AZ Ron Posted January 27, 2017 Share Posted January 27, 2017 The dreaded dead accumulator bug has bitten my 88 . The pedal has become hard to push with quite a bit of pedal travel. My wife and kids do not want me working on the car as they do not want me to kill anyone or myself in case I screw things up (mild dementia here). I took it to a local mechanic who has been honest and skilled in the past and has a good reputation around town. I asked that they diagnose my problem and also flush the brake fluid and install new rubber brake lines at each wheel (if needed). WHOA NELLY1 Two thousand, two hundred bucks! They called a place (Parts Warehouse ?) who found a rebuilt accumulator ball and told the mechanic it cost a lot because it was very time consuming to rebuild it!!!!!!!! I told them the car only cost me $3,300 and brought it back home to think things over. I did some research on the AACA site as I thought this forum was shut down. I found out better and started my research. I did the accumulator test that is written up here and found that the darn thing is toast. The level of fluid does not change at all after the test. I also followed the tip on how to test the ABS pressure switch and found that it was not leaking. So - I have owned not-power brake cars in the past. The rotors and pads on the 88 are in excellent condition and the tires are new. Took her on a test drive on Route 66 where the speed limit is 65 mph and did several brake tests. No lock up, stopped straight and true and in a safe distance. The only problem is the somewhat low pedal and somewhat hard pedal. Can I drive it this way? It seems like it is just like driving my old 54 Chevy. I will be looking for a good accumulator ball but would like to drive the Reatta around town while waiting. I think my shade-tree mechanic brother in law and I should be able to change this out fairly easily from reading the process here. Where can I find a new or used one? I have used Jim Finn in the past but he is here in Arizona on vacation until early February. I just ordered the accumulator that was suggested in droid5977's post about the ABS pressure switch. I am on their waiting list. Looks like a decent price for a new unit. There are a couple of used ones on Ebay but who knows how many miles they have on them. I will do a photo shoot after it comes and we install it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ronnie Posted January 27, 2017 Share Posted January 27, 2017 Apparently the mechanic didn't want to work on your car. The price he gave you is ridiculous. I would not use a rebuilt accumulator on my car. I don't know of anyone who has. I wouldn't drive the car if it has a hard brake pedal. Is the red brake warning light coming on when you pump the brakes when driving - or are they staying on all the time? Spinning-Wheels is the best place to get an accumulator if that is what you need. They are usually shown as out of stock on their website. You will have to Contact them (352-732-5013) and get on their list to get one when they get a new shipment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
droid5977 Posted January 27, 2017 Share Posted January 27, 2017 I just picked up a new Accumulator ball at spinningwheels-sc.com for $176 total. It's actually for a Ford Thunderbird Super Coupe and is larger than the ball on the Reatta, but fits. I did have to shim the cross member to accommodate the larger ball. Super simple to install. Ronnie is right. Their website shows that they are out of stock, but I just ordered it and 4 days later it showed up in the mail. Good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AZ Ron Posted January 27, 2017 Topic Author Share Posted January 27, 2017 Thanks for the info. No red lights or warning messages. I paid my money to Spinning Wheel and now will just wait for the part to show up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frogware Posted January 27, 2017 Share Posted January 27, 2017 By the way Ron Welcome back, good to hear from you again! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ronnie Posted January 27, 2017 Share Posted January 27, 2017 Took her on a test drive on Route 66 where the speed limit is 65 mph and did several brake tests. No lock up, stopped straight and true and in a safe distance. The only problem is the somewhat low pedal and somewhat hard pedal. After going back and reading your original post again, I may have misread your meaning about a hard pedal. Usually I assume a "hard pedal" to mean there isn't enough pressure in the system but I don't think you are talking about that type of hard pedal. My previous statement, "I wouldn't drive the car if it has a hard brake pedal.", may have been inappropriate. If you really had a hard pedal like I was thinking, it would mean you would have NO rear brakes. I apologize for not reading your original post closer. My comment was only intended to encourage you to be safe. I hope the accumulator solves your brake problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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