Can you identify this mystery component.

[angelfj1]

While perusing some TR club photos, I came across this unusual component in the engine bay of an Australian TR-3. Sort of looks like a brake servo or vacuum resevoir. Any one want to make a guess?

 

[wingsandwheels]

That appears to be a remote brake servo. W

 

[martx-5]

Yes, a power brake unit. It was an option.

 

[TR4nut]

Pretty sure it's a remote brake servo, Lockheed and other had them - here's a weblink with a similar photo of the part:

servo

Randy

 

[cjm]

definitely brake servo,use one myself.

 

[YankeeTR]

[ QUOTE ]
Pretty sure it's a remote brake servo, Lockheed and other had them - here's a weblink with a similar photo of the part:

servo

Randy

[/ QUOTE ]

My TR's have always had manual brakes but they come standard with "Armstrong" power steering.... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/square.gif

BTW...Randy...That's a pretty nice website. It's too bad our British parts suppliers couldn't put together a nice on-line catalog with pictures that actually SHOW you what you are buying!

I've got a hunch if Moss published Playboy all we'd have to look at would be illustrations of girls...not real girls!

 

[angelfj1]

Thanks to all! I try to learn something new every day!

BTW, for those of you that have used these, any impressions you would like to note? For example, do these improve braking or only assist with the effort?

 

[Bugeye58]

They only assist with the effort. Braking power is determined by the master cylinder and how hard you push.
Jeff

 

[cjm]

also come in differant ratios.

 

[cjm]

btw.brake power also comes with how many pistons are in calipers.

 

[Bugeye58]

True. My statement was more of a generality.
Jeff

 

[cjm]

sorry jeff, did'nt mean to deal a duff hand. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cheers.gif

 

[Bugeye58]

No problem at all. I was just grabbing the quick (read "lazy")answer.
Jeff

 

[angelfj1]

The reason I asked, I recall when I was a kid, during the 1950's and 60's, we never owned a car with "power brakes" and of course, nearly all American cars had drums on all wheels. I remember a friend and I went out one night in his father's new Olds 98, a big heavy dinosaur with power brakes. The pedal even said, "POWER". But when I drove it I was constantly locking up the brakes and leaving streaks of rubber everywhere. Todays cars are all power assisted braking and they don't have that old jerky feel. BUT, if you are on a hill and lose power assist it can be fun.

 

[Bugeye58]

Back in the day when power brakes were somewhat of a novelty, I think we all did the same thing. Applied the brakes as we would on our normally equipped cars, and over braked. I put down a few skid marks myself getting used to assisted brakes. Even now, when I've been driving nothing but manual brakes for awhile, it takes some getting used to when I jump into one of the later, boosted, vehicles.
Jeff

 

[martx-5]

[ QUOTE ]
... and of course, nearly all American cars had drums on all wheels. I remember a friend and I went out one night in his father's new Olds 98, a big heavy dinosaur with power brakes. The pedal even said, "POWER". But when I drove it I was constantly locking up the brakes and leaving streaks of rubber everywhere. Todays cars are all power assisted braking and they don't have that old jerky feel.

[/ QUOTE ]

Drum brakes generally always have at least on leading shoe, which meant that because of drum rotation, they would tend to self-engage without the need to apply more force on the brake pedal. Adding power assist to this made the brakes much more sensitive, and unpredictable. The worst were the Chrysler products, as they had two wheel cylinders per drum and, therefore two leading shoes. Those brakes could lock up by breathing on the brake pedal. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/eek.gif

Disc brakes don't have this self-engaging feature, so brake modulation is much more linear in relation to force on the pedal.

 

[NickMorgan]

There used to be someone in the TR Register in England who had owned his '54 TR2 since it was a year old. It was the most original car you could imagine, despite it having covered a very high mileage. Anyway, he had a servo fitter there, but it acted on the clutch as he had a bad left leg.