Removing servo - MOT issues?

[MF35]

Hello,

I have an old 1997 car (keeping type undisclosed for reasons that will become obvious). It has a standard brake servo.

I want to fit Weber carbs.

However, to make them fit, I then need to remove the brake servo.

And I've ben told that fitting a remote servo would be a major task.

Losing a servo is a plus for me - it's a light little old hatchback, and I prefer the feel of an un-assisted pedal. I will be fitting uprated brakes, so braking performance will be considerably improved over the rather feeble original standard brakes.

However, it will be pretty obvious to any half-awake tester that the brakes, powerful as they will be, are un-servo-ed.

Am I likely to fail the MOT for removing the servo on a 27-year-old car? I'm keen to fit the Webers, and wondered what workarounds other people who have done similar used, and what their subsequent MOT experiences were.

Many thanks,

[Olivergt]

Ask on the MOT thread.

I would think though, that if the brakes work and stop the car correctly, then they won't even know?

[XR]

If the servo is removed it can't be failed for being defective, innefective or inoperative but would/should fail for unsafe braking system component modification.

[Arnold Cunningham]

Consider replacing with and old fashioned mini brake servo - these can be remote mounted anywhere you choose - one of my cars has a pair of them, one for each braking circuit: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/313425659581

[ferret50]

Part of the M52 into an E30 swap was to use a smaller, ex Clio, servo! It was the fiddling about making a shorter pushrod that caused most problems.

[Rough101]

Rather than the servo, won’t you have emissions issues as a 97 should have a EFI and a cat?

[Arnold Cunningham]

ferret50 said:

Part of the M52 into an E30 swap was to use a smaller, ex Clio, servo! It was the fiddling about making a shorter pushrod that caused most problems.

I think the one I linked is entirely remote - so pushrods not an issue.

[MF35]

Sounds like the servo issue could be at the whim of the tester, but the emissions issue could be a problem - I guess Webers were never intended to be eco devices lol. Many thanks all.

[mwstewart]

Can't run carbs on a 97.

[MF35]

mwstewart said:

Can't run carbs on a 97.

K11 Micras (for instance) were produced between 1992-2002. The carb conversion route is a popular conversion, using Weber 40 DCOE Type 151s (ideally, Italian), or various bike carbs kits. I've driven late 90s K11s with such carbs fitted, they go very well.

[Krikkit]

MF35 said:

mwstewart said:

Can't run carbs on a 97.

K11 Micras (for instance) were produced between 1992-2002. The carb conversion route is a popular conversion, using Weber 40 DCOE Type 151s (ideally, Italian), or various bike carbs kits. I've driven late 90s K11s with such carbs fitted, they go very well.

I think he means you'll struggle to get them to pass catalytic emissions test on a post-93...

[Art Keller]

Removing the servo wont fail the MOT in itself.............not being able to generate enough brake force on the roller brake tester could

[MF35]

Krikkit said:

MF35 said:

mwstewart said:

Can't run carbs on a 97.

K11 Micras (for instance) were produced between 1992-2002. The carb conversion route is a popular conversion, using Weber 40 DCOE Type 151s (ideally, Italian), or various bike carbs kits. I've driven late 90s K11s with such carbs fitted, they go very well.

I think he means you'll struggle to get them to pass catalytic emissions test on a post-93...

Ah OK; v true. I'm becoming more and more pessimistic about it tbh. My mechanic is a genius with carbs, and not a huge fan of ITBs, but starting to look like ITBs might be less hassle

[Arnold Cunningham]

MF35 said:

Ah OK; v true. I'm becoming more and more pessimistic about it tbh. My mechanic is a genius with carbs, and not a huge fan of ITBs, but starting to look like ITBs might be less hassle

I can do both - not knowing how to make ITB or other EFI work well is no excuse for choosing an inferior design. Unless you're building a classic that you want to be in keeping with the period it's from or have some specific need for carbs, there really is no reason to fit carbs to anything these days. This is EFI ITBs and would (except it's not in a car) pass any non cat emissions test

Edited by Arnold Cunningham on Thursday 13th June 17:56

Edited by Arnold Cunningham on Thursday 13th June 18:05