The Ford Capri Laser Page

Hi all,

I have a 1987 2.8i Special which has the HiSpec 285mm brake upgrade on the front. However the brakes are terrible. You have to almost stand on them to get the car to stop, and it should certainly perform better than that.

Today the master cylinder was changed as the old one was looking a little worse for wear and I was hoping this would solve the issue. The brakes have also been thoroughly bled but the problem remains.

Does anyone have any experience with this issue? I recall hearing mutterings of people using a Granada master cylinder to cure the problem, but I could well be thinking of something else.

Any advice would be hugely welcome as I just want to enjoy the car before the weather turns and it goes into the garage until next year

Cheers in advance

Sounds like you have no vacuum coming in has the pipe spilt or come off ?

Jasonmarie wrote: ↑Tue Sep 17, 2019 3:52 pm Sounds like you have no vacuum coming in has the pipe spilt or come off ?

With the engine off, try pumping the brake pedal 3 or 4 times to deplete the vacuum in the servo, then, with your foot firmly on the brake, start the engine. You shoukd feel the pedal sink as the servo kicks in. If not it suggests a servo fault or as said a blocked vac. pipe from manifold.

It does sound very much like the servo. Who recommended changing the master cylinder and had they actually tested the servo first ?

stevemarl wrote: ↑Tue Sep 17, 2019 3:58 pm

Jasonmarie wrote: ↑Tue Sep 17, 2019 3:52 pm Sounds like you have no vacuum coming in has the pipe spilt or come off ?

With the engine off, try pumping the brake pedal 3 or 4 times to deplete the vacuum in the servo, then, with your foot firmly on the brake, start the engine. You shoukd feel the pedal sink as the servo kicks in. If not it suggests a servo fault or as said a blocked vac. pipe from manifold.

Yeah I’ve tried that, the pedal doesn’t seem to really feel much different. It goes down slightly but not a lot until you’re actually driving along and then have to really push to stop the car.

Not_Anumber wrote: ↑Tue Sep 17, 2019 4:26 pm It does sound very much like the servo. Who recommended changing the master cylinder and had they actually tested the servo first ?

Several people had suggested the master cylinder, which in fairness did need replacing as it was looking pretty old and knackered and had a small weep from it anyway.

If anyone can point me in the direction of a replacement servo I would be forever in your debt!

A good 2nd hand 2.8 servo hopefully shouldnt be too difficult to locate. Id say it's worth trying the usual vendors most of us on here use such as Martin of Caprigear, Nial, Tickover, CCI . Also worth posting it as a Part Wanted in the appropriate sections of this and the other Capri forum.
You shouldnt need to wait long for responses.

Watching with interest .......I bought the willwood 285mm 4pot kit from my Capri .I wanted the Hi spec kit but they weren't available at the time . Willwood sounds so gay ( I can just see them ,with their shiney raised lettering, blowing kisses an twerkin at me from behind the wheels ). Bet they'd sell more if they changed the name

Mc Tool wrote: ↑Wed Sep 18, 2019 7:15 pm Watching with interest .......I bought the willwood 285mm 4pot kit from my Capri .I wanted the Hi spec kit but they weren't available at the time . Willwood sounds so gay ( I can just see them ,with their shiney raised lettering, blowing kisses an twerkin at me from behind the wheels ). Bet they'd sell more if they changed the name

Yes Willwood is a famous gay country western singer who dresses in pink from stoke on Trent in the U.K. .

Oh wow , we were just discussing how people talk in the 3rd person ( Fez was getting ribbed by Hyde and Eric for doing so ). So .....Stoke on Trent, aye ? Gore is the gay capital of NZ ,and , purely by coincidence I'm sure, it's also the country music capital of NZ,.......so if you don't want your arse reemed to the sound of steel guitars .... DONT GO TO GORE

Hi guys, no real update at the moment sadly. The master cylinder has been changed as the old one was looking pretty sorry for itself so I wanted it changed anyway. Unfortunately the brakes are still the same of course.

I am looking to replace the pads on the car as a matter of course along with a few other perishable items. Considering I have the hi spec 285 kit on the car, could anyone point me in the right direction for some suitable pads? I’m not looking to go ragging around a track so I don’t need anything noisy or overly dusty, and certainly not something which isn’t any good until they’re very warm.

Cheers for the help so far all!

Yeah same here.. brand new hi-specs and not impressed!

Are your brakes absolutely awful too?

Today and tomorrow I will be opening the rear drums to check for any leaks in there as well as adjusting the rear brakes. I have a friend who has the same brakes on the front and he can stop on a penny.

I bought my willwood set up as a kit with all the mounts ect, I would think that if another sized m/cyl was needed it would have been in the kit , or at least some mention of it . Pads are important , don't be tempted to go for race pads ,or even track day pads for a road car ,you will be disappointed .

I replaced the original master cylinder as it was clearly old and tired, extremely corroded etc and generally in poor condition.

As for pads, I have some new oem ones for the rear coming and some road pads coming for the front setup. As a matter of course I wanted to put new ones on as the car has not been used a great deal and I would prefer to replace old parts just for peace of mind more than anything.

You can just replace the non-return valve in the servo to check for a fault with it. The push-fit white plaggy bit that the vacuum hose connects to.

Thanks for the tip on that! I’ve been trying to source another servo just in case but literally every person I have heard of having one has since gone quiet. Very frustrating! But I will have a go at what you have suggested, thanks again!

I just been lookin around and it would seem that the booster is rebuildable. I have heard mention of an electric booster (American hot rod programs ) but I have not yet looked into them .....yet

Yeah I have seen a few rebuild kits but my concern is that I will cock it up when I put it back together. I have nerve damage in my left arm and can’t feel my hand so it makes fiddly things a massive pain! Apologies for the delay in reply!

Ha , my right leg is a bit like that,
You must have brake repair shops who could do the rebuild for you , I'd have a go at one but I'd want to be sure I understood how it worked 1st