To update all my various (but excellent) helpers, once I had (thanks to your advice) removed discs etc so that I could actually see something, I noticed that the handbrake link to the rear nearside disc was jammed on! A 'tap' with an Irish Hammer released it and the siezed disc....Now not sure if the root of the problem lies with the linkage or the piston :?:
In any event, it was obvious now that the brake fluid gush emanated from the flexible hose linking the two calipers. On inspection, even I am not stupid enough to believe that I could undo the flexible hose in situ - You would have to be an alien life form to be able to get any sort of spanner on those banjos and turn them in the space provided (or not provided, more accurately).
I removed the handbrake linkage and both sets of pads and calipers (still linked to each other by the flexible hose) and 'lobbed one of them over the diff....Result - I have both calipers on my workbench in airconditioned splendour :!:
Rear offside appears fine - No brake fluid in the metal cover and the rubber seal in good condition. However, the rear nearside (again perfect rubber seal on cover) was full of fluid and both sets of pads (which look nearly new) are saturated
in fluid, mostly (I think) from the caliper to caliper flexi hose leaking above them.
So, I will need to order new flexible hoses - Is it worth paying £58 to Rover Classics for a set of four Goodrich? Am I being overly cynical when I say I would not be surprised to be performing all this again at the front end? What would you do - Worry about the front pipes when you have to?
Might as well replace all the piston rubbers etc while I have them on the bench - Even though they look okay :?:
Brake pads; from memory, you cannot reuse contaminated pads :?:
ATB Ray