XJS ( X27 ) 1975 - 1996 3.6 4.0 5.3 6.0

Brake reservoir float, is it just a simple on/off switch?

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Old Mar 7, 2026 | 07:17 AM
  #21  
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Well you’ve pretty much covered everything involved in the swap. If I could only find a DB7 pedal box my life would be complete. Before this thread, I didn’t know this mod was possible. Now I need to do it. 🤔

…Dean
 
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Old Mar 7, 2026 | 09:04 AM
  #22  
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Dean,

Maybe contact this guy Jaguar XJS LHD Clutch/Brake Pedal box NON ABS With new Cylinder & Pedal Pads | eBay UK

But you'd need to be clear about whether you have pre-ABS, Teves II ABS, or Teves IV ABS

Paul
 
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Old Mar 7, 2026 | 10:22 AM
  #23  
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Thats not an oem pedal
box. The main reason I did this swap was to get the later style master and fluid reservoir. The aluminum pedal
box is unique to the db7 vantage. The ebay seller i used is regularly breaking DB7’s, i’ll bet he could get another.

i have a Jaguar Specialities converted lhd pedal box if anyone is interested. It wont work with the later master cylinder/fluid reservoir however.
 
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Old Mar 12, 2026 | 08:57 AM
  #24  
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This project is beginning by to test my patience.

was having trouble bleeding the lines, figured it was airlock as master cylinder was drained. Tried every trick in the book, nothing.

turns out the master cylinder is toast.

my ebay “deal” is turning out to be less of a deal than I thought.

new master cylinder ordered. 500gpb later.
 

Last edited by nickr76; Mar 12, 2026 at 09:13 AM.
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Old Mar 12, 2026 | 09:16 AM
  #25  
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Originally Posted by nickr76
This project is beginning by to test my patience. Tried every trick in the book, nothing.

turns out the master cylinder is toast.
That is incredibly frustrating! When you said you tried every trick in the book, did you bench bleed the master cylinder? That is often the only way to get all the air out.

Cheers,

Don
 
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Old Mar 12, 2026 | 11:02 AM
  #26  
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Originally Posted by nickr76
turns out the master cylinder is toast.
As Don mentioned, if the M/C was new, it might need to be bled, i.e. primed. I have found the easiest way to do it is to fit it to the car, but do not attach the brake lines to it, place a GOOD load of rags under the cylinder and protecting the area, and then have a friend push the pedal down and hold it down, then you place a finger over each outlet on the M/C, pedal up which forces the M/C to pull fluid into it from the reservoir, repeat until fluid pumps out cleanly. Then attach lines and bleed the system normally.
 
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Old Mar 12, 2026 | 02:04 PM
  #27  
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If you're worried about getting brake fluid on your paint, you can get an inexpensive kit of adapters that thread into the pipe fittings on the master cylinder and allow you to run rubber tubes to feed the expelled brake fluid back into the master cylinder reservoir. Less than $10 from Amazon:





If the master cylinder is not installed in the vehicle, you can use a Phillips screwdriver to carefully depress the master cylinder piston to work fluid through the valves, or if you want to avoid the risk of depressing the piston too far, you can get a special tool with a limiting disc like this:




Cheers,

Don








 
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Old Mar 12, 2026 | 04:59 PM
  #28  
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The Dorman m/c bleed kit is exactly what I used, it’s just not moving fluid. Pumped it for ages, pressure bled. I primed it on the car with the lines detached and the bleed kit routed accordingly. M/c was used, not new.
 

Last edited by nickr76; Mar 12, 2026 at 05:02 PM.
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Old Mar 17, 2026 | 04:53 PM
  #29  
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All back together. Brakes are solid as a rock. Definitely less pedal travel than original set up.

Now if winter would be over I could try it.
 
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Old Mar 21, 2026 | 10:50 AM
  #30  
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Took it for a spin, brakes are much better than before.

i suspect original booster wasnt holding vacuum as brakes are so much touchier now.

also you must make a cut out in hood insulation to clear reservoir cap.

still looks “factory”


 
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Old Mar 22, 2026 | 06:23 AM
  #31  
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Glad everything worked out Nick!
 
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