Mk1 brakes - has anyone fitted a servo?

Post any technical questions or queries here.
Post Reply
User avatar
Bitsilly
1275 Cooper S
Posts: 833
Joined: Fri Jun 19, 2020 8:09 pm
Location: Wales
Been thanked: 4 times

Mk1 brakes - has anyone fitted a servo?

Post by Bitsilly »

Further to this thread from September:
http://mk1-forum.net/viewtopic.php?f=5& ... es#p255492
I am revisiting my brakes.

Mini Spares told me that a servo master cylinder won't fit under the mk1 bonnet hinge.

However as the car is going to be quite quick but also heavy, and driven by my wife, so I have decided to fit a servo.

Has anyone else done this on a mk1, and if so how? Does the servo have to be a remote one?


As usual, thanks!
User avatar
Bitsilly
1275 Cooper S
Posts: 833
Joined: Fri Jun 19, 2020 8:09 pm
Location: Wales
Been thanked: 4 times

Re: Mk1 brakes - has anyone fitted a servo?

Post by Bitsilly »

However, I see the mini spares site sells a Cooper servo for a Mk1??
It is out of stock so MAYBE they were talking about another servo master?
Slowly losing my marbles here!
User avatar
Spider
1275 Cooper S
Posts: 4851
Joined: Mon May 07, 2012 6:10 am
Location: Big Red, Australia
Has thanked: 187 times
Been thanked: 65 times

Re: Mk1 brakes - has anyone fitted a servo?

Post by Spider »

I'm not sure what Mini Spares were referring to there ??

You'd normally use the same Master Cylinder - if you have Discs up front, it's a good idea to use a Cooper S Master as it has a bigger Reservoir - together with a remote Servo. If you aren't looking for period parts, there's many firms who offer these types of Servos, be aware though there is many cheap servos on the market these days, which seem OK, but there's no kits available for them.

These guys seem to have a good name

https://www.powertrackbrakes.co.uk/brakes.html

or CBS have a couple

https://www.carbuilder.com/uk/compact-r ... r-assister

Just be careful of the Servo ratio, on a Mini, you don't need a lot, the Cooper S one is 1.9:.

If the ratio is too high, you'll loose too much feel and it could be tricky to drive.
GraemeC
1275 Cooper S
Posts: 2288
Joined: Thu Jun 24, 2010 1:05 pm
Location: Hiding From The Dog... NW Eng
Has thanked: 2 times
Been thanked: 7 times

Re: Mk1 brakes - has anyone fitted a servo?

Post by GraemeC »

I presume they mean you can’t fit a late model inline servo.

A remote one will fit fine and you can out it where you like (within reason), but most would use the proper Cooper S brackets on fix it into the inner wing
User avatar
Bitsilly
1275 Cooper S
Posts: 833
Joined: Fri Jun 19, 2020 8:09 pm
Location: Wales
Been thanked: 4 times

Re: Mk1 brakes - has anyone fitted a servo?

Post by Bitsilly »

So would this fit with a Mk1 bonnet hinge?
https://www.minispares.com/product/Clas ... 0to%20shop

Or this?

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Brake-Servo- ... 1438.l2649

I would just prefer to use standard Mini stuff rather than a remote one.
GraemeC
1275 Cooper S
Posts: 2288
Joined: Thu Jun 24, 2010 1:05 pm
Location: Hiding From The Dog... NW Eng
Has thanked: 2 times
Been thanked: 7 times

Re: Mk1 brakes - has anyone fitted a servo?

Post by GraemeC »

Yes, both will fit.

They are standard Mini stuff - remote servo was factory fit on cars with a servo up to about the 90’s when the in-line servo came in.
User avatar
Bitsilly
1275 Cooper S
Posts: 833
Joined: Fri Jun 19, 2020 8:09 pm
Location: Wales
Been thanked: 4 times

Re: Mk1 brakes - has anyone fitted a servo?

Post by Bitsilly »

Most excellent!
Cheers
olddave
998 Cooper
Posts: 619
Joined: Sat Apr 09, 2016 4:23 pm
Location: Yorkshire side of Bedfordshire
Been thanked: 12 times

Re: Mk1 brakes - has anyone fitted a servo?

Post by olddave »

A couple of pm's sent :ugeek:
User avatar
dodge44
998 Cooper
Posts: 567
Joined: Tue Sep 17, 2013 3:21 pm
Location: Dorset

Re: Mk1 brakes - has anyone fitted a servo?

Post by dodge44 »

This had been covered on here before quite recently with a few location options illustrated:

http://mk1-forum.net/viewtopic.php?p=232884#p232884
User avatar
whistler
1275 Cooper S
Posts: 838
Joined: Sat Nov 05, 2016 5:02 pm
Location: Cardiff
Has thanked: 18 times
Been thanked: 5 times

Re: Mk1 brakes - has anyone fitted a servo?

Post by whistler »

There's 4 possible locations to fit a remote servo. I've used 2 of them and seen the other 2.
1. Inner wing where Cooper S one is fitted.
2. Under the wheel arch with a remote air filter poking through the inner wing into engine bay.
3. Under passenger dash, up against bulkhead.
4. Extra wide bulkhead box (as for weber carbs) and fitted there.

I've used 1 and 3.

If this is for your electrification you'll need an electric vacuum pump methinks.
User avatar
Bitsilly
1275 Cooper S
Posts: 833
Joined: Fri Jun 19, 2020 8:09 pm
Location: Wales
Been thanked: 4 times

Re: Mk1 brakes - has anyone fitted a servo?

Post by Bitsilly »

Thanks all,
and yes I have already bought a vacuum pump.
InnoCooperExport
998 Cooper
Posts: 676
Joined: Tue Mar 31, 2020 8:44 pm
Location: The Netherlands
Has thanked: 4 times
Been thanked: 9 times

Re: Mk1 brakes - has anyone fitted a servo?

Post by InnoCooperExport »

If you can't find the AP servo, you can also get the Alfa Romeo one for the 105 series Coupe as made by Bonaldi/Benditalia. They're not cheap, I think you'd be better off with a slightly later Lockheed unit such as: http://minispares.com/product/Classic/B ... 0to%20shop
Of course I know what a dipstick is, you get called something often enough you look it up!
998fan
Basic 850
Posts: 41
Joined: Thu Jul 16, 2020 11:06 pm
Location: UK

Re: Mk1 brakes - has anyone fitted a servo?

Post by 998fan »

Bitsilly wrote: Fri Feb 05, 2021 11:43 am Thanks all,
and yes I have already bought a vacuum pump.
Slightly off track, what sort of vacuum pump have you bought?
User avatar
Bitsilly
1275 Cooper S
Posts: 833
Joined: Fri Jun 19, 2020 8:09 pm
Location: Wales
Been thanked: 4 times

Re: Mk1 brakes - has anyone fitted a servo?

Post by Bitsilly »

I went for a cheaper version of the rotary vane pump popular in the States at the mo.
There are much cheaper ones out there but as I have dynamatted the whole car I thought the quieter rotary vane one would be better.
Post Reply