Servo removal - a good idea?

[birdthom]

Evening All

I'm in the process of replacing the discs and pads all round on my Sprint. The discs are standard but I've opted for braided hoses and slightly uprated Mintex pads from TTR. I know quite a few people have fitted +2 calipers and removed the servo, but has anyone on here removed the servo with a setup like mine? If so, would you recommend it, or is the pedal effort a bit too thigh-busting?

It looks like the servo should be fairly easy to remove with its piping intact so that it can be reinstalled if I'm not keen on the pedal effort required or if I want to preserve the originality. Am I right in thinking this?

The reason I'm wondering all this is that my servo is slightly suspect, so if I can gain some pedal feel, save money and add some lightness without too much compromise I'd be happy to give it a go.

Thanks as always

Tom.

[SADLOTUS]

Removed mine, no probs with high pedal pressure, just changed to non servo pads so, non servo TTR pads should be great.

[blueseamonkey]

My +2 had its servo removed by the previous owner and pads changed to non-servo. It does seem fine for normal stops, but if I have to stop quickly a VERY hard push on the pedal is needed. I think he'd had problems with a couple of servos failing and has actually fitted dual circuit brakes for safety reasons. Certainly I've had no reason not to trust these brakes whereas I might be more worried with a dodgy servo.
Rick

[Dag-Henning]

The need for a really hard push on the pedal can be cured by fitting a master w/ a smaller dia. The travel will increase a little bit though.
Dag

[types26/36]

I ran my Sprint without the servo when I was overhauling it, the pedal effort is not that much more and you will soon get used to it. If it were a plus 2 it might be worth fitting a different bore master cyl. but I dont think it is nessesary with the Elan. I like the feel of a servo but its a personal choice.
Brian

[theelanman]

I know the feeling of a servo packing up just when you dont need it......
80mph coming onto a roundabout.....good job there was nowt on the road infront of me!!!!
I changed from a girling to a lockheed and have had no problems.....I know a few guys whove changed over from the servo to non servo system and while they all seem to prefer it there have been varying report on what to change re master cyl, calipers etc....
I suggest having a word with a couple of CLOGies who I think have done it or can certainly shed light on the matter!!!!
sorry cant be of more help tom........come and see us next CLOG
cheers
G

[patrics]

Hi Tom,
The pedal will feel heavy without the servo but just how bad will probably depend on your daily drive. Whilst your spending money it seems a shame not to take the opportunity to change to plus 2 front calipers - why not take the stuff back to TTR and exchange for plus 2 discs and pads then you have only got to spend another ?50 for some calipers and the mounting brackets don't cost much.
Fitting plus 2 calipers will reduce the pedal efforts and make the brake balance better
Regards
Steve

[Matt7c]

Hi Tom,

I removed my servo with the standard disc and caliper set up on an Elan S2 and have had no problems. I don't regard the pedal pressure as too much, though its a personal choice. Even when pulling up fast, I have found that pedal pressure isn't too great. I have the overhaul kit for my Girling servo, but can't currently think of a reason why I need to bother putting it back in...

Matt

[SADLOTUS]

I agree.

[birdthom]

Thanks for all your replies. It seems it might be sensible to remove the servo, see how I get on without it and if I don't like the setup then I can just recondition the servo and put it back in.

I had considered +2 calipers but decided against it as additional cost and unsprung weight are involved - albeit only marginal increases in each! The other factor is that I'll be using the car for occasional track days and I just don't like the idea of having a servo there to go wrong, even if it's reconditioned. I'd rather put a bit more pedal effort in and know that there's one less thing that could go wrong.

If anyone's considering doing the same I should be able to report back at the end of the month - feel free to drop me a PM.

Thanks again

Tom.

[triumphelan]

Would there be any insurance questions ask re modifications,or any legal question ask if one was involved in a fatal accident?

[1964 S1]

aye, (yi yi) any attorneys out there?

[Matt7c]

No legal begals here, but consider this: the insurqance folks always want to know if the car has been modified from its original specification, right? Well my S2 was never fitted with a servo by Lotus, the PO (or his PO) did as an aftermarket option. So, when the servo was installed was the time when the insurance man might get shirty about it. Now that I'm servo-free, I'm all legal again.

I should have thought that if the car is capable of passing an MOT it can be regarded as 'legal' but those nice insurance people do like their loopholes, which is where the modification question comes in. So long as you tell them, and they still agree to insure you, you'll be alright, right?. Fingers crossed...

Matt

[elansprint71]

I believe that Tom himself is a member of the worthy profession!

Pete, no servo, +2 calipers.

[birdthom]

Pete's right - I am a lawyer, although I'd hardly call it a noble profession.

I think insurance is a fair point to raise - John shows signs of potential as either an insurance lawyer or a claims assessor!

Unfortunately I'm a banking lawyer and know virtually nothing about insurance. I'll probably notify my insurers that the servo has been removed but that this is not a 'performance enhancing' modification - hopefully that way they won't load my premium. It's always safest to tell them up front rather than just hope for the best. The legal jargon is that insurance contracts are "uberrimae fidei", i.e there is a duty of disclosure of all material facts.

That said, if I didn't tell them I think they'd be (a) very unlikely to know that the car had a servo when new (b) unlikely to spot that it doesn't have a servo now and (c) even if they did spot it they'd probably find it difficult to argue that it was a contributory factor - I am making the modification for safety reasons as much as anything else. But, as with all legal problems, it's all very well saying you have a good argument but the best thing to do is to avoid having the argument in the first place. So tell your insurers!

How this thread went from a faulty servo to legal latin is one of the marvels of the internet....

Anyway, thanks for all your opinions - the servo is being removed but stored carefully just in case!

Tom