computid
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 posted on 24/4/12 at 07:46 PM |
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Driving with a non-working brake servo...
Ok Guys, so with this being the first afternoon it hasn't rained I thought I would take the minari out for a spin to see what small niggles need
sorting before stoneleigh.
So, I pulled out of my drive way and tested the brakes, the pedal was hard. Hmm. I pulled over, shut off the engine, but my foot on the pedal and
started it. No movement. Bollocks.
The brakes still work fine, they stop the car in good time and everything and they're not binding at all but the pedal is just hard. I know it
needs replacing, but I just spent £600 having the front callipers replaced and I don't really want to outlay the money for it right now. When I
do it I'll change the master cylinder as well since that looks a little ropey.
My question is can I reasonably safely drive with a bad brake servo? I really want to get my car up to stoneleigh this year but at the same time I
don't want to drive it if its going to be unsafe.
Anybody got any opinions?
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PSpirine
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| posted on 24/4/12 at 08:22 PM |
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Dodgy servo, yes, as long as it's permanently disconnected. An intermittent brake servo is worse than a failed one, as it can catch you out.
You just need to be careful of WHY the servo has failed. On some cars it's at the connection with the master cylinder, in which case I
wouldn't drive it as it can cause the rod to seize (on many cars due to water ingress leading to rust) in which case you can't turn the
brakes off/on!
Dodgy master cylinder - I wouldn't, unless you're driving in eco mode to the point where you don't actually use your brakes!
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computid
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| posted on 24/4/12 at 08:24 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by PSpirine
Dodgy servo, yes, as long as it's permanently disconnected. An intermittent brake servo is worse than a failed one, as it can catch you out.
You just need to be careful of WHY the servo has failed. On some cars it's at the connection with the master cylinder, in which case I
wouldn't drive it as it can cause the rod to seize (on many cars due to water ingress leading to rust) in which case you can't turn the
brakes off/on!
Dodgy master cylinder - I wouldn't, unless you're driving in eco mode to the point where you don't actually use your brakes!
Theres nothing actually wrong with the master cylinder, its just rather rusty on the outside and looks a little ropey. I may as well change it if
I'm changing the servo.
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loggyboy
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| posted on 24/4/12 at 08:31 PM |
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I fitted some silicone vacuum tube to my nova many moons ago, which turned out to be far to soft for anything more than a breather tube, it sucked
itself closed so I ended up with no servo. It took me 3 weeks to realise, and i left it as it was. Was only 750 kilo car, so didnt need much to stop
it, even with 180bhp.
Mistral Motorsport
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britishtrident
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| posted on 24/4/12 at 09:44 PM |
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One thing to clear up first a non-working brake servo is an MOT failure ----- you would have to actually completely remove the servo not just
disconnect it.
You say the car stops Ok but the that puzzles me as if a servo fails you need to press very hard to stop the car. I don't what type of
servo you have but if its the modern type mounted directly on the master cylinder has the the push rod that comes out the servo into the master
cylinder been adjusted or played about with or the master cylinder swapped from a different servo?
This type of servo very rarely fails when they do fail it is usually the vacuum hose or one way valve.
[I] “ What use our work, Bennet, if we cannot care for those we love? .”
― From BBC TV/Amazon's Ripper Street.
[/I]
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Agriv8
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| posted on 25/4/12 at 07:05 AM |
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MR's drove her 1.5 coprsa D with no servo ( silly Pump on the back of the alternator ) and did not realise . freindly MOT man asked if I was
trying to bump her as when he was putting on the ramp he nearly hit the V12 Aston that was in for an MOT. It failed its MOT.
I had driven it a couple of times and not really noticed it had no power steering.
ATB agriv8
Taller than your average Guy !
Management is like a tree of monkeys. - Those at the top look down and see a tree full of smiling faces. BUT Those at the bottom look up and see a
tree full of a*seholes .............
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Peteff
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| posted on 25/4/12 at 08:20 AM |
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Servos don't make brakes work better they just make the pedal easier to press. Find out why it's not working and replace it or
remove/disconnect it if the brakes work without it. If it's not getting vacuum from the manifold it could be just a pipe.
yours, Pete
I went into the RSPCA office the other day. It was so small you could hardly swing a cat in there.
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