Brakes!

[Spider2]

The recommissioning of my Appia 2 is nearing completion. Undoing some of the horrors has been exciting, not least most of the front wiring harness being burnt out,  but with the help of a S3 loom from the consortium this has been sorted. What I cannot sort are the brakes. There is huge pedal travel and then they work... sort of, but I would dread an emergency stop.
Master cylinder rebuilt with new seals.
Brake cylinders look good and look fairly new.
System bled and bled and there is no air in the system.
Where do I go from here? I am guessing the master cylinder is bad but to get a new one could be an expensive trouble shooting exercise if the MC is infact good.
The other problem with the MC is getting it off and on. It is so inaccessable that I assume Lancia started with the MC and then built the rest of the car around it. I feel it will have to come off again. Any tricks of the trade to makee it a bit easier? I would love to bring it to the National Rally but would not risk it with the brakes as they currenly are.
Thanks

[lancianut666]

Have you adjusted the brake shoes? I usually tighten them up till the drums bind then back them off.
Does the pedal pump up and then go back to lots of travel?
If it pumps up it indicates there is air in the system.
Try pulling the handbrake on when you are braking.. if the shoes are out of adjustment that will take up some of the slack on the back.
Just a thought is the brake system Simplex or Duplex?
Duplex means two brake cylinders on each front wheel.
Clarkey

[Spider2]

Hi Jim
Simplex brake system. Do not think the duplex came in until post 1960 S3.
Have adjusted the shoes as per handbook ie tighten untill just binding and then back off a tad.
The brakes do not pump up. The pedal just travels to about 80% with no feel and then the brakes start working but very pathetically. May b adjust the pedal up?