First bonnet closure test
Made a cone out of paper and closed the bonnet to check for the clearance
And this was the result, so plenty of space over the brake fluid tank
This was the test ST150 MBC failed big time.
Also, worth pointing out that mondeo uses the same 3 wire system as puma does for lighting up the warning light on instrument cluster. The connector is different, but it is not a problem. Mine servo came without the connector, Mk1 focus fits as well. I got mine at scrapy from a Mk1 focus.
After that it was just a case of bolting everything together. Puma MBC has outlets facing to the centre of the vehicle, mondeo has on opposite side, facing the battery. Luck has it the outlets are angled up so it clears the battery, but just.
Got myself a pair of brakelines at a local hydraulic shop. You will need length of 50 cm. The both sides need M12x1 connection; on MBC and ABS module all the connections use this thread. Started bending them and got to stage where I could bolt it all together.
The first attempt had the first line going beneath the second one.
Tried it with battery in place and was not happy with the outcome
If left like this, battery could not go out unless the brake lines are disconnected and that was not something I could do and live with myselft later.
So bent line a bit different and could clear the battery at taking out. That was something, progress!
With that success got a bit greedy (the car has to be dismanteable as a stock one!) and tried to lift out the battery container as well. It would not go because of this corner.
Also, the container was touching the master brake cylinder and that was also something I could not accept. During drive everythign vibrates and this contact is just asking for trouble.
So took out the old trusty heatgun and started heating that corner and deforming it to a shape needed
It needed only few mm.
That cleared the MBC and with the elastic strap holding the airfilter box detached I can now take out the battery container as well. The inlet hose moves a bit and that few extra mm of movement is enough for battery container to clear the brake line.
With that settled, started putting everything together, but routed the front line differently, over the second one.
The only thing left to do was to connect the wires. I cut the original connector and soldered the mondeo one.
This is how the wires should be connected, should anyone need that info.
The red-black should be joined with the redblack from original, yellow goes to blue on original, and the blue-black from mondeo goes to the black on original.
Soldering, and heatshrinking
And using that fancy Tesa tape (the cloth type for keping them together) for car instalations
Making it look neat and tidy
After that, the usual job of bleeding the brakes all around and replacing the brake fluid at the same time
Like rallyesque look of puma on stands (the whole installation)!
After that went for a spin. These are the findings: the stopping power is immense. Now I can at 100 kph start braking and increasing the pedal pressure to a point ABS kicks in. Previously that was not so easy. I had to hit the brakes to activate ABS. This servo and MBC are just what these brakes need to perform to their full potential.
But there is a problem. The shaft of mondeo servo is a bit longer then on puma. Tried to counteract that by placing some spacers and move the servo away a bit from the pedal assembly.
(The left arrow points to a desintagrated foam that served as water barrier; put some dynamat over it as it will keep the water away).
This was trial fit with 4 spacers and in the end went with two only. Tomorrow will try to put all four of them. I discovered that with this setup brakes are always applied a bit; I have to lift the pedal by foot to release them and then it is only just.
Also, I think I have a bit of drag in master brake cylinder. The original lines coming from MBC to ABS moduel were 6 mm, and now I have put on 5 mm as that was what that shop did. I guess that is a restriction preventing the master brake cylinder to release fast?
Barry, you are a good DIY-er and have built a westy; is my reckoning correct?
Anyway, I will replace the lines and if that and adding two spacers doesn't release brakes completely when I am not braking, I will use the UK version and have a shaft mashined to a measure and build into it some length adjustment.
I haven't seen that there is any sort of pedal adjustment possible, but stand to be corrected. Is there any adjustment of brake pedal possible?
That is all; since you don't have this shaft problem as you can combine various bits and pieces I would recommend upgrading the servo and master brake cylinder with big brake setup. It is a next level, like dropping an anchor!