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MG Midget and Sprite Technical - Vacuum Booster

Hi all.

Can anyone tell me where the best place to locate a remote brake booster would be on a Mk 3?

As an aside....just finished fitting the 5 speed box and the car is back on the road!!! My partner was astounded I got it back together and working (secretly, so am I but I am not owning up to that!).

Murray
MK McIntosh

On the shelf, in the garage ;o)
Dave O'Neill 2

To elaborate...

I had thought about fitting a servo to my B, as they were optional equipment.

The general consensus on the B forum was that they aren't really necessary.
They don't increase braking performance, only reducing required pedal effort slightly. The downside being that you lose a certain amount of 'feel' and you are introducing one more thing to go wrong.
Dave O'Neill 2

And wrong they can go. There have been several reports of drivers finding sudden and complete loss of brakes because the remote servo has drunk all the fluid. You don't need one, don't fit one.
Mike Howlett

This is an emotive subject as you will see. :)

IMO the booster is probably one of the very best mods I have done. I think the brake feel is far superior although I do accept that it is another thing that can go wrong. Certainly does not stop the car any quicker that is governed as we all should know by the grip of the tyres. However what it does do is make the pedal so responsive that feathering the brake pedal at the limit is very easy, compared to trying to do that with an extemely heavy foot!

Mine is a right hand drive car and there is ample space for the booster on the deck above the passenger footwell.
Robert (Bob) Midget Turbo

I'll second that Bob, it's a vast improvement as far as I'm concerned.
Graham.
Graham P 1330 Frogeye

I have driven both (servo'd & non servo'd)
And i own a non servo'd midget and a servo'd BGT
I drive the midget and my fiancee the GT.......

The only valid arguments for a servo are to little strenght in your legs
Or to lessen the difference between a modern and the classic (i alwasy end up making an "emegrency" stop first time in a modern)

It does not improve braking (nly lessens pedal pressure as said)
It does not improve feel!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (and that is no opinion that is a fact)
It adds a possible failure point in the brakes...

Add it up for your self
And then conclude non servo'd is best ;)
Onno Könemann

I would say fit one, under your passenger wing on the top of the footwell panel.

Those who say that they dont make any improvement on a road car are probably the same people who firmly believe a Midget will always have a 2-pump brake pedal, because its always been like that!!!

BZ runs a servo, as do most of the most competitive Midgets in this country.

Dont hesitate because you may feel less of a man by fitting one, they are great, but like everything buy cheap buy twice.
PeterJMoore

Pete
No pumping and great brakes.

Fitting a servo is a choice nothing to do with being a manly man or what ever!

Have seen what a servo failure does and i'd rather use my legs a bit more than never be able to.
Onno Könemann

Hmmmm, certainly a good range of views (as I would hope).

I swap from a modern car to the sprite fairly often and find I start obsessing a bit about braking distances in the sprite. Having a more modern feel to the brakes may help. I guess I can always remove it if I don't like it.

Thanks for the suggestions, sounds like above passenger footwell is the best choice.
MK McIntosh

This thread was discussed between 08/07/2011 and 09/07/2011

MG Midget and Sprite Technical index

This thread is from the archive. The Live MG Midget and Sprite Technical BBS is active now.