Brake solution for s50/52 conversion?

[Jhonno]

Whats the best method round the servo/plenum interferance when doing an s50/52 conversion?

[Brianmoooore]

Latest wisdom seems to be a Golf Mk2 servo, if I've been understanding a recent thread properly.

[Toby_Unna]

finally got yourself a proper engine then johnno?!

[Jhonno]

finally got yourself a proper engine then johnno?!

does look that way all being well..

did you ever sort the video out of your '1.6' sliding round the corner? was looking forward to seein it

[Toby_Unna]

sent that to you ages ago, you didn't get it?

well done with the s52, that's what i'd put in if i had the !!

[Jhonno]

never got it

jhonno (at) freeuk (dot) com

[Toby_Unna]

will get u a copy soon, can't do it now cos i'm on the wrong pc

[Davenotouring]

Don't have a booster! Racecar style.

[Jhonno]

will get u a copy soon, can't do it now cos i'm on the wrong pc

cheers dude

[Jhonno]

Don't have a booster! Racecar style.

[Davenotouring]

I'd rather push the pedal harder than spend $$$ and time sorting out a solution.

[Toby_Unna]

dave i drove mine like that for quite a while (if you use an older m30 it doesn't have a brake booster vacuum stub because those cars use the hydraulic booster).

i thought it was fine, you get used to it soon and can still lock the wheels up if you stamp on it.

but everyone else i let drive the thing swore at me and told me i was a fcuking manic. so i caved in to the peer pressure and sorted it out.

[Davenotouring]

If I use an engine that 'needs' a booster, I'll try without for a while!

[Jhonno]

dave i drove mine like that for quite a while (if you use an older m30 it doesn't have a brake booster vacuum stub because those cars use the hydraulic booster).

i thought it was fine, you get used to it soon and can still lock the wheels up if you stamp on it.

but everyone else i let drive the thing swore at me and told me i was a fcuking manic. so i caved in to the peer pressure and sorted it out.

how do you run without then? i'm not quite the size/weight of Dave but i am no lightweight so pedal leverage isnt an issue...

[Toby_Unna]

no harm in that! you won't crash it, just have to warn anyone else you let drive it to PUSH THE BRAKES HARD!

[Toby_Unna]

don't quite understand the question jhonno?!

i just didn't connect a vacuum line to the brake servo if that's what you mean?

[Jhonno]

erm...

the servo/booster gets in the way.. was just wondering how to run without one, seems like you had it there but not connected. Hmm - i think i have confused myself

[Toby_Unna]

yeah the issue with the older m30 is that the inlet manifold doesn't have the large vacuum pipe that you'd normally connect to the brake servo. the engine clears the brake servo and it was always installed in the car..

[Jhonno]

Up to speed now

Any ideas how you would run without the servo there then? Is that whats being suggested?

[Toby_Unna]

tbh i guess to remove it completely would be as much effort as to sort out a solution (probably need to make a spacer to replace it) . but i don't really know what i'm on about, never had to worry about it!

[Jhonno]

no worries - i thought it might be just as much effort to remove as to modify...

wonder what the smallest servo about that will fit is....

[jmc330i]

Zoom sell a plenum that fits round the E30 brake servo, but it does need modifying if you are keeping the MAF.

Depending on how small the Golf/Porsche servos are compared to the E30 servo, you could mod the original S50 plenum to fit around it. The corner of the plenum below the port for No.6 cyl would need cutting away and be reshaped to follow the curve of the servo, if you get what I mean.
I looked at doing this with the E30 servo in place, but its too big and does not leave adequate air flow space to the No.6 cyl.
The smaller servos might solve this, but I have not looked into it.

Go the hydraulic route like Ian332i and keep the S50 plenum, although I believe it still needs a little cutting to clear the master cylinder.

[Gunni]

IԚ´m running a 3.0 and using a remote booster from a E28,
sourced from Fritz Bitz in the UK,

I placed it in the battery tray

[Brianmoooore]

It's not difficult to move the whole brake master and servo sideways. That gave me plenty of clearance for the standard servo and M50 manifold.
Even greater clearance could be obtained by fitting the Golf servo and moving it sideways.

[Jhonno]

It's not difficult to move the whole brake master and servo sideways. That gave me plenty of clearance for the standard servo and M50 manifold.
Even greater clearance could be obtained by fitting the Golf servo and moving it sideways.

how?!

[Brianmoooore]

By cutting the bulkhead where neccessary, fitting a reinforcing plate either side of the bulkhead, redrilling the support bracket that goes upwards, and making an extension piesce for the bracket off the transmission tunnel. Use a shortened pull ro from the 5 series donor.
All done in half a day.

[jmc330i]

Not sure how well that would work with the S50 plenum though. Could be another option if youre up for some experimentation Jhonno??

[Jhonno]

Not sure how well that would work with the S50 plenum though. Could be another option if youre up for some experimentation Jhonno??

dont mind a bit of experimentation... could be an option!

Mind you how hard is it to do the e23 remote option?

[jmc330i]

Mind you how hard is it to do the e23 remote option?

I dont know TBH. I didnt really look into. Have a word with Ian332i or Karan as they both done it.
I would guess that once you have the parts, you need to custom make the pipes to connect it all together.
I remember Ian saying that it was a pain to install neatly, but once it was in, it looked factory original.

[Jhonno]

did you go for the custon plenumumumumumum then?

[jmc330i]

did you go for the custon plenumumumumumum then?

Yes, I decided to make it difficult for myself. I wanted to keep the car totally original, so Im only modding the transplanted bits.


Ive had a few set backs with the plenum, so have taken a break from it for a while.
I kept changing my mind between custom plenum or modded S50 plenum and eventually decided on modding the S50 one, but the guy who said "yeah no problem, we can get that to fit in there" has totally hashed up my S50 plenum. After a month or two of "yes its nearly ready" I got a call from him to say he cant do it.

A friend of mine is now making me a custom plenum using the remains of the S50 one. Im not that happy about it, I would rather of sold the S50 plenum and made one from scratch, but atleast I trust my friend not to mess me around.

[Jhonno]

ah right - bit of a bugger then!

Not sure which option to try now, think i'd rather not mod the plenumumumumum so its either e23 or smaller, moved servo

[jmc330i]

Either way, the S50 plenum needs a little modding to clear the master cylinder.
The edge where the rubber intake boot fits, needs cutting and moving closer to the engine, I think you need to take out about an inch of material. I believe Ian also moved the 'oval' hole forward a bit for better clearance.

If you can move the whole servo/master cylinder over a bit, that might give enough space so you do not need to mod the plenum, but that would be some more experimenting.

[Karan]

Go the hydraulic method like Ian did and i am doing.....


Karan

[Jhonno]

Go the hydraulic method like Ian did and i am doing.....


Karan

anymore gen? what bits are needed exactly?