tools cover the various keys and spanners needed to adjust the rear handbrake mechanism through its working life, and on cars with a wedge-type rear adjuster the correct adjuster spanner is essential, as using a standard screwdriver, an incorrect spanner, or pliers will round the flats or deform the slot, turning a two-minute adjustment into a drum-off repair. A flexible hose clamp isolates individual flexible hoses during caliper or wheel cylinder work, preventing the entire system from draining, a brake fluid tester checks moisture content and boiling point, and brake cleaner aerosol removes oil, grease, brake dust, and fluid contamination from components before assembly, as any contamination on the disc or pad faces drastically reduces braking efficiency.