Topic

As you may have seen from a previous post, my brake servo, along with everybody elses, was flexing where it bolted to the bulkhead.

Not only is this just plain wrong, it will weaken the metal over time resulting in stress fractures and the flex reduces the efficiency of the brakes. Some of the force that you are applying with your foot is being used to flex the servo rather than stop the car.

You can see how bad it is from this video.



Well, I seem to have fixed the flex in the servo and it was fairly simple.

Basically, it is working on the principle that a sheet of metal is strongest when a force is acting on it in the same plane.

If you can imagine a sheet of cardboard.

Now imagine pushing it in the middle and it bends easily, this is what is happening on the bulkhead.

Now imagine standing the cardboard on its edge and pushing the opposite edge. It should be a lot stronger.

So, what I was looking for was a flat surface in the same plane as the direction the servo was moving in.

If you look at the latter half of the above video you will notice that there is a "shelf" which is in the same plane as the movement.

This is where the blower intake bolts to.

There is a very handy looking row of three bolts there. Hmmm



There is also a nice bolt at the top offside of the brake servo bracket.



So the basis of my design is a spreader plate with three holes to match the 3 bolts holding the blower intake in place, and a bracket that would reach the bolt on the top of the servo bracket.

As it happens, I had a TV wall bracket that I was just about to chuck out which was nicely bent into a channel shape for strength.

So, an angle grinder, a welder and a drill later, we have.......



I know I won't win any awards for my welding, but it does the trick.

I have cleaned it up and sprayed it and now have finally fitted it.

It is a bit industrial, but it was to test an idea. It could be reduced in size, or made from stainless. It could even be made from the spreader bar and an adjustable tie bar to the servo.

Anyway, here is the prototype fitted.







I also tested it and you can see the difference from the vid below.

Appologies for the standard of the vid but my helper wasn't available and I had to press the pedal and hold the camera at the same time.



Ironically, Brown and Gammons just rang me this evening to tell me the bracket I had ordered off them wasn't in stock but they were expecting some in 2 - 3 weeks.

Top job Clive

ARC welder?

Great stuff, I just need to figure out how to do this with the earlier heater box.
How has it affected the feel of the brakes?

Yes it was an arc welder. I have a MIG too, but I always feel more at home burning holes in things.

David, it has gone from being spongy (thought I was going to have to bleed the brakes) to being rock hard.

Time to start practising with the welder, then!

Your welding is fantastic compared to mine.

What does the F heater box look like?

Does it not have the 3 bolts?

The bolts are cleverly inside the box.

You could slide a plate between the box and the bulkhead maybe.

I'll be having a good look in the morning!

You could use a thick bar, drill the 3 holes and thread them to replace the 3 nuts that are under the ledge.

Great fix mate, love it!

will have to have a good look at mine when i finish nights next week.

Fair play on the ARC welding Clive

I cant ARC for toffee

MIG welding is far easier.. unless you try gas less

gasless is for winners - if you have no garage like me

My servo wasn't moving as much as Clive's but I thought it was worth fitting a brace.

I had a look and the F intake box is held by three bolt head self tappers from below into spring clips attached to the plastic box.

I replaced the end one with a nut and bolt to hold one end of the steady bar. (this was only really practicable as I had already made a useful big hole in the box for my air pipe)

At the servo end I found a handy and sturdy 'L' shaped bracket, and bolted the two together.



It is a lot more of a lightweight solution than yours, Clive. Although, at the minute, it is doing the job, and has firmed up the brake pedal noticeably.

I know what you mean David.

Just had the car out for a test drive and it is 100% better than it was.

The feeling was that there was still air in the system after I had fitted the new calipers, as the pedal was spongy. After fitting the bracket the braking has been transformed.

I just did an emergency stop from 70. Wow.

I would say it is the difference between standard brakes and APs. Saying that though, mine did have a lot of flex and I will be looking at whether it had any bracing behind the dash and whether that has failed.

Do you feel as though you have just uprated your brakes, or isn't it that noticeable? Mine is.