Showroom T500rs hyd brake pedal mod

I have the t500rs for some time now and although i enjoy it very much i think that the brake pedal is not on par with the overall experience of the set.

I have been reading a lot about load cells but i never liked the idea because i think it is a flawed upgrade. What i mean is that load cell brake pedal mods lack the progression and travel of a hydraulic pedal. You still have to "enahance" them with rubber bushings etc not to mention the cost and complexity(amplifier boards).

http://i234.photobucket.com/albums/ee143/yoyospin/IMG_20140524_122119_zpsd94440df.jpg


So i thought i would give it a try with just a master cylinder, a 5volt press sensor and the help of a "small bubble of air".

Since i didnt want to destroy my pedals i thought of designing a simple metal chassis to bolt the master cylinder on.

paper preview:


Then i would secure the chassis on the pedals using the existing holes(used to attach the realistic brake pedal mod).



It is a multi purpose chassis that can be used for every pedal (eg for a realistic clutch pedal modification and can be securely bolted to the oem screw holes).

The tilt will ensure that a small amount of trapped air (which will be used as travel regulator) will remain permanently inside the cylinder.

So i purchased the components:

total cost: 34 eur
cylinder(+reservoir): 12eur
sensor: 16 eur
adapter: 6 eur
And some sunflower oil for the pump (to be inhouse friendly in case of leakage...any low viscosity/thickness oil will do the job).

Links:
sensor
http://m.ebay.com/itm/DC-5V-300-PSI-Water-Gas-Fuel-Air-Pressure-Sensor-Transducer-Cable-Length-30cm-/262217267612
pump
http://m.ebay.com/itm/Go-Rear-Brake-Master-Cylinder-Pump-Kit-For-Honda-VFR400-RFV400-CB250-CBR600-/181608776756
adapter
http://m.ebay.com/itm/1-8-NPT-Female-To-M10x1-0-Male-Reducer-Oil-Pressure-Gauge-Adapter-Black-/171178029864

The fitting was done with the use of some angles and bolts.
The way my master cylinder is mounted, there is almost no leverage ( my foot presses straight on the pump...there is no leverage to multiply the force). Thats why i chose the 500psi sensor. As i found out , the sensors have a mechanical tolerance that is in excess of 200% of their rating. In fact some sheets state 2x-4x the rated max value (1000 to 2000psi for a 500 psi sensor). So there seems little possibility of damaging it.



The last pic shows that i didnt use the standard holes on the pedal(as mentioned before) but i drilled two opposite 8mm holes (was easier for me to drill just 2 than many).


As for the electronics, i unsoldered the brake potentiometer (3 cables) and soldered directly the sensor terminals (3 cables: power/gnd/signal) on the pedal board (just a simple conection board with only traces on it...no electronics at all). Dont forget to keep the "useless" pot wires "safe".
30' job (25 mins for disassembly and assembly and 5 mins for the soldering part).

I removed both the factory springs from under the brake pedal to "lighten" it. Without the oem springs the brake pedal doesnt become fatiguing even after many laps. So its just the master cylinder (the cylinder has an internal spring that brings the pump/pedal back to "zero" position when no foot pressure is applied).But the stock springs can also be used to tune the feel to each ones taste.

Final thoughts:

- The pedal is still a lot firmer compared to the stock pedal even with the use of the third spring the so called realistic mod.
- Brake lock is eliminated.
- The first 70% of the brake force the pedal has a small amount of travel and the next 30% (from 70% up to 100%) the braking force is applied by pressure on the pedal with minimal or no pedal travel at all.
- The pedal travel is also enough to be able to modulate the braking force (feels like a real car with braided hoses).


Some extra info:

The pedals are "fed" with 3.3volts (as are the buttons on the steering wheel).But the sensor works fine.

The mod is also console friendly.

Would i recomend the mod?

Absolutely yes.

How would i rate it?

A 10/10 would be a conservative rating especially considering the cost.

preatty nice.... how much does the brake feeling gets improved, in your opinion??? does it word all the hard job, compared to a regular plastic brake pedal?? (without all the hidraulic stuff?)

nice build

I wouldnt recomend this mod for plastic pedals if this is what you ask.
I think that the force needed for a 500psi sensor to work is too much for plastic to handle.

Maybe a a 200psi sensor version would be safe for plastic pedals... but i cannot be sure.

As for the brake feeling its like night and day.
From braking with pedal travel to braking with pedal force.
I definately recommend it.

Ok so i decided to follow in @pipis2015 footsteps and try this mod myself the difference is I use a set of inverted g25 pedals. The good news is they run on 5v. much the same as pipis2015 i did not want to alter the pedal to much so I devised a way to connect the master cylinder to the pedal without changing the way it worked from the factory. a simple piece of flat steel cut to length with three holes drilled in it. i also added 1 hole on each side of the pedal assembly to accommodate the bracket to hold it and the first hole of the master cylinder. I took advantage of slots already cut in the pedal arm to mount the other end of the master cylinder. I then retapped the master cylinder to 1/4npt to match fittings I have here. My first attempt lasted about 2 hours then the sensor failed. I ordered another with a higher rating. 10MPa or 1450psi as opposed to the 2MPa that the 300psi offers.

now on to drivability.............I love the feel compared to the stock or with rubber and extra spring. It does not feel as real as a passenger vehicle, shorter travel less squish, but you really do get a similar feeling. I would describe it as a very gradual and low resistance until the last 1/4 of the travel then you hit the pressure like a real hydraulic brake. I was having a blast with it until the sensor puked. I definitely like it so far. I'll update when the new sensor arrives. The first one came monday and they were ordered from china same day so fingers crossed. I am also going to add a length of hose between the master cylinder and the sensor for a little more "squish".





EDIT: Even with the original pot hooked up (no pressure sensor) the feeling of the pressurized brake is awsome. Way better than rubber and a spring!

And don't connect the oil expansion tank to the main cylinder?

i have done a similar mod - i used the reservoir and a hydraulic fluid

it feels like a real car