Manky Monkey Motors

I need to start sorting out the brakes on my trike and haven't got much of a clue, I've got a single front disc and reliant rear drums and need to put them all on a foot pedal, what sort of master cylinder is best to use? any advice would be very handy.

Hiya.
We use cast ally Girling cylinders. They were used on some Reliants. Others used pressed tin ones, (nowhere near as pretty -they look like baked bean cans).
5/8" bore seems to work for us. Ska Man's, Flap's & Simon's use a single line from the cylinder, split via a brass T piece to feed the front & rear brakes. We've had a few problems getting the lines to seal against the T piece though, so when I plumb in my own I'll use a double length banjo bolt in the cylinder with 2 independant lines, one going forward to the single front caliper & the other back to the off-side rear. Then I'll link across from there to the near-side. That's the way the standard Reliant system's done.
We don't use bias or proportioning valves, but the front brakes are old 70s single piston calipers, (mine's a 250 Superdream one). The rear discs are more efficient so pull up quicker than the front, which is the way you need it. If your front brake's too good on a linked system you'll be constantly locking the front up & nose-diving. A locked front wheel also means no steering!
Have a look in the brake section of Merlin Motorsport's catalogue for the cylinders.

http://www.merlinmotorsport.com/index.php

Thanks for pointing me in the right direction again!

No problem. ;)

On my trike (which uses a cast reliant master cylinder) the brake pedal only operates the rear brakes, and the front one works off the brake lever on the bars.  Isn't that a lot simpler to sort out?  What are the disadvatages?  I've been riding it a few years now and haven't discovered them yet!

BikerGran,
There aren't any disadvantages as I had that setup on my last trike, but I'm now unable to pull a brake lever with any force and also my idea was to keep the bars clean as I have a kliktronic change system which allows me to have a foot clutch and do away with that lever also.

Ah, gotcha!

That's the route I'll be going with the next trike.....

we buy our cylinders from craddocks in cannock. here is the link to paddocks who do the same thing.
both are landrover specialists
prices are good
http://www.paddockspares.com/pp/SERIES/Clutch/Clutch_master_cylinder-S111.html (http://www.paddockspares.com/pp/SERIES/Clutch/Clutch_master_cylinder-S111.html)

Sorted out the master cylinder now, but someone has just pointed out that because i've swapped the backplates round the slave cylinders are now upside down and are going to be impossible to bleed because the bleed nipple is now on the bottom, is this right? and if so how do i get round it?

im with ya on that one i used a landrover 90 clutch master cylinder plenty of pressure to the rear brakes only cost me about 12 ,14 quid ,an jobs a gud un

Take the back plates off, 4 bolts and swap them around from side to side then set the piston/bleed nipple at the top