New remote servo - How to get one cheap???

R

richarduk

Guest
I need a new remote servo, the slave cylinder on mine is shot. A previous owner rebuilt the servo but I guess he did not check the bore or ignored it. All the rubbers are new as is the big diaphragm. For a replacement unit from a rover dealer its getting on for £160+ but I've seen remote servo kits for kitcars so was thinking of getting one of these and using the slave cylinder part. Or better the whole unit. What you think? Also anyone know the ratio the P6 servo works at?

On ebay can get a 3.0 ratio remote servo for £99 + £10 postage!!!
JRW want £185!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :angry:
 
Unless anyone can confirm to the contrary, I don't believe the V8 servo is currently benig manufactured. 4 cyl ones are available new, but at around the quoted $185 (check the shops part of the Rover parts section on Ebay).

Overhauling a dead servo cheaply is likely to be a fools errand. At the least you will need to shot blast and either plate or paint the tank and, as you rightly observe, you may well need to bore and sleeve the cylinder.

One solution would be to accept the higher pedal pressures inherent in using a 4 cyl servo. Otherwise your into sourcing an alternative remote servo of the correct multiplication ratio and then devising a new installation for it. At worst you might have to convert the car to dual brakes - not impossible but not for the faint hearted!- or even devise a linkage to allow the pedal to drive a combined master cylinder and servo (aka Ford). That makes JRW sound cheap!

Chris
 
My car is a 2000sc auto, the guy on eBay thinks that a 3.0 ratio servo would be fine. Of cause he's after a sale. All I really need to know is the ratio of my original is. The books don't say and no info I can find on the net.

Anyone know???
 
I believe the 4 cyl unit is an 8" servo that operates at a ratio of 4.25:1

Can anyone confirm?

Chris



Edited By chrisyork on 1193906630
 
Nope, the 4 cylinder cars have a 7" servo.
The 8" ones were fitted to the V8s.
Not sure about the ratio though...

How expensive can be a resleeve? I cannot imagine it to be hundrents... And you say that you already have new rubbers.
I still believe that it should be possible to repair yours. Ok, if you want to make it look new with cadmium plating etc., yes, it should be more expensive.
I painted mine satin black, and in my opinion looks fine. In any case i do use the car and the engine bay does get dirty. There was no point in expensive detailing.

In the end the choice is yours.

Demetris
 
That's interesting. I got my information from Ebay item No 130013832421 from a shop called "the Quality Factor". If you look at their other items as well they do look as if they know what they're doing. The item description is: "This Servo is an 8" Unit that Operates at a boost ratio of 4.25:1, Equivalent to GSM123, Listed to Fit: Rover 2000 P6 from chassis suffix C, Rover 2200"

Chris
 
According to my Haynes manual early cars were fitted with the 5.5inch size, which we all know. Later cars and all autos were fitted with the 7inch servo. I'm sure I read this information else where, just can not find it at the moment. But it stated that the 8inch was fitted to the v8's. But I don't have a Haynes manual for the v8 so can't confirm that. May have been in an old post here I read it, I know I spent time looking throw them all first. Its the ratio that's important as get this wrong and the pistons on the callipers will not be able to fully extend, so said another website that describe brakes in detail. Again, can't confirm that.

As far as getting the old slave cylinder resleeve, I've mailed more than one company and had zero replies!!! I too had thought that get it resleeved and new set of rubbers would be the cheapest, just for the slave cylinder they are about £10.
 
richarduk said:
According to my Haynes manual early cars were fitted with the 5.5inch size, which we all know. Later cars and all autos were fitted with the 7inch servo. I'm sure I read this information else where, just can not find it at the moment. But it stated that the 8inch was fitted to the v8's. But I don't have a Haynes manual for the v8 so can't confirm that. May have been in an old post here I read it, I know I spent time looking throw them all first. Its the ratio that's important as get this wrong and the pistons on the callipers will not be able to fully extend, so said another website that describe brakes in detail. Again, can't confirm that.
Click to expand...
I don't quite follow your thinking that if the ratio of the servo is wrong the pistons won't fully extend. The servo has no effect on how the system works, all it does is reduce the pedal effort required to achieve any given amount of stopping power.
The ratio you mention can only be for the pedal effort, in other words 3:1 would mean that it takes three times as much pedal effort to stop without the servo than with it working.
So reducing the size of the servo will work but increase the pedal effort required.

Unless I'm missing something here........... ???
 
harveyp6 said:
richarduk said:
According to my Haynes manual early cars were fitted with the 5.5inch size, which we all know. Later cars and all autos were fitted with the 7inch servo. I'm sure I read this information else where, just can not find it at the moment. But it stated that the 8inch was fitted to the v8's. But I don't have a Haynes manual for the v8 so can't confirm that. May have been in an old post here I read it, I know I spent time looking throw them all first. Its the ratio that's important as get this wrong and the pistons on the callipers will not be able to fully extend, so said another website that describe brakes in detail. Again, can't confirm that.
Click to expand...
I don't quite follow your thinking that if the ratio of the servo is wrong the pistons won't fully extend. The servo has no effect on how the system works, all it does is reduce the pedal effort required to achieve any given amount of stopping power.
The ratio you mention can only be for the pedal effort, in other words 3:1 would mean that it takes three times as much pedal effort to stop without the servo than with it working.
So reducing the size of the servo will work but increase the pedal effort required.

Unless I'm missing something here........... ???
Click to expand...
Yer, I thought that too when I read the article. It said the ratio was derived from the ratio of the size of the slave cylinder bore to the size of the cylinders it acts on. Sometimes too much info is a bad thing, especially for someone like me who gets confused easily when reading stuff. ;)

Does seem that the info on the ratio of the 7" servo has been lost......

Do you think 3:1 would be ok? £99 + £10 postage compared to £185 + postage is something not to scoff at. I'm very tempted to give it a punt and see if I get lucky. :)
 
I would recommend giving past parts a phone.

The can do all kinds or refurbishment work.

If you search for them on the web you will get there site no problem. I think they are in bury st edmunds.

Colin
 
Past Parts
Unit 4 Chase Road
Northern Way Industrial Estate
Bury St Edmunds
Suffolk
IP32 6NT

Telephone. +44 (0)1284 750729
Fax. +44 (0)1284 756240
E-mail. restore@pastparts.co.uk

Here is past parts contact details..I have used them in the past for a few customers cars.
 
I'd strongly recommend getting approval from your Insurers before fitting any non standard brake parts
Any money saved will be insignificant if you are left to pay any claim yourself
 
DaveHerns said:
I'd strongly recommend getting approval from your Insurers before fitting any non standard brake parts
Any money saved will be insignificant if you are left to pay any claim yourself
Click to expand...
why??As long as the parts are of quality and marked as tested or equivelante like bs mark or tuv there will be NO problems from a insurance view..only way a insurance co will not payout if there are modifications that u havent told them..or fitted sub standard parts and that includes secondhand parts that havent been checked.
 
I got one from Wins and co in the end, £152 including Vat and postage. Its a reconditioned unit with chrome sleeve inserts so should last longer (so I've been told) that the original unit. (Which are prone to rusting at the servo end) Looks like new. :)

That's the brakes and flex plate sorted, just waiting on the engine to come back from the engine shop. Decided on a re bore as it was quite worn, over 10thu which was surprising as it did not smoke at all. Very impressive lip at the top cylinder bore.
 
In response to Jay -

I was thinking if the wrong ratio servo was fitted . As the premiums for classic cars are so low I would imagine some of the Insurers are looking for every chance to avoid paying out.
 
Dave does have a point although would have to be a very sharp eye'd assessor that can spot the difference from sight the ratio of a servo, especially when no ones seems to know the ratio of the correct servo. ;) Anyway i've got a pukka one now so no probs. :)
 
I'm not saying it's right but I work in Insurance and I've seen claims thrown out for having non standard alloy wheels etc

We've debated the insurance position re using wrong speed-rated tyres. Better safe than sorry
 
chrisyork said:
That's interesting. I got my information from Ebay item No 130013832421 from a shop called "the Quality Factor". If you look at their other items as well they do look as if they know what they're doing. The item description is: "This Servo is an 8" Unit that Operates at a boost ratio of 4.25:1, Equivalent to GSM123, Listed to Fit: Rover 2000 P6 from chassis suffix C, Rover 2200"

Chris
Click to expand...
Would this then be suitable for a 3500S?
 
Yer I think that broke on mine may have come from a V8 as it looked slightly different to the one in the manual. The new one is identical to the one in manual.
 
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