Having a mess around with my Escort RS Turbo fixing the many faults. Basically brakes were very very poor, little bite and a lot of pedal travel and a lot of force needed to stop the thing.

So far I've fitted brand new

Cosworth 4wd calipers, ferrodo DS2500 pads, 2wd tarox G88 discs with stainless brake pipe's

The pedal travel is still at least half way and a lot of force needed to stop it still.

If I pump the pedal when engine off to get pedal rock hard then hold pressure on it and start car, the pedal slowly drops.

That would tell me servo is ok and I should be looking to buy a new master cylinder?

I've not checked the drums on the back but handbrake works as it should

 

Has it still got the ABS fitted?

Are the rear load valve linkages free to operate.

Indeed check the rear brakes for issues.

Has the brake fluid been fully flushed through?

 

Hi, thanks for the reply

Yes abs still fitted, I've not checked the rear linkage, fluid is ok, I ran a load of fresh through it when I bled front calipers.

How's best to check the rear linkage?

 

Did you run fluid through the rear though? Rear suspension arms need jacking up or the wheels on the ground when bleeding them. The rear load valves have a linkage attached to the rear wishbones, you need to make sure the arms attached to the valves are not seized up.

Personally I would do away with the ABS. Mine has been removed with cossie 2wd front discs, escos calipers, braided hoses and well adjusted rear shoes and it stops really well.

 

No I havnt touched the rears at all yet.

If they are siezed are they worth saving or just bin them and get reducing valves? It's been that long since I owned one of these I don't remember much about them.

I'd like to keep the abs for mot sake ideally

 

if you havent touched the rears i'd start by at least bleeding them.
you could have leaking rear cylinders or hoses etc so give em a good check over.
bleed the whole system as if you havent bled the rears youve got old manky fluid in the rear lines.

 

Removal of the ABS is the best route. Not to worry about MoT issues as you'll be removing it. You'd only be worried about MoT issues should you not fully remove the ABS.

That means the modulators, belts, relay/fuse, Bulb, brake lines that run to the ABS system. Check the wiring and if needed tape up the sensors so the handbrake light works as it should as this is linked to the ABS light. If done correctly the test should pass noting the ABS has been removed.

 

The RS turbo had a larger Master Cylinder than the base spec Escorts, this hasn't been swapped at any time?

 

As above I never liked the brakes or the feel of the rsts brakes until the ABS was binned. never felt right with it.