<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;" class="">I’ve had the VH44 servo for a long time, and I use Dot 5 fluid.<div class="">With all the different arguments about whether Dot 5 is a good idea, I always decided that it was the right solution for me.</div><div class="">I have a firm pedal…no water absorption, and especially no paint removal.</div><div class="">BUT - if the servo began to leak and the fluid was drawn into the manifold, then that would serious. Silicone fluid reduced by high heat is abrasive (sand!) and very bad for the bores.</div><div class="">I won’t give up the Dot 5 , so I gave up my servo. I did change the master cylinder bore size.</div><div class="">I know this may stir some controversy, but it wasn’t a decision made lightly, or quickly.</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">Stephen, BJ8<br class=""><div><br class=""><blockquote type="cite" class=""><div class="">On Jun 12, 2020, at 8:30 PM, Earl Kagna <<a href="mailto:kags@shaw.ca" class="">kags@shaw.ca</a>> wrote:</div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"><div class="">
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<div class="">Fred / Bob:</div>
<div class=""> </div>
<div class="">I have to agree with Michael on this – rebuilding the Girling servo is
tricky at best. Plus, there is always the possibility that the bore in the
servo body has enough damage that it would need to be repaired – sleeved – which
is a complicated job as the bore is stepped. And you don’t really know
it’s needed until it is off the car and apart.</div>
<div class=""> </div>
<div class="">Another diagnostic measure: pull the rear spark plugs - if there is brake
fluid being drawn in, they will very white in appearance, depending on the brake
fluid (glycol or silicone).</div>
<div class=""> </div>
<div class="">Quite a few us here on the west coast in BC have installed the PBR VH44
servo with great success. It is a more modern design – a diaphragm servo,
rather than the vacuum piston. Plus it has a very convenient bleed screw
of it’s own – particularly helpful if DOT 5 silicone brake fluid is being
used. Plus, it doesn’t look too out of place on the Healey, unless you
paint it pink! </div>
<div class=""> </div>
<div class="">I’m sure that a search of the usual Healey parts suppliers will tell you if
they are available in North America. We have dealt with Hydroboost in
Australia – last time we ordered, they supplied fitting kits as well – a couple
of pre-bent brake pipes, a correct vacuum hose (it needs to be about 4 inches
longer than the original), and a pair of Kilmartin mounting brackets (they are
very close neighbours).</div>
<div class=""> </div>
<div class="">One caution: the PBR VH44 is made in several boost ratios, so pay attention
to get the correct version for the Healey. Check their web-site – all
kinds of interesting information on servos.</div>
<div class=""> </div>
<div class="">Hope this helps.</div>
<div class=""> </div>
<div style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Arial'; COLOR: #141100" class="">Earl
Kagna<br class="">Victoria, B.C.<br class="">BJ8, BT7 tri-carb</div>
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<div class="">
<div style="font-size: small; text-decoration: none; font-family: Calibri; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; display: inline;" class=""><b class="">From:</b>
<a title="michaelsalter@gmail.com" href="mailto:michaelsalter@gmail.com" class="">Michael
Salter</a> </div>
<div style="FONT: 10pt tahoma" class="">
<div style="BACKGROUND: #f5f5f5" class="">
<div class=""><b class="">Sent:</b> Friday, June 12, 2020 9:35 AM</div>
<div class=""><b class="">To:</b> <a title="bspidell@comcast.net" href="mailto:bspidell@comcast.net" class="">Bob Spidell</a> </div>
<div class=""><b class="">Cc:</b> <a title="healeys@autox.team.net" href="mailto:healeys@autox.team.net" class="">healeys@autox.team.net</a> </div>
<div class=""><b class="">Subject:</b> Re: [Healeys] Brakes</div></div></div>
<div class=""> </div></div>
<div style="font-size: small; text-decoration: none; font-family: Calibri; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; display: inline;" class="">
<div class="">I would agree with Bob that the most likely problem is the servo.
<div class="">You can check this fairly easily by loosening off the lower 10/32 nuts and
screws on the servo chest and gently prying it open a little. </div>
<div class="">If the servo is leaking fluid will run out.</div>
<div class="">IMHO Bob's 50/50 success rate for rebuilds is a little optimistic
🙄🙄.</div>
<div class="">Unless you are fairly skilled you are unlikely to succeed on your first few
attempts.</div>
<div class="">Commercially I gave up rebuilding them many years ago because of the dismal
success rate and started installing PBR VH44 servos, possibly still available
from Healey Surgeons, which require different mount brackets and fluid lines. We
never had a VH44 come-back.</div>
<div class="">M</div></div>
<div class=""> </div>
<div class="gmail_quote">
<div class="gmail_attr" dir="ltr">On Fri., Jun. 12, 2020, 12:19 p.m. Bob Spidell,
<<a href="mailto:bspidell@comcast.net" class="">bspidell@comcast.net</a>>
wrote:<br class=""></div>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="PADDING-LEFT: 1ex; MARGIN: 0px 0px 0px 0.8ex; BORDER-LEFT: #ccc 1px solid" type="cite">If
a significant amount of brake fluid is leaking into the servo you <br class="">will get
white smoke out of the tailpipes (under most running <br class="">conditions). This is
because the engine will suck fluid into the intake <br class="">manifold through the
vacuum hose. The most likely cause of this is the <br class="">'gland' seal; which
seals the vacuum piston--the large canister on the <br class="">servo--from the servo's
hydraulics (it has two pistons; one is activated <br class="">by pedal pressure to gate
air at ambient pressure into the canister to <br class="">assist a second 'master'
cylinder, which powers the slave cyls).<br class=""><br class="">You can rebuild the servo
yourself; I've done it once successfully, <br class="">others report 50-50 success.
I've not heard overwhelming stories of <br class="">success with aftermarket (Lockheed,
or an Australian equivalent) <br class="">replacements, but some like them. They aren't
apparently, a 'drop in' <br class="">replacement without some fiddling, and hearsay
says they're not as <br class="">effective as the Girling (putting my Nomex suit on).
The hydraulic <br class="">section of the servos is not much different from ordinary
brake <br class="">cylinders. The shop manual has an excellent explanation of the
theory <br class="">and workings of the servos; it took me several reads and some
cogitating <br class="">to grok it all, but they are pretty ingenious.<br class=""><br class="">If you're
not getting any white smoke, your guess is as good as mine; I <br class="">have the
same problem--although I haven't pulled the drums to check the <br class="">rear slave
cylinders (fronts are not leaking)--but since I had bled them <br class="">before the
problem occurred I'm thinking I screwed the pooch somehow on <br class="">the
bleed.<br class=""><br class="">Bob<br class=""><br class=""><br class="">On 6/12/2020 8:46 AM, Fred Wescoe wrote:<br class="">>
I am having issues with the brakes on my 66 BJ8. I am new to this BJ8
<br class="">> with boosted brakes, but I have owned a BJ7 for many years. I
don't <br class="">> find any clues in the shop manual or in Norm Nock's tech talk
manual.<br class="">><br class="">> When I press the brake pedal, it slowly goes to the
floor. I am losing <br class="">> hydraulic fluid in the reservoir but there are no
apparent leaks that <br class="">> I can see. There are no fluid spots on the
garage floor at each wheel <br class="">> and no evidence of brake fluid on the wire
wheels which would indicate <br class="">> a leak. I have pulled each wheel
and I do not see brake fluid anywhere.<br class="">><br class="">> Is it possible that the
fluid is leaking into the brake booster? How <br class="">> am I able to check
that out? If this is the case, can the booster be <br class="">> repaired by
me or someone else, if so, who. If fluid is leaking into <br class="">> the
booster, is it better to simply replace the booster and who is a
<br class="">> good source?<br class="">><br class="">> Something always happens before what
promises to be a great sunny weekend.<br class="">><br class="">> Thanks for any
help,<br class="">><br class="">>
Fred<br class="">><br class="">><br class="">><br class=""><br class="">_______________________________________________<br class="">Support
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