Mark Simpson

MY89 SE - I've been undertaking some refurbishment of my gear change mechanism's and have just changed all the bushes etc. in the master unit or gear change box, which was fiddly but worth it as the existing bushes especially those where the cables connect were very worn and slack. Also the spring that loads the stick to the 3rd 4th position was actually not engaged, no wonder the change was so vague, why didn't I notice this before ? anyway things are much improved although some fine adjustment at the rear may improve things further. I did the bearings and tie rods last year, and I have the new thicker shaft to replace so this will necessitate adjustment anyway. I was considering changing the cables, as one is a bit frayed and revealing the coiled casing but find on SJS that they are £180 each, why are they so expensive? Has anyone refurbished these cables, can they be refurbished? is there any alternative, does anyone have any decent cables they would be willing to part with ?

Changed the pump yesterday. Straightforward, but fiddly. Traced all my vacuum pipes and checked they were all connected. I now have proper brakes and heater controls ! I did consider an electric vacuum pump system on offer from Simtek but decided to stick with a conventional pump. http://www.simtekuk.co.uk/index.php/mobile-vacuum_pump_kits/?k=3232:23 Found my car lift a real benefit, I thought it would prove a good investment.

After testing the suction directly at the pump I decided it was not working as it should be. So I've taken it off and picked up a replacement from Lotusbits, which is a slightly different design, without a distinct exhaust outlet, seems it exhausts through vents in the casing, not sure this is a good thing given the vulnerability of the pumps location. Comparing pumps shows mine was barely working. I will be fitting it later today and hopefully brakes and heater controls will be back up returned. I will also trace the vacuum pipes to ensure everything is connected. I'm going to tackle replacing handbrake cables which are in a poor state, down to the steel coil in parts, stiff and no doubt rusty inside side not releasing properly on the drivers side making the caliper bind. Should keep me busy.

Hello, I'm new to the forum and to Esprit ownership, but I'm learning fast. I'm sure that this topic has been covered, so any pointers to previous discussions would be appreciated. My 89SE has no brakes, at least no servo assisted brake and no functioning heater control, the combination of these two makes me think it is the vacuum pump at fault. Taking off the suction feed at the back of the servo ( no hiss on removal), shows there is some suction, but it feels weak and pulsing not enough to hold my finger on the pipe, and does not seem improve much with higher revs. I cannot detect any odd sound that I have read is associated with pump failure My question is, before I jump into replacing the pump, could it be anything else? is there a categorical test that will show it's the pump it's self at fault. I do not have a flow or suction meter, if there is such a thing. Thanks