Brakes

Symptoms are as follows:

Upon initial startup, USUALLY (not always) system tests fine.
Anywhere from two minutes to twenty minutes into driving, abs light and brake light come on and the pedal gets hard shortly thereafter.
Upon turning off, key on and USUALLY (not always) only brake light is on.
Leave the car off for several days and the system works again briefly.

The issue always arises after I touch the brakes.

The brake fluid is full. It was full when I replaced the accumulator back in May, and was full at the start of this new onslaught, and has remained so. Perhaps some sir got into the system when I replaced the accumulator?

Is there a way I can disable the abs without switching to a conventional system from a donor bird or mark viii or cougar?

Honestly the issue in that thread is so similar to mine. I'm going to have the mechanic who did my AC bleed them. He said he'd do it for free, so what's to lose...
Remind me of my first SC back in the 90's. I would be driving , everything was fine, I out of nowhere here it comes the hard pedal. Nearly rear end someone twice! Pulled over or limp the car back home, then the issue would disappear.
Since you have already replaced the computer and you know the pump works, I would say that either the relay or the pressure switch is your issue. Lickely to be the relay.
As I mentioned before in the case of my current car the brand new relay was causing the issue.
For your sake I hope it is one or the other, otherwise you will be chasing a wiring issue.
 
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the brand new relay was causing the issue

Good point - we just saw in another thread where a new ignition switch was acting out and needed to be replaced.

smac: How about a summary of the new parts you've installed so far so we can recap, thanks.

Ken
 
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On those accumulator balls, I ordered from them and received mine in a week, back in May.

Parts replaced are the accumulator ball, ignition switch and abs module. I also replaced the relays, but as there was no change in symptoms, I put the old ones back. I'll probably put the new relays in once this issue is resolved, just to insure they're the right ones.

I still have not checked the pressure switch, but since the pump kicks off every time, I assume it's working.

Also: when I started the car to take it to the mechanic for brake bleeding, the abs and brake light were on. I fiddled with the ignition switch and the relays, and pumped the brakes a lot, turning the car off and on several times. Then the abs light went out and the brake light was the only one on. Oh well, I'll drive using the gears. After two blocks distance, the abs light comes back on. After about half a mile, I romped on second all the way up to 4000rpm, and both lights went off. Didn't get a chance at trying it out any more, cuz I was running late to work...thoughts? I'll update tonight when I get the car back.
 
I've been on the waiting list for almost 2 years. Doesn't look good.
Not a good sign for the future of our Teves II. Victor was our saviour for a while. I'm a special case.. I have spares scattered in my garage which I splice together to keep them going. But I recognize its only a matter of time before I'll be out of luck. :( I'd highly recommend looking into the Hydro-boost units as an alternative when your Teves bites the dust.. which they all will eventually.
 
I'm going to look into the hydro-boost setup. The nice thing about it is that I won't have to fiddle with any electrical, which I obviously haven't been able to wrap my mind around...
 
Well, we're back! FINALLY got the hydroboost kit. My question is this, to those with experience performing this swap: how difficult/possible is it to perform this installation without disassembling half the engine? I don't have the equipment to remove the intercooler tubing. There is a video on the website on how to install the kit on the car, but they used an SC with a turbo v8 swap. So the power steering pump and lines are in slightly different places. Working with an SC, 'slightly different' can mean a world of difference...

Has anyone performed this installation on a factory car and can give me tips?

...Or should I risk the mechanic route?
 
Well, we're back! FINALLY got the hydroboost kit. My question is this, to those with experience performing this swap: how difficult/possible is it to perform this installation without disassembling half the engine? I don't have the equipment to remove the intercooler tubing. There is a video on the website on how to install the kit on the car, but they used an SC with a turbo v8 swap. So the power steering pump and lines are in slightly different places. Working with an SC, 'slightly different' can mean a world of difference...

Has anyone performed this installation on a factory car and can give me tips?

...Or should I risk the mechanic route?



It most certainly is possible without disassembling half the engine. I think most went with a standard brake swap as it works just fine and is much cheaper so I am not sure how many have went the hydro-boost route. I purchase mine from Sweeting Performance Engineering Marketing & Design. I bought the entire kit with all of the hoses.

Just keep in mind that your not only modifying your brakes but also your steering.

Replacing the master cylinder is pretty straight forward. For the most part its remove the old and install the new. I found it helpful to pull the front seat to better access under the dash. Under the hood you will need to use the adapters supplied in the kit to connect the brake lines as the ports will be different configuration as the stock abs.

If you want to install with out disconnecting the connections at the pump and at the rack you can locate the high pressure line on the k-member and splice into it. You will need the adapters from the kit and will need to make the connections on the hard line portion of the hose.

The low pressure hose can be cut and a t-fitting installed. Follow the hose from the bottom of the power steering pump that is the low pressure side.

I will see what pics I have but i no longer have it in this configuration as I pulled the engine and connected directly to the rack and the pump before I installed the new engine back in.

Added Pic. If you look at the connections for the power steering rack and follow the hard line you can see where I cut for the high pressure connections. The lines below are the low pressure side and they run over to the power steering cooler on passenger side next to the radiator. IMG_0522small.jpgIMG_0444small.jpg
 

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Thanks for the pictures! Wow. That's gonna be tight. Is there any place the high pressure line from the pump to the rack is rubber, so I can cut it?
 
Thanks for the pictures! Wow. That's gonna be tight. Is there any place the high pressure line from the pump to the rack is rubber, so I can cut it?

I don't recall if there is a rubber portion. If there is you don't want to cut it there.

A tubing cutter will cut the hard line easily. Just be sure you have the correct fittings.
 
Alright. I think I got this! Did the kit you ordered (the exact kit I ordered) come with fittings for adapting the new lines to the high-pressure line, once cut?
 
Guys... Guys...!

I installed the hydroboost and it didn't work. Then I sorta crashed, a little. After a year (!) of trial and error, doing things wrong, running out of money, feeling sorry for myself, watching my poor car's paint rot, firing it up and listening to the sweetness, washing it and beholding the sweetness, being bitter because of the torture, being sad, and so forth, it happened.

I re-bled the PS system, used a PS fluid booster/thickener, re-bled the brakes (all correctly, this time), and took it for a drive to fill the tank with fresh fuel. And it works. Like WOW stops fast.

Thank you, thank you, thank you all, for your help. I hope and pray my 'Bird will continue on!
 
Guys... Guys...!

I installed the hydroboost and it didn't work. Then I sorta crashed, a little. After a year (!) of trial and error, doing things wrong, running out of money, feeling sorry for myself, watching my poor car's paint rot, firing it up and listening to the sweetness, washing it and beholding the sweetness, being bitter because of the torture, being sad, and so forth, it happened.

I re-bled the PS system, used a PS fluid booster/thickener, re-bled the brakes (all correctly, this time), and took it for a drive to fill the tank with fresh fuel. And it works. Like WOW stops fast.

Thank you, thank you, thank you all, for your help. I hope and pray my 'Bird will continue on!
Great news. Glad to hear you stuck with it and got it working.
 
Hey guys,

So I'm a bit unclear. Which ignition switch is the one that creates problems with the ABS, too? IS it the square grey piece under the steering column with the big harness going to it? Or the ignition switch tumbler that receives the key?

Tracking down an ABS issue myself. Had lights come up, typical accumulator issues. New accumulator installed and now the pump is not running. I jumped the ABS pump and it comes on, so it's a relay issue or other electrical. As I was searching for the OEM part numbers for both ABS relay and ABS pump motor relays I read about the igntion switch problems.
 
IS it the square grey piece under the steering column with the big harness going to it

yes that one...replaced mine and all was well.

If yours is original/more than a few years old, I'd not hesitate to buy another - I think I did mine last time under warranty (AZ).

I think the wire at the lock cylinder is just for the key in/on chime.
 
yes that one...replaced mine and all was well.

If yours is original/more than a few years old, I'd not hesitate to buy another - I think I did mine last time under warranty (AZ).

I think the wire at the lock cylinder is just for the key in/on chime.

Perfect. Thanks Ken.

Maybe this was my original issue to begin with. I started getting very sudden ABS lights randomly, no sign of slow failure. I just figured it was accumulator, but maybe not. Now that I remember, yesterday the ignition tumbler was a little finicky too...i had to jiggle the key a bit to start the car. Another thing that never happened before. We'll see.

Ordering a motorcraft ignition switch from rock auto.
 
I started getting very sudden ABS lights randomly, no sign of slow failure. .

If the pump suddenly worked the next time you used the key, that might be it. It's down on the right side of the column - try to eyeball it and see if it's coming open at the seam...if not, try turning the key and see if it wants to.

But again, if it's old, it would be $$ well spent (not that much cost and easy to locate) in any case.
 
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