amazon brake servo

[AJWorsell94]

Hi I'm wishing to put a brake servo on my amazon
Was just wondering if there were any cheap options as can't find any on ebay and am working on a budget

[123GT-AMAZON]

hi ya

try using a MG remote brake servo its a fraction of the cost from any good MG parts retailer ;)

or fleabay on this search ---- > http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_trksid=p2060778.m570.l1313.TR0.TRC0.H0.XMG +remote+brake+servo&_nkw=MG+remote+brake+servo&_sacat=0&_from=R40

kind regards
robert

[Tony Barrett]

Hi I'm wishing to put a brake servo on my amazon
Was just wondering if there were any cheap options as can't find any on ebay and am working on a budget

Change the rear wheel cylinders to 7/8 inch bore. Your car has 1 inch bore cylinders. When fit and use a servo the rear wheels will lock up under braking and you will lose control of the vehicle.
Tony Barrett
The Old Volvo Man

[Derek UK]

Tony, can you clarify the changes to the rear cylinder sizes please. I believe the change was made when the rear brake anti lock valve was fitted. Was it 7/8" (or 3/4"?) originally and then changed to 1" when the valve was fitted, or the other way round? There were other changes at about this time to the adjusters and maybe other things too.
Estates with discs should have had servos fitted from new although many have been deleted. Means that unless they had different rear cylinders than the saloons they would have been prone to rear brake lock unless they were well loaded. Looks like Volvo addressed the problem with the anti lock valve and cylinder size change for '66 (?) models.

Certainly a servo makes locking the brakes easier, but although it's easier to control when braking hard, it doesn't actually improve/give better braking.
A comment re the cheap MG dealer and eBay servos, these are Chinese copies and have flooded the market a bit. There are a few negative comments about them around the net, so "buyer beware".

[Volvorama]

Only ever had problems with rear brakes locking on very early cars without the limiting valve. Anything from 64ish onward should be fine. Servo was an option on saloons and I come across them where they never had one, have a Lockheed replacement or have the servo bypassed and/or removed. My California estate has lost its servo but I can live with it.
I do not trust the Girling servos (old or reconditioed) as they will leak internally and you may not notice the fluid loss as it gets sucked into the engine and burned. The Lockheed is a less sophisticated device but usually reliable. I've used many genuine ones in the past without issues, but not yet one of the copies mentioned above.

[swedishandgerman]

I used one of the servos one of the MG parts sellers on eBay. The reason I went for that is because I couldn't find a genuine Lockheed one; they all seem to be Lockheed Delphi now, so I understand they're all the same, but stand to be corrected.

I got on to my usual Amazon parts supplier who stocks them at much more than these eBay sellers and got him to send through good photos of his kit - they're the same.

To date - though not many miles covered - I've had no problems. These versions come in different boost pressures which are much more than the standard Girling units. I bought quite a powerful one as it's an estate and I tow.

I made up a bracket which is alrightish, but Skandcar list a bracket, though out of stock: http://volvoonderdelen.com/Amazon-220/Brakes/Brake-servo-Amazon-type-Lockheed-incl-mounting-kit-on-original-p-679/

[222s]

I used one of the servos one of the MG parts sellers on eBay. The reason I went for that is because I couldn't find a genuine Lockheed one; they all seem to be Lockheed Delphi now, so I understand they're all the same, but stand to be corrected.
Probably just a company name change as a result of acquisition or merger. IIRC, Delphi are an OEM supplier to many US car companies.

To date - though not many miles covered - I've had no problems. These versions come in different boost pressures which are much more than the standard Girling units. I bought quite a powerful one as it's an estate and I tow.
What ratio did you go for, and what ratio is the Girling setup for comparison? Does your one lock up the brakes easily in the dry?

I made up a bracket which is alrightish, but Skandcar list a bracket, though out of stock: http://volvoonderdelen.com/Amazon-220/Brakes/Brake-servo-Amazon-type-Lockheed-incl-mounting-kit-on-original-p-679/

Attached for reference are some pics of that Skandcar bracket in situ. It provides by far the neatest Lockheed installation that I have seen!

[swedishandgerman]

The one I got was a 2.3:1 and you can go all the way up to 3:1. The standard one is only about 1.4:1 from memory.

The more powerful servo you get, the less feel you get through the pedal. Obviously, the more powerful ones result in bigger results at the brakes from less force on the brake pedal. My sister, a weakling, once drove my Amazon saloon with no servo and found the brakes poor. Personally, being a he-man myself (!!) I have no problems with the brakes.

If you're strong on the brake pedal, you can get a non-servo car to lock up just as well as a car fitted with a 3:1, but you don't have to stand on the pedal; a servo doesn't make the brakes perform any better, just makes the brakes easier to operate.

All said, I find a servo makes the brakes more controllable. You get less of an on/off feel on the pedal. Instead, it's more progressive.

There's one thing that I find with a remote servo. When you come off the pedal, there is a sensation that the brakes are momentarily still on. I always found this with VW Campers which have a powerful remote servo. It takes a while to get used to it.

[222s]

If you're strong on the brake pedal, you can get a non-servo car to lock up just as well as a car fitted with a 3:1, but you don't have to stand on the pedal; a servo doesn't make the brakes perform any better, just makes the brakes easier to operate.

Yup, don't worry - I know that all it does is reduce pedal pressure, rather than increase the actual braking power. It's more a case of knowing what difference certain ratios make - e.g. I wouldn't want it to be over servoed, as a panic stamp on the brakes would then be much more likely to lock them up. I've never owned a car with a servo, and the only cars with one that I've driven are modern, and so also have ABS.

The one I got was a 2.3:1 and you can go all the way up to 3:1. The standard one is only about 1.4:1 from memory.

The more powerful servo you get, the less feel you get through the pedal. Obviously, the more powerful ones result in bigger results at the brakes from less force on the brake pedal. My sister, a weakling, once drove my Amazon saloon with no servo and found the brakes poor. Personally, being a he-man myself (!!) I have no problems with the brakes.

All said, I find a servo makes the brakes more controllable. You get less of an on/off feel on the pedal. Instead, it's more progressive.

There's one thing that I find with a remote servo. When you come off the pedal, there is a sensation that the brakes are momentarily still on. I always found this with VW Campers which have a powerful remote servo. It takes a while to get used to it.

Cheers for the info / feedback - very useful, and much appreciated!