Farmyard exotics ABS deletions

[Barrykearley]

I’m opting to sell the dead horse and let someone else deal with the smell

[swindon_alan]

This HAS to be the public sector approach! The private sector would just get on and sell the bloody thing for glue and meat for the French... 

[Chillidoggy]

No, in the private sector it would have been on the canteen menu as 'Cheval Mort Au Delco avec sauce Moraine'.

[DanR]

A year ago I would have ditched the DM too. However after some considerable work rebuilding the calipers, renewing the accumulator and making the effort to bleed as per the manual (I swapped some procedures where LH manual differs from my RH drive) I now have full confidence in my brakes same as Michael.

I reckon many shops don't bleed the DM properly. It's an unusual and time consuming job with the manual instructions itself being confusing. 

When I bought my car there were receipts for a couple of thousand dollars spent at a specialist workshop to fix the brakes. They  never were right. The most obvious issue used to be the weird way they'd pulse and push back against the foot. That's now gone and I can modulate the amount of pressure depending on how quickly I want to stop.

Are they as good as today's cars? Most yes, the best ones no.

 

[Barrykearley]

Bleeding the delco system is a piece of piss - it is not complex in anyway. 

Theres even a nice step by step guid in the workshop manual

[Chillidoggy]

Been there, done that, as per the Lotus Service Notes. Bled 4 litres of new brake fluid through the system. It was still shite afterwards.

[DanR]

I'd bet the bleed valves on the master are often overlooked. Especially the one under the relays.

[Chillidoggy]

They shouldn’t be. Anyone with half a brain should know where they are by now, there’s enough info kicking around on here about them.

[DanR]

Some of the DM systems even got praised such as this  article on the Esprits 

"...This example adds brilliant brakes, too. I’ve read nothing but bad things about Esprit brakes over the years so perhaps this S4S is a freak, but the pedal is almost rock-solid, with a short and decisive travel..." EVO 11th Feb 2013

 

 

[Barrykearley]

14 minutes ago, DanR said:

I'd bet the bleed valves on the master are often overlooked. Especially the one under the relays.

Again - in the bleeding process step by step guide

[Chillidoggy]

36 minutes ago, DanR said:

Some of the DM systems even got praised such as this  article on the Esprits 

"...This example adds brilliant brakes, too. I’ve read nothing but bad things about Esprit brakes over the years so perhaps this S4S is a freak, but the pedal is almost rock-solid, with a short and decisive travel..." EVO 11th Feb 2013

 

 

Says it all, really.

[swindon_alan]

33 minutes ago, Barrykearley said:

in the bleeding process step by step guide

I guess that sums up the whole DM thing...

[Vanya]

The system gets way too much crap. I personally like the fact every aspect is so thoroughly explained in the manual. There's no excuse to have them running sub optimally, unless the pressures are off in which case a bespoke approach is called for. 

[internets]

At the end of the day the DM system is overly complicated and AFAIK Lotus were ‘encouraged’ to use it due to their owners at the time. Today some of the spare parts are largely impossible to buy and add in to the mix the lack of specialist knowledge and difficult bleeding can make it dangerous. Appricate a few longer term owners have got to grip with it on their car.

Ian has spent much time and his own money devloping a very well engineered replacement for a vital safety system IMHO, I do not take such things likely and would often shy away from such developements but from Ian’s posts here and seeing the system installed by @Sparky it is top draw and a very well engineered ‘bit of kit’, much kudos to @Chillidoggy

Anyway I no longer own an Esprit but did have much time behind the wheel and working on Esprit’s with the DM system so know the problems that arise but would have no hesitation in having one of these systems installed.

At the end of the day your pays you money and takes your choice and if your DM works for you great but this has been an issue as long as I remember with various ‘solutions’ appearing over the years and Ian’s solution just seems a once and for all option.

[Barrykearley]

Anyhow - I now have the S4s off the ramp

so this evening the black one will be up in the air

[tinywillyuk]

Ah, Obione just told me his is with you for some love :)

[Sparky]

I thought that was his.

[Barrykearley]

Abs now removed

 

[rizla603104]

Works better already 😁

[Sparky]

Measured the vacuum?

[Barrykearley]

Not yet. Will fit the servo and all the pedal caper tomorrow. Then before piping it up - I’ll lift the old girl and measure before running the vac pipe.

nice new hydraulic brake flaring tool for steel arrived today - can’t wait to try that baby out

It’s got a mechanical vac pump - so hopefully that’s fine - only by whacking a guage on will I know. No matter what - the pedal and servo needs doing. So cracking on with the messy stuff first

[Vanya]

What are you all doing with the ABS pressure Switches? I seem to recall a mention of them being put on eBay but I can never find them!? I'd like to get a hold of them in any case... 

[Barrykearley]

Chucking them in a box for the owner. It’s theirs to do with as they choose. 

Had a bash at it this morning  - pedal drilled - servo and master fitted. Off to the pub for steak and chips.

this afternoon - fixed the broken fuse tree and cut the old cover and refitted - tried out my nice new hydraulic brake line former. It forms the steel lines really nicely. So All plumbed up. Car up - wheels off - brakes bled. 

The fluid was a bit murky - but actually very clean. I don’t think this car was showing any horrid signs - and think this was more a preemptive strike on this system - since it really should be a servo car anyway.

wheels back on - she’s sat on the ground and tomorrow I will sort out looking at the vac side

 

[Barrykearley]

[ramjet]

Nice work Mr. Kearley for all the photos I have seen.