After sitting in my Garage for the past 15 years, I wanted to get 'The Ice Princess' back on the road again

As She is a simply beautiful Car that was beset with problems almost from day one

The Oil Cooler Broke and I didn't know how to fix it

The Power Steering Leaked and I didn't know what to do

Then the ABS went wrong and very nearly spun me off the road

At the time in question my Mechanical knowledge was Zero but all the same I never wanted to take her into a Garage to get her fixed

Because for one thing it would have cost me a fortune and could never come to terms with the fact that a Garage could do something I couldn't do

So I put her away in the Garage and then went out and bought another one 'No I don't know why either!' I just did

Maybe if I'd known about the Forum way back then, I might have been able to learn enough to at least try to fix her

Though looking back now I'm not really sure if I even had a Computer let alone a Socket Set or even a Set of Spanners

Even now I still don't have a proper set of tools but more a motley Collection of stuff that I've cobbled together

And then when I started to get my head together, I did have a go at fixing 'The Ice Princess'

Where through a lack of knowledge I did it the Hard Way! as instead of cutting the Oil Cooler off and throwing it all in the Bin

I tried to undo the Oil Cooler nuts which were of dissimilar metals and had all Corroded together

Where after a Week of Blood Sweat and Tears they still wouldn't come undone, so after Seven days of getting nowhere

I just Junked the lot and Started again, where I also saved a fortune by getting New Hoses made up at a local Hydraulic Shop

So after that little bit of success, it kind of inspired me to do a little bit more, in fact a lot more! as from then you couldn't stop me fixing things

Not done the Power Steering leak yet, as my other Car 'Cherry Blossom' has been taking up all my time

But I've fixed the ABS on not just 'Cherry Blossom' but on all my other Cars when they've gone wrong

And Changed all the Calipers which I've always found a bit of a 'Walk in the Park' and quite Therapeutic, although it takes all day

But now I've hit the Buffers, as the Brake Pump has packed up! and is going to need some thinking through as to what to do for the Best

As I'm almost obsessed with going 'Retro' and taking out the ABS and fitting 'The Ice Princess' with the Brake Booster System

My XJS Coupe 'Misty' has got a System like this and in all the years I've owned that Car, It's never been a problem

And when you put the Anchors on, can Stop as quick as 'Cherry Blossom' as well as my other Car '50 Shades' my Grey XJS

Although before I did anything extreme, I thought I'd have a go at fixing it first and so I swapped the Brake Pump for the one in my Parts Car

This is a dead easy job that takes about 15 minutes, which was probably just as well, as it didn't work!

So the next thing I did was to put 12 Volts direct on to the Brake Pump that I'd just taken out and that didn't work either!

And so I was guessing the Brake Pump might have Burnt out?

At which point I took it to pieces as much as I could, where I found that the Motor was jammed and wouldn't Spin round

Or even turn round with the aid of a Spanner (although the pump would spin free)

Getting inside the Motor itself does look a bit of a problem, as there are some Anti Tamper 'Thingys' which are hammered in

And so I think the Brake Pump is burnt out (Seized Solid) I can't be sure, even though the one I took off my Parts Car isn't working either

They might both be Burnt out, or it could be something else, I just don't know, so maybe I'll take the motor to be properly tested before I go and Splash out on a New one



The Brake Pump was Seized Solid even with 12 volts on



Even with a Spanner, the Brake Pump Motor wouldn't turn round and was Solid, although the actual Brake Pump Part was OK

Don't Try this at Home

When I tested the Brake Pump with a 12 Volt Supply which I'm not even sure you're supposed to do

(So Don't Copy Me!)

I put it inside a Plastic Bag, in case it shot out Brake Fluid like a Water Pistol, as this can strip any Paintwork and also kill the Grass

And so I also did this well away from everything!

Although before I go any further, I'll have to give it some thought as to what to do next

Long Story Short:

After a 15 Year Layup in the Garage because of my lack of knowledge of working on my V12 XJS 'The Ice Princess'

I recently decided to get her out of 'mothballs' and do my best to put her back on the road, where thanks to all the help I got from the Forum

And in particular help from Forum 'Legends' Greg and Grant (Cheers Guys!)
everything appeared to be going quite well

Where thanks to their help I managed to get her running and had even replaced the Calipers and rebuilt the ABS

Which is something I've also done on all my V12 Cars when one of the ABS Valves has given a problem

Usually resulting in a hard and unexpected pull to the right, which under the wrong conditions could spin you off the road

But now with more experience and an obsession to fix her, without the need to take her into a Garage no matter what

I was so close to getting 'The Ice Princess' back on the Road that I could almost 'Taste It'

The only thing that was Stopping Me, or should that be 'Not Stopping Me!' were the Brakes, which in this Case was the Brake Pump

Which from what I understand is no longer available New, although if anyone comes across one, then please let me know

The Problem I was having was that the Brake Pump kept Blowing Fuses for no good reason that I could think off

Except perhaps a nipped up Wire that was shorting out and going to Earth, where not being an Auto Electrician

I decided to take the Brake Pump out and Test it, this is an easy little job that only takes around 15 minutes to do, as its only held in by one Bolt!

Although you have to be careful, as I'll go on to explain 'but that is for a bit later' as after I got the Brake Pump out, I tested it with 12 Volts and it didn't respond

It was as 'dead as a Dodo' so just to be sure I tried to take it to pieces and although the Pump itself turned Freely, the Motor appeared to be dead

No idea how that could be, as I am ultra Careful to not let the Pump overheat by not letting it run for more than 30 Seconds at each Turn of the Key when Bleeding the Brakes



The Brake Pump on 'The Ice Princess' was dead and wouldn't run

The Gold Bit on the Brake Pump with the Blue Connector, is the Pressure Cut Out Switch, which then cuts the Pump out when the Working Pressure is reached

While the 'Black Ball' Accumulator helps to maintain that Pressure

As 'Luck would have it' or so I thought, I did have a Spare Brake Pump on my Parts Car and so I thought that I would Swap it for that one

Unfortunately I forgot to Test this other Brake Pump before I put it on!

Only to find that this was dead as well!

Though with the 'benefit of hindsight' (always a Wonderful thing!) I should have known that this Brake Pump could also have a problem

Because the Car it came off, only ever did one Trip from the Auction Sale where I bought it to my house

Where the Brakes were starting to get very hot, just as I was pulling her into the drive, where again 'Long Story Short' again through lack of experience

I had gone and bought myself a 'Lemon' which was so full of 'Filler' that I decided to call her 'The Body Filler Express' which would have cost a fortune to repair

The only saving grace being that over the Years she has come in handy for Spares, except of course for the Brake Pump which was quite clearly not working

Where just like the Original had to come off to be Tested

As I had mentioned earlier on, taking off the Brake Pump, is quite an easy job, as its only held on by a Peg and One Bolt

Once of course you've taken the Two Electric Plugs out, which are held in with Clips like on the Injectors



The Brake Pump is held in place with one Bolt seen just underneath the 'Black Ball' Accumulator



Best to use a Ratchet or you could be there for a while!

Now you have to be Careful and Watch what you're doing, as when you undo the Brake Pump pipes, you could have Brake Fluid squirting out at High Pressure everywhere

Where the Normal procedure, is 20 Pumps on the Pedal with the Ignition OFF!

But as this Brake Pump wasn't working, I didn't have that problem to contend with but even so I covered all the Paintwork in some Towels

As you can never be totally sure that the Pump has been fully De-pressurized and the just to be sure I did the job with a Towel thrown over the Top of where I was working

Bearing in mind that all it would take is just one drop of Brake Fluid to ruin all your Paintwork and also keep some Soapy Water handy

To not only Wash your Hands but also to mop up any accidental Spills, though the High Pressure Brake Pipe is not the only one that you need to watch out for!

The other potential Hazard, is the Low Pressure Pipe that runs across from the Reservoir to the Brake Pump



Once that Hose Clip has been undone and that Pipe VERY CAREFULLY pulled off Brake Fluid from the Reservoir will Flood out everywhere!

Once you take off that Low Pressure Pipe, Brake Fluid from the Reservoir will Flood out everywhere and could potentially ruin all the Paintwork in the Engine Compartment

So take another look at that Photo and that Big Black Pipe!



This Scrap Piece of Convoluted Pipe can help solve the problem of Brake Fluid running out of the Low Pressure Pipe when it's been disconnected

Having Stuffed Rags everywhere in the Engine Compartment to try and absorb any Brake Fluid Spills when you VERY CAREFULLY disconnect the Low Pressure Pipe

I fed that Scrap Piece of Plastic Pipe from up beside the Low Pressure Pipe to out and underneath the Car to catch any Brake Fluid in a Container

So once that Plastic Pipe was in position, then as soon as I took off that Low Pressure Pipe, I fed it straight into the Scrap piece of Pipe, so it could drain out underneath



I carefully took off the Low Pressure Pipe and then fed that Pipe into the Scrap Pipe so that any Fluid could drain out underneath

Once the Brake Fluid Stopped dripping, especially out of the Pump, then it was time to lift the Pump out of the Car

Be EXTREMELY CAREFUL if you ever have to do this and Cover all and any exposed Paintwork in old Towels

Just in Case any Brake Fluid should drip out as you carry it over the Fender/Wing

As just one stray drop of Brake Fluid will ruin your Paint in a 'Snap'

Then once I had taken this Pump out, I tested it well away from the Car, just in case any Brake Fluid decided to Shoot out

Where as an extra precaution, I Tested the Brake Pump inside a Plastic Bag, not shown in the Photo, only to find that it was dead as well!



Two dead Brake Pumps and None to go, although I had just one more Test to do

To be Continued............

The Saga so far: The Brake Pump on 'The Ice Princess' had seized itself up solid and the motor itself won't turn with the aid of a Spanner on the Peg that would connect it to the Brake Pump

Now while it may be fixable in the hands of an expert, unfortunately that person isn't me and knowing just how much they charge to repair this stuff it may not be an economic option

Although I wouldn't rule that out if everything else fails, as it quite simply beggars belief that New Brake Pumps are NLA

The Brake Pumps on early Range Rovers, look almost exactly the same apart from the Plug and since I don't live far away from a firm that dismantles these

Then it may be better for me to wander over there and have a look for a good Secondhand one

But first there was another little problem to sort out:

Why did the Brake Pump Fuses keep on Blowing and could that be the reason that the Brake Pump didn't work

Sometimes a Trapped wire can cause this and have it shorting to earth but although I didn't know it at the time in question, the Fuses were Blowing because the Brake Pump had seized up

And so not knowing any better having removed the Brake Pump from the Car, I then tested the Voltage Output with my Meter, where I got a reading of 0.36 Volts



With the Brake Pump removed from the Car the Voltage Output was only 0.36 Volts

Not being an Auto Electrician I had no idea how this could be, as that kind of Voltage wasn't enough to even run a Light Bulb let alone a Brake Pump!

And so there was only one thing to do and that was to send out an S.O.S on the Forum, where 'Bladerunner' 'Warrjon' and 'Sidescrollin' came to the Rescue

A Big Thank You Guys, I couldn't have fixed it without you!

Apparently what I had done wrong, was that by removing the Brake Pump I'd also taken the Relay out of Circuit

Where I was then told to Connect the Blue Plug that was on the Gold Pressure Switch and then Test it again (BUT NOT HAVE THE PLUG IN THE MOTOR)

Having first done what they told me and Plugged the Pressure Switch in (but NOT the Brake Pump) I then checked the 2 X 32 amp Fuses to make sure that they were OK




Checking the 2 X 32 amp Fuses to make sure that they were OK (that orange colored 'thingy' is a clip to pull them out with)

Having done that I then Tested the Circuit again and was very relieved to see that it was working and 'This Time' outputting the FULL 12 Volts as it is supposed to although the Meter is showing a little bit more





With the Pressure Pump Relay now back in Circuit again, another Test with the Meter is showing a Full 12 Volt Output


So now I know that the Circuit is working OK the hunt is on to try and find a good Secondhand Brake Pump from somewhere


The Saga continues...............

It's been a long time coming but Summer decided to turn up this year on Friday May 4th but since I was still busy trying to fix the Brake Pump on my other XJS 'The Ice Princess'

We decided to wait another day before we went out, as somehow it always feels better to go out at the weekend, when there are usually plenty of other Classics about

But as the Weather had been so bad, She was still on a SORN (Statutory Offroad Notification) which meant She wasn't Taxed for the road and couldn't take her out until She was

Which was not a problem as you can Tax her On-Line, and so around Saturday lunchtime, I left the GF to do her thing and pack a Picnic up, while I got on the Computer with my Debit Card in one hand and my V11 in the other

The V11 being an A4 piece of Paper that gives you the option to Tax your Car for 6 Months or for 12 although just as important is the 16 digit Code that you need to input to Tax your Car On-Line

Having done it before its a 'Breeze' that just takes a couple of minutes and after that then you are 'good to go'

So as I crunched the Numbers in, I felt so excited at the prospect of a Trip on such a Sunny Blue Sky day like this one, that I could very almost feel the Car Keys in my hand

As they lay on the desk beside me glinting in the Sun and looking very nearly as excited as I was, as if to say come on let's go what are you waiting for!

The adrenalin was running like a river through my veins, as I had been waiting so long for this moment to come, where having done 'The Pre-Flight Checks' I was sure that 'Cherry Blossom' wouldn't let me down

I mean what could possibly go wrong?

What went wrong was the Website to Tax my Car On-Line, didn't recognize the details of my Car!

'You must be joking!'

No I'm not!

So after inputting those numbers again and again and again after that, undiluted Panic! was starting to set in, as the only other option I could think of, was to go and Tax the Car at The Post Office

Where I'd need the Log Book, where the hell did I put that! and as the Post Office usually shuts on the dot of 2pm on a Saturday, there was not a second we could lose, as we jumped in the GF's MX5 and headed into Town

With a really massive problem looming, as if we couldn't Tax 'Cherry' Today, then we would not be able to go out in her until after the Bank Holiday Weekend

OMG! that prospect was to bad to contemplate as unable to find a Parking Place, She dropped me outside the Post Office then headed for the Car Park

Where I finally made it with just a few minutes to go, where having then just handed over a big chunk of the folding stuff, I finally had that vital little piece of paper in my hand, which meant that 'Cherry Blossom' was now Taxed for the road

So after heading back to base at 'Orange Blossom Towers' we could pick up where we left off and grab our 'Shades' and go!

To be continued............

With the Panic to Tax 'Cherry Blossom' finally over we then headed back to the house, where the GF made a Flask of Tea and put the finishing touches to our picnic

While I went to our Garage and swung open the door, where 'Cherry 'B' was sitting there cloaked in mystery hiding underneath her white car cover

Where the last time that I saw her was at least six months ago as we sat through a long agonizing Winter

But that was then and this was now and at half past two in the afternoon, the Sun burst out of an azure blue sky which made the grass look greener than its ever done before

With now just one more thing to do, as with a well practiced flick of the wrist I furled back 'Cherry 'B's' Cover and managed to catch it before if fell on the floor

'Wowzers' not the word for it! 'Cherry 'B' looked good enough to eat but as for me I just felt so lucky that it almost hurt and that was for the second time to day

Where taking the keys from my pocket, I opened the door and climbed in and then I put the Key in the Ignition

Ok here we go again, She started on the button when I did her pre-flight checks but 'Divas' can be highly strung and very temperamental, where anything can happen and it did!

So really trying not to over think it, I turned the Key the lights came on together with that trademark whoosh from the Air Con System

Then turned the key just one more notch which spun the engine over like a Turbine and nano seconds later her V12 engine fired

When you've had to wait Six Months for this, it really was a moment but that's not just a one off but the kind of feeling that you get every time

Its never what you'd call a drive but more of an adventure and this was no exception as I snicked the Shifter into drive and then rolled her outside into the Sunshine

Where the GF stood there waiting with the Picnic Basket and our leather jackets in her hand. If its good enough for Steve Mc Queen there's nothing more to say except 'Let's Go!'

And so backing 'Cherry 'B' out of the Driveway, the rear Wheels touched the Tarmac which is where the Magic really starts to happen!

As purring like a kitten She glided down the Highway, in a way that just felt like a Magic Carpet ride, except it didn't feel that way as that's just what it was

We were living the dream and it doesn't get better than this, except of course it does, as heading off the main drag with the City disappearing far behind us, we decided to head for the Coast

And that's where this Car really comes alive, with a beautiful drive through the Forest with all the Trees in bloom, with sweeping bends and undulating hills

All of which the XJS handles with aplomb, where all you want to do is cruise all day and when the Sun goes down then cruise all night

None of which of course comes cheap, as that V12 engine can drink Petrol like its going out of Style

Still never mind eh!

Its either Now or never, as You can't take it with you when you go and there are much worse things that you can waste your money on

Especially on a day like to day, as I swung 'Cherry' into a glade under the shade of a tree, where we spread out our Picnic rug down on the floor of the Forest

This was so much better than any 5 Star Restaurant as well as so much fun, as going on a Picnic has always been something that we both enjoy

And then we got back in the Car to continue our journey, where we rocked up at Frinton on Sea and then had a stroll around the Antique Shops, which are jam packed with Retro and Art Deco Stuff

Its a beautiful Town where the people are nice and one of the few places where I can Park 'Cherry' without the paranoia kicking in 'well not as much as usual anyway'

But as the Sun was setting and day turned into night, it was time for us to head for home and there's nothing we love more than a night drive apart of course for the journey that we had already been on

Where the Moonlight seemed to Sparkle off the red and chrome as 'Cherry' roared back home under the Stars

We had an amazing day and if the Weather holds, then with any luck we'll do the same Tomorrow!

Having had the Brake Pump burn out on 'The Ice Princess' I thought that I would take a look to see if it could be repaired, although in any event I was curious as to what I would find inside

But getting inside that Brake Pump wasn't easy, as it is fitted with Anti Tamper Locks that were almost impossible to undo

Where as such I had to go for the 'Nuclear Option' and drill through these locks with my drill press and then had to lever the tabs away with an old screwdriver



To get the Brake Pump open, I had to drill through these Anti Tamper rings

Once I had managed to open the Pump I then removed the Top so that I could pull out the commutator, which was burned Black and much worse than it looks in the Photo



I had to pull the top off to get to the Commutator where I found that the Bearings were shot and the Commutator was burned black



The Commutator was Burned black and the Bearings were shot



Graunch marks on the Commutator where the Bearings had seized up

Although it wasn't looking good it was just about to get much worse, as I looked into the Brake Pump casing and saw that the Brushes had melted



The Brushes and Brush Holders had completely melted!



I pulled the bottom cap off to see what was underneath



The only good bit left! but underneath this bearing holder which was also locked the Brushes and Brush Holders had completely melted

Having seen how bad it was, it really seems to be beyond economic repair, as I just cannot see anything, that could be worth saving



This is where the Brake Pump Motor bolts onto the Brake Pump



With the Brake Pump Motor Burned out the only thing worth saving could be the Pressure Switch and the 'Black Ball' (Accumulator)