Accumulator HOW TO with PICS!

(EDIT: PLEASE MOVE TO TECHNICAL FORUM!)

Hard Brakes? One of the most common problems of an SC(of the many) would be the fatigue of the accumulator ball in our ABS systems. They are only good for about 10 years, so any longer than that is just bought time, and before you know it, your brakes may fail, sending you into a guard rail to your impending doom!!! (or at least a wrecked SC).

To save yourself from this unfortunate event, youll have to change your accumulator. Prior Reman sells them for $99.95 plus shipping. I had mine overnighted and it ended up being 135 bucks.

"But Bill, I dont even know how to do that!" You say?
"I dont have the right tools..." May be your response.

If youre like me, your entire tool collection consists of a couple sharp rocks, a long stick and a big rock for hitting stuff with. You also suck at absolutely anything car-related, and it takes you 10 hours just to install some U/D pulleys . Or at least you have just the very basic, non-mechanic home tools, and some minor mechanic skill. Well have no fear, this tutorial makes removing and replacing the accumulator ball quick and easy!

Step 1:

Wait for Mr. Delivery man to come and bring you your NEW ACCUMULATOR! YAY! Now its time to do this!

Step 2:
With the key and engine off, pump the brake pedal 40 times, or more until it is rock hard and wont go anymore.

Step 3:

Open the hood and remove the windsheild wipers. This takes some practice, but after you slide out the little clips on the base of each, you can use pliers like a hammer and pry them up and out. Now, find the drivers side plastic cowling. There are 6 screws that need removing (including the one in FRONT of the cownling, and the one in the fender), remove all of the screws and slide the rubber weather stripping off. Find the windsheild washer line going into the cowling, disconnect it from the cowling, and set the cowling aside.

Step 4:

Now it's time to locate the little sucker causing all the problems. It looks like a big ball, with a sticker on top. Spray on...no wait...DOUSE the sucker in some penetrating liquid or WD-40(what i used)

Step 5:








Some people have different opinions about how to remove this, but i was short on tools (and time) and so i pulled a McGuiver and improvised.
Find a set of allen keys like the ones shown. Remove the screw on the side and remove the candy cane shaped 8mm allen wrench from it. Now find a socket and wrench that will fit the top of the candy cane part without slipping. Put the 8mm allen key into the top of the accumulator, and then the wrench on top of that. Now give er hell! Shell finally come loose with a little blow off valve sound. Remove the old accumulator and install your brand new one. I hand tightened mine(im strong, about 45Lbs worth) Now fill up your brake fluid if you need to, and start er up. LOOK AT THAT, good as new!

Cool. I think that's what mine needs. Last weekend I got the hard pedal when trying to brake hard. Only happened that one time but I have a feeling that was a small taste of what is to come. HOWEVER.... I (personally) will be puting that 100 bones for an accumulator towards the conversion to NON-ABS brakes. From what I understand, that 100 bones should just about cover the cost of the swap and I will not have to woryy about what will be the NEXT part of the 17 year old ABS system to fail.

As for what you have put together here.... I think it looks great, Bill. Maybe a good candidate for the FAQ if it isn't there already. Pictures are ALWAYS an added bonus in an explaination like this.

I only voted yes because it had some helpful pictures but I'll give a no to the proper use of hand tools on this one.

yeah you could of just gone to the autozone and picked up some allen key things and used it with the ratchet...

I think you guys are missing the point here. Bill did a nice job showing how to change this part out and in the process, he also showed that with a bit of imagination one can get a job done even if you don't have the EXACT tools you really SHOULD have.

Sure he could have just gone to Autozone or something and bought a different set of hex key wrenches, but instead, he made do with what he had. Something that many SC/XR7 owners are forced to do from time to time after spending all their hard earned money on parts.

I give Bill a big thumbs up on his replacement description. If you need to swap out your accumulator ball, you would most likely find some helpful pointers in this. If nothing else, the pictures, as they say, are worth a thousand words. If you have the CORRECT tools then more power to ya, but if you are like some of the rest of us, you need to get by with what is already in your tool box sometimes.

stilll voted yes

Bill voted yes on his own poll. Good stuff. I only voted no, because I had the same idea and he beat me too it. No really, the use of tools was cool, sometimes you just have to get by with what you have. I've done that before. (pipe wrench on collar nut ) Good pics though.

lollerskates.

Mine cost me about 225 CDN or 210 USD, since I leave in Canada. Had to pay 57 bucks to the UPS delivery man, which is rip off in my opinion. I guess, it's better to know that you have functional brakes though!

I replaced mine today. Only took me 20 minutes...could be done faster though!

I did it today and it works perfectly...
No hard brakes
Lights on the dash
or motor sound everytime I hit the brakes...

Loved it.. Enginuity is what makes it fun.