Aha! Steps forward again. Having removed the master cylinder and pedal box all over again as described briefly before, I took a good look at it in order to remedy the slack pedal thingy. Having read (by accident) a report on bulkhead flex I decided to keep the strength already there but to improve it somewhat.

You can see in this previously posted picture the plate that the master cylinder was bolted to. This plate trapped the bolts holding the master cylinder and was then in turn bolted to the pedal box. We can do better than that.

I removed the master cylinder and plate, deciding on drilling new holes in the pedal box that lined up with the cylinder holes that were also in the plate. That way I could mount the plate inside the pedal box as opposed to on the front. Once both the pedal box and plate were flattened (they were quite bent) I cleaned the plate up and slipped it inside. Having neglected to take photos, take it from me, this was welded into place for rigidity. Then I welded two bolts in place for the master cylinder mounting flange to go over.

That done and with the bonus of getting the master cylinder about 10mm nearer the brake pedal, I set about the slop in the actuating rod. This was largely caused by...

...the chasm that the connecting pin was wobbling around in! Not having any bushes to hand I used the next best thing. Washers. Having found two suitable washers and determining that there was enough clearance for the R clip to go on, I welded them to the pedal.

That's much better. There was no sign of wear on the original arrangement but I will keep an eye on this, just in case. Having done that, all the slack was taken up and the pedal feel is excellent, no wobbles.

Moving on the front calipers, they are jammed I think so off they come. MKII Escort M16 jobbies.

The connecting brake pipes came undone fairly easily, a few bolts and off. Now, do I spend £120 on new calipers or £25 on a rebuild kit? Best I get them stripped on the bench to see how good the internal surfaces are. That's tomorrow night's job. Having spent all day rendering walls in the garden, I'm exhausted.

Also, whilst the brake pipes on the car look OK, I think I'll replace them all as a matter of course. DIY brake making tools and parts are easy to come by and the process is not too difficult. Having made them before for my first Westfield I'm sure I can do it again.