Austin a55 Pickup: Service and brake time

We're getting well acquainted with our little Half ton. Now it was time for some proper servicing.

The air filter really needed renewal. The smelly item on the left is the old one. 

Even though there was a hefty washer pump fitted, it didn't work at all. Turned out the push button inside was defective, so I fitted a new heavy duty one. 

Now the oil and oil filter: not easy to reach and I found access was much improved by removing the starter and bending a 5/8 spanner to reach the bolt. Still it was hard to see the little seal and the new filter leaked because the paper top caught between the seal and the bowl Another brand of filter had a sturdy metal top and the correct size seal. 

So I performed the replacement trick a second time. This time the filter worked well and without leaking.  The Unipart kit contained a selection of three different seals.  

Next for the brake service. Several wheel cylinders were leaking a bit, so the seals were replaced after honing the cylinder bore.  

The pistons looked shiny and smooth. Worth fitting new seals. These are A60 seals. 

New seals and brake shoes in place.  

I had cleaned and adjusted the rear brakes a while ago when I fitted the new adjuster. Everything looked fine, so I cleaned them again. Cylinders look new and do not leak. 

I noticed I didn't have one of my homemade hub cap pullers on my tool board, so I made a MK2 version out of an old paint roller. Easier to hold and with a hole to mount it on the board.