Bizarre Bentley S2 Brakes | Tyrrell's Classic Workshop

You asked for technical content. In this episode, Iain takes us on a deep-dive into the "almost unique" braking system on the Bentley S2, explaining the unusual concept behind it. Join us underneath the car as Iain shows us the components used to bring this classic car to a stop. Stay tuned for an out-take at the end.
This video was brought to you by Aston Lark - www.astonlark.com/tyrrellswor...
Supported by Eurospares - www.eurospares.co.uk/
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Chapters
00:00 Introduction
02:10 Warning - technical content
08:42 Front brakes
10:22 Rear brakes
11:25 Let's go under
14:47 Bleeding the brakes
16:39 Do they work? Let's find out
17:29 Outro and out-take

[@petercrisp2573]

As a Mechanical Engineer, I do really love to hear your explanation in the minutest of detail Iain - there is no amount of nerdiness that is too nerdy. Please do not feel this is excess nerdy for your audience Iain. You have a unique audience here who loves this level of detail.

[@Official_Goonzquad]

ꜱᴇɴᴅ ᴍᴇ ᴀ ᴅɪʀᴇᴄᴛ ᴍᴇꜱꜱᴀɢᴇ ɪ ɢᴏᴛ ꜱᴏᴍᴇᴛʜɪɴɢ ꜱᴘᴇᴄɪᴀʟ ꜰᴏʀ ʏᴏᴜ⤴️⤴️⤴️

[@jeffreyoldham55]

I'm not entirely certain that it's our obsession with mechanical minutiae, but rather your brilliant explanation, and perfect presentation of the subject that fascinates your viewers, Iian. Save for that one bit at the end!

[@raelenezelesco9602]

" Minutiae" Thanks for improving my vocab Jeffrey!

[@Matteo_Licata]

That's been yet another fascinating and instructive video, thank you Iain for doing this! And don't worry about explaining "nerdy" stuff, as that's precisely the kind of content I crave, and I'm pretty sure I'm not alone...

[@andyrbush]

You are not alone lol.

[@C64SX]

Certainly not alone :)

[@gro9465]

I concur

[@corrbhan5138]

Definitely not alone.

[@gearhead9828]

Absolutely not alone ☝️ We are getting more and more 🤓

[@lory2622]

I appreciate that Iain’s confidence in front of the camera has grown and allows us to see his “chippy” sense of humour. I really enjoy that about this channel.

[@gerritleemburg6777]

I owned a Shadow II for 5 years, different car, different brakes, but I still get the shivers when I think back to the moment where I had a brake failure and nearly rammed into the back of another car. So this video reminded me of that. Smashing video anyway, thanks.

[@SB-kw6oo]

Every Sunday Mr Tyrrell uploads it's a delightful one ❤️

[@russhodges8218]

Well that took me back . Was an apprentice at h.r. Owen in the 1970,s spent many happy times setting up these systems . Love these cars

[@CaptHollister]

Please keep the nerdiness coming.

[@marwood1969]

It's amazing that something so complicated, finely tuned and exposed to the elements ever worked for any length of time. I don't think I'd have been brave enough to drive it if I knew just how fragile the whole thing was!

[@rickb296]

Fantastic episode Iain. Pushing the rev limiter on the nerdometer is EXACTLY why we love this channel. There are plenty of KZbin channels devoted to driving exotic and interesting cars. The nerdiness is what sets TCW apart. That and those introductions to shy Italian giants of design and engineering. Wonderful stuff. Thank you! A secondary benefit to your approach is having a video record of a lot of technical componentry that might otherwise be lost in the future.

[@iangillett2488]

What a super educational video. I do like how recognition is given to the team members, who have contributed to each of the projects discussed. 😊

[@Dunkinize]

Thank you, Iain for these videos. I'm so glad Harry talked you into doing them. Where else could we be able to see how these fascinating systems work! Please keep making videos. The nerdier, the better.

[@mistero4]

Don’t ever be ashamed of the nerd factor. It’s absolutely fascinating! Thanks so much, Iain.

[@iain_tyrrell]

Glad you enjoyed it! We'll do more like this in the future.

[@lindaoffenbach]

Fascinating. Usually I'm not into the nitty gritty all that much so deeply, however Tyrrell's Classic Workshop certainly always do venture my absorption of the engineering bits due to the captivating style of presentation. Excellent, and thank you so much again for this remarkable upload for learning about this particular aspect of a classic R R and Bentley.

[@Boric78]

Totally agree. Was sucked in and 18 mins flew by. RR, Bentley & Hispano Suiza - those boys could build a car.

[@annieluctor7524]

Great stuff Iain, again! Takes me back to my early London motor trade days. The Iron Bridge garage, in Hanwell/Southall in 1967 and we had a '57 Hooper bodied Silver Wraith (with the big P100s) in the showroom. I sold it (making me extremely popular with the management, albeit temporarily...) and had to get it out and around to the workshop for PDI etc. It was parked just inside the big sliding glass door and I had yet to open that. (I'm sure you know where this is going). I got in, fired the old girl up, stuck her in 'D' and she leapt forward with my foot hard on the brake pedal and took the showroom door out in it's entirety. For the reasons you have so admirably explained above. Luckily, the descending shards of glass appeared not to have damaged her, and the sales manager seemed completely torn between rage at the damage to the door and relief that this long-stay patient was at last leaving us. At that time, Iron Bridge (then part of the Noel Bell group) had a group scheme for best salesman, and it was based on the number of points awarded to each car sold, judged on it's "sellability". The old Roller had been around for a day or two and had many many points awarded to her. As a consequence, and based on only one car, I got the award!

[@kosmogeorge]

What a complicated system. But cleverly done. The description of "bizarre functionality" is the right adjective. And yes - for all the nerds in this world, your channel is just the thing !!!

[@shahrukhbakar3248]

Please keep the technical content coming - these are fascinating. I had no idea such a trapeze mechanism existed. Clearly not a particularly redundant system for such an important safety item!

[@frankkemble2103]

I remember that braking system from my Bentley S1- weird and wonderful. Mine only gave me problems on very wet days when the brakes became almost useless which was interesting and I think the issue was a wet disc on the servo unit- I just stopped using it on the really wet days. . Parking also was a challenge because the brakes could not operate properly at very low speeds and the S1 had no power steering. I remember being fazed by the left side wheel lug nuts as they had to be undone clockwise but the usual CCW on the other side. Interesting cars and I really miss mine. Mine also had flaking paint on the tops of the fenders in the depression. There are no MOT's in BC, Canada but I have yet to hear of an accident caused by a failure of some suspension or braking component. People usually have a good idea when their brakes don't work any more. Now I have an old V12 Jag with no MOT either but I keep an eye on things as all the enthusiasts do here. .

[@danbennett3425]

Thank you for this video. I restored one of these brake systems about 10 years ago in Cleveland. It was a sharp learning curve! Explaining to anyone who wasn't there had proven impossible. Thank you for the amazing work you do.

[@peteacher52]

I learnt about these brakes many years ago from John Bolster's book "The Upper Crust". I thought that the original H--S system employed a small drum brake as the servo motor, the shoes of which rotated constantly on a shaft from the gearbox while the drum, on a single hinged mounting, tried to rotate when the brakes were applied. This was prevented by a cable or shaft, which in checking that motion, added the resultant torque to the main braking mechanical system. It revolutionised the stopping ability of heavy cars and the servo motor brake shoes were said to never wear out. I understand that the pre-WW2 V12 Packards used a licensed version as well. Trust Rolls Royce to make something complex out of it! Like the nerdy little 8 year-old whose motto seemed to be "Never use a short word if a long one will do!"

[@chrisroothman2664]

I was born in 1957 in a rural town of Lichtenburg in South Africa. I have seen some of these exotic cars being owned by the hoi poloi in town, not much of them except the one person, a reputable diamond dealer in town and the Member of Parliament who had a Jaguar 7 series, This however spins my interest to see the engineering of these vehicles from the era I was born and grew up in. Thanks for your program, much appreciated and enjoyable.

[@institutmorningkiss]

Your KZbin videos cannot ever be too nerdy ! That's because the strength of KZbin is appealing to a niche (though not that small) audience, starved of nerdy details by the mainstream media outlets (worst being Top Gear) that cater to the average Joe who barely likes cars... Thanks !

[@georgeskiener7709]

One thing one would never forget is getting out of a tight parking space on a cold engine with the choke on. If one does not know that the only brake one can use is the handbrake, one is into a lot of trouble and damage to one’s car and to others’.

[@byrongatwood9247]

My dad went to England in the late 1970s, bought a 1960 Bentley S2, and shipped it home to the US. It had been originally purchased by the actress Vivien Leigh from Barclay's of London (he had a copy of the original title). He spent a number of years restoring it and I remember the brakes being a challenge (#$%@!!), but he persevered and brought it back (paint, interior wood, engine, leather, carpets,etc.) to excellent condition. He would occasionally put on a black "chauffeur's cap", let us sit in the back, and drive around the city. He had grown up during the Great Depression and it was his dream to own one, and he did!😅

[@970357ers]

Very rube-goldberg. Makes you appreciate what a leap forward (or should I say ‘full stop’) servo-assisted hydraulics coupled with disc brakes were.

[@trainmanbob]

Magnificent detailed analysis of a very complicated system. Say what you like about multi million £ super cars, but in my opinion you can and never will beat a grand old lady like this. An associate of mine was a chauffeur many many moons ago, and when the "boss" died left him a stunning Silver Cloud is his will. No idea what happened to him or the car, but for the next two years the love my friend gave to that car was breath-taking. He must have been one of the few chauffeurs who turned up to work in a Rolls!!! Thanks as always Iain for another entertaining video. Where would these grand old ladies be without you !!

[@jenshaga4256]

Great stuff, more of this please! Cheers

[@ryankassel5691]

Really loved this, the nerdy stuff is great. You took an absurd and complex mechanism and made it understandable. Looking forward to similar content, I’m here for these kinds of details and deep dives

[@MikeTAS]

Fascinating - I drove an R Type Bentley for a while. No idea of the setup but the brakes were more of a disinclination to proceed than anything as coarse as stopping.

[@Thecrazyvaclav]

Great video, easy explanation of a what looks like a complicated for complicateds sake system, lots of places for it to seize up as well by the looks of it. You’re definitely a lot more comfortable in front of the camera as well compared to the early videos.

[@davidvis9743]

Absolutely fascinating! Yes, more of these kinds of videos please.

[@JohnDavis-ed5sg]

In a spirit of true nerdiness, the servo brakes were introduced on the Silver Ghost in 1924. I love the R Type and S series, but when manouevring you soon learn to keep your foot lightly on the pedal as you change direction, or it takes a few inches of no-brake panic before the servo comes in, so then you naturally press the pedal harder and screech to a halt when it does. But once you learn the car there is nothing better.

[@45green1]

The more complicated it is the more interesting it is ! Always good to see you Iain

[@tris7]

Perfect. So relaxing to watch, the detail is fascinating.

[@grumpymealey2441]

Another outstanding video love the work and the quality of the work you do Sending you guys all the best from Texas

[@Priapos93]

Watching this type of content has definitely advanced my Nerdometer setting on a variety of topics. Keep it coming!

[@astronomyphilly]

The nerdy engineering stuff is the best. Great stuff and explanation Ian.

[@Bullseye120]

Ian, another great video about the engineering intracasies of higher end automobiles. Also your test braking section did show very well the dive properties associated with the Bentley chassis design......very good.

[@marekw.9816]

Great video, really appreciate the detail. Thank you!

[@robertrotterdam9]

Thank you, Mr. Tyrrell for this very interesting video! I do hope that you will make some more videos on what you are going to do with this 'Beautiful Beast'.

[@rdeiriar]

Nerdy? No way, your explanation is brilliant. Please do not hesitate to do this kind of videos again in the future, thank you so much!

[@neuzeehland]

Das Video hat mir großen Spaß gemacht. Sehr informativ und wunderbar humorvoll. Großartig

[@Atomicpasi]

Very informative content presented in an attractive way. And I learned something on Sunday.

[@cepheus7850]

Thanks for making videos like this, it is massively appreciated! 👍👍

[@OpenRoader]

No where else can you find information like here. Love this channel

[@Kicki355]

Tks a lot, Iain ... this is indeed my favorite automotive channel

[@ianrobertsonRR1]

At 14:22 Iain shows off his brake bleeder tool but alas it is not. He is holding a Bluepoint USA 1515 pry bar / aligner (jemmy) and it probably has a diamond shaped date stamp on it which is circa 1980 when a lot of these were made. Nerd award please 🙂 Ex R/R & B out........

[@tommasosantojanni]

I can attest to how scary it can be when these brakes have not been carefully & properly adjusted, by someone who is _"in the know"_ ! The rear shoes do all the work in the first few meters of travel and, if the linkages are not precisely tuned ... BANG !

[@dmcars147]

Fantastic, keep these tech sessions coming!!

[@cameronmacnab2042]

Ian nerdy bits are the best part it's the knowledge you have in your head Ian thank you for sharing it with all of us!

[@tomcarr1358]

It's the lucid and conversational manner that makes these videos so entertaining to watch.

[@robertharris7027]

Very interesting, I've heard of this brake mechanism but never seen it (what a great thing!). Thank you very much.

[@roadie3124]

Great to see a heavy car like this dancing under brakes like a Citroen 2CV 🤣😅 I had to do 8 weeks of "industrial experience" as part of my engineering degree and was lucky to spend it working at the RR Crewe factory in the summer of 1969. 4 weeks in the engine repair shop, where I "helped" a fitter building reconditioned 6 cyl engines and 4 weeks in the apprentice school, where I learned how to use milling machines, lathes, etc. I also spent a couple of weeks updating the Silver Shadow show chassis to the latest spec. While I was there, we were visited by what I think was the 1929/1930 Speed 6 "Blue Train" Bentley. The owner had dinged the sump pan and was able to get a new old stock one from the spares dept.

[@golfplaat2]

And the blooper reel shows us, once again, how great you are with the people you work with.

[@crisholmurb007]

Wonderful episode! Thanks Iain and team 🙂

[@petyrkowalski9887]

Great one Iain. I watched your previous video where you touched on this. Its all very « Heath Robinson » but clearly works when set up.

[@larumpole]

Another brilliant video. I always knew there was something odd about the brakes on the S2/3 and thought it was 'urban legend' that they did not work at low speed. Thank you for explaining the details so well.

[@andyrbush]

That was totally brilliant thank you so much. I have heard that the system was 'different' but left in limbo by other commentators on how it was different. Quite a clever system really. I just love those old drawing showing all the layout and parts. More please if you feel like it.

[@Marthaviews]

Another enthralling video, thanks Iain.

[@vanlifenomad]

Your love of the right cars is very much appreciated and in no way nerdy, I'm still a petrolhead thanks to yours and Harrys KZbin channels

[@scottkeefe3969]

Bravo, love the “nerdy” minutiae. I’ve never seen any system like that before! Thank you.

[@adamseaborn331]

So glad you posted it.

[@rabbottracing]

Thank you for going full nerd in this episode. I love learning the details of a mechanical system.

[@algerc.5492]

David Ogilvy 1959. "At 60 Miles An Hour the Loudest Noise in the New Rolls-Royce Comes from the Electric Clock", (except when you jam on the brakes ...) People who feel diffident about driving a Rolls Royce can buy a Bentley (A Bentley is $300.00 less than a Rolls Royce) One of the most famous automobile ads of all time, a legend. That ad turbochargd RR sales in the US almost overnight.😄😄😄

[@skodaw]

Loved this video - guess I must be a nerd 😂. Would love you to do a series following this vehicles journey back to life.

[@paulgammidge-jefferson9536]

Your videos are always immensely enjoyable. When you do a technical one like this - heaven!

[@Official_Goonzquad]

ꜱᴇɴᴅ ᴍᴇ ᴀ ᴅɪʀᴇᴄᴛ ᴍᴇꜱꜱᴀɢᴇ ɪ ɢᴏᴛ ꜱᴏᴍᴇᴛʜɪɴɢ ꜱᴘᴇᴄɪᴀʟ ꜰᴏʀ ʏᴏᴜ⤴️⤴️⤴️

[@Miwna]

Oh boy, what a joy. This is what I come here for. Lovely video Iain!

[@stretch4169]

Iain, thanks for the update great to see the Duchess moving and now stopping correctly, well worth the wait. 😊

[@runechristiansen7372]

It's crazy how complicated that system is, I would think as simple as possible to make it the safest 😁 thank you for the interesting video 👌

[@FranklinDelanoRomanowski]

If this explanation of brakes was 2 hours long, I would have still watched it and enjoyed every second.

[@RickCT2000]

Loved this episode!!! Guess that slots me in as a "technical nerd" of the highest order. Thanks very much Iain. Nice blooper at the end!

[@csnelling4]

Thank you Iain , very interesting . Love the shape of that car, Beautiful.

[@gplusgplus2286]

What a majestic vehicle. Thanks for sharing.

[@mpetry912]

fabulous explanation of this system. I knew a little bit about but really enjoyed the details. Having driven an S2 on a tour of northern Scotland, I can attest it does work well if properly adjusted !

[@larsfrandsen2501]

Love the nerdy stuff. Please give us more!

[@j.1294]

Very impressive and fascinating in several ways. I'm particularly impressed by Mr Tyrrell's personality as a distinguished, very sympathic British gentleman and as an authority on classic car knowledge.

[@GordonWishart]

Ian, your videos are the Holy Grail of classic car garage work. Presentation, explanation, expert collegiate information, history and your attitude are exceptional. You’re blessed to have such wonderful associates there. I just wish you could service my humble mint Citroen BX 19 Gti 1987 model. She needs your expert attention.

[@jcollins1305]

Always interesting videos from you sir. Keep up the great work!

[@Official_Goonzquad]

ꜱᴇɴᴅ ᴍᴇ ᴀ ᴅɪʀᴇᴄᴛ ᴍᴇꜱꜱᴀɢᴇ ɪ ɢᴏᴛ ꜱᴏᴍᴇᴛʜɪɴɢ ꜱᴘᴇᴄɪᴀʟ ꜰᴏʀ ʏᴏᴜ⤴️⤴️⤴️

[@micheltebraake7915]

Never seen such a braking system, thanks for the explanation.

[@michaelcampbell4503]

As the new owner of a 63 Silver Cloud 3 this has prompted me to ask my garage to double check its brake set up! Great video. It helped me to understand what good braking performance should be and also explained why at low speed you are under the impression it might never stop…

[@batuksri]

Loving this. Thank you so much. You are filling in the void that LJK Setright left wrt to well-articulated explanation of fascinating automobile technology of the past.

[@iain_tyrrell]

Wow, thank you!

[@simonelliott5956]

Fascinating attention to detail by Bentley/RR to make the controls as light as they are. Great video, very interesting, love a bit of nerdiness!

[@malcolmhardwick4258]

Love the outtakes !!

[@Tristanbirdyt]

Good morning Mr Tyrrell I have to say that was a great video very interesting learning about the mechanism. Thank you so much Tristan

[@matthewrooke386]

Loving the mechanical nerd videos and how peculiar those S2 rod/hydraulic brakes are, brilliant video Ian, thank you 😊

[@martinhobson3545]

As an engineer and car nut what a refreshing change … something genuinely interesting and informative…. Well done Ian !

[@Mudpuppyjunior]

There shouldn't be any controversy saying Hispano Suizas were the equal of Rolls and Bentleys. They were at least their equals. Marc Birkigt was a genius of an innovative engineer in several fields and the craftsmanship and coachbuilding of the cars was world class. Truly great, underappreciated cars.

[@jimcabezola3051]

Yours is the very best video on this Heath Robinson…I mean…Hispano-Suiza braking system I’ve EVER seen. What an excellent treatment on the subject! Mahalo!

[@michelgodin5563]

your not only a great PR person , but a Mecanic , that makes it more interesting , dare i say ( as you would say it in a very gentleman way ) love the chanel

[@read7641]

Amazing how those machines worked and stayed alive till today.

[@nickdunmur]

I never realised I needed to know about this! Brilliant!

[@Official_Goonzquad]

ꜱᴇɴᴅ ᴍᴇ ᴀ ᴅɪʀᴇᴄᴛ ᴍᴇꜱꜱᴀɢᴇ ɪ ɢᴏᴛ ꜱᴏᴍᴇᴛʜɪɴɢ ꜱᴘᴇᴄɪᴀʟ ꜰᴏʀ ʏᴏᴜ⤴️⤴️⤴️

[@swordmonkey6635]

It's interesting to learn about the evolutionary dead ends in engineering. Great ideas that were either too complex or impractical to dominate the general car market, but worked, sometimes better than the more popular, but easier to maintain and operate systems.

[@__FJ__]

A fascinating insight into RR tech, I love it.

[@jtreut]

We love nerdy videos, Iain! We would also love to learn more about the Aston (Vantage?) in the background.

[@sutrasofdelight]

I loved every detail every shot every luxurious explanation

[@daveshongkongchinachannel]

Love these little details that we would otherwise never know about and interesting to see what engineering design was like back in the days before everything became electronic.

[@st170restoration]

What a system! Very well explained thank you

[@iain_tyrrell]

You're very welcome!

[@harrykasteel9364]

This really was a great video👍

[@The888Redlich]

Great video, really interesting stuff

[@studiomarand]

Absolutely interesting bit of design. Thank you Mr Tyrrell