Need to know how the vacuum lines are routed from the engine manifold to the vacuum reservoir in the right hand wheel well also line coming from the brake booster to the reservoir for a 1964 S type RHD .Do they run thru the hole in the front side of the radiator support? Taking all the help I can get . Thank you.
I took my vacuum reservoir off , I could not see the point in having a reservoir of air , when the engine is not running 
Ran a direct hose with a one way valve
All the time the engine is running , you have vacuum at the Servo !
Ian
Jaguar would never dream of fitting equipment that was not needed, Lyon’s kept his eye on the pennies too much.
As an Automotive Engineer of some considerable years, around the world, I can say that you have drastically under estimated the full reasoning for a brake vacuum reservoir tank.
I think the same under estimation that probably makes you believe that your car is still insured with the tank removed. Insurance engineering staff will be quite content with upgrading brake calipers etc, but I know of none who will accept removal of a vacuum reservoir.
If you live long enough you might experience a few of those occasions when you will realise that you do not have the vacuum available that you need, even though the engine is rotating.
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I thought I had a problem with my servo one day , so I disconnected the Vacuum hose , and went for a test drive , still had brakes , not as good I must admit , but could stop with more pressure .
Only other car I have had with a Vacuum tank was a Triumph 2.5 P1 , the same tank come to think about it , had a few other cars over the years , and not one other had a vacuum tank , wonder why that is
I’m surprised that anyone would remove the vacuum tank for road use.
In the Practical Classics article it specifically mentions removing it for racing, and although I don’t know anything about racing I guess that might be something you would see a benefit from doing.
But for road use, removing the tank would surely mean that you have variable assistance depending on the vacuum level in the inlet manifold and surely, variable brake effectiveness is undesirable? I cannot see that, as mentioned in the article, the ‘system’ would provide 3 or 4 ‘pedals’ without the engine running and without a tank.
Or is there really sufficient storage in the servo unit itself? And William Lyons was over-specifying?
What would be the situation if the engine failed at the top of a hill where stopping is not allowed and when fully laden?
And I’m sure the insurance company would be delighted to discover that the tank had been removed and they hadn’t been told, as it would be a golden opportunity for them to walk away.
A definitive answer would be very welcome as I’m sure the day will come when mine springs a leak 
We all have diffrent idea’s , out of 1000’s of cars , how many have a Vacuum tank ?
My car passes the M.O.T test , so at that moment in time the brakes are up to government standard .
As for stopping on a hill , one would hope one’s hand brake is up to standard , as mine is
That’s not what the handbrake was designed for and I’m sure the little friction pads would get very hot very quickly - just consider their total surface area to the surface area of the footbrake pads !!!
I do think you’re taking an unnecessary risk but if you’re happy with it …
The handbrake is nearly useless for stopping. I moved my 420 around with only the handbrake. It was put some drag on, but would only stop the car if I put it in neutral. I was moving slowly in my driveway…
I did for testing purposes bypass my reservoir tank and observed the brakes worked fine, but engine rpm would fluctuate if I did several pumps of the brakes…
The handbrake is actually very good on these cars if it’s working right.
When I got mine it was pretty poor but after about 10 hours freeing and lubricating the various parts it’s probably the best handbrake I’ve ever had !
But the friction material has a small area so it’s little use for anything other than holding the car, and although I have tried it and it will slow the car down very effectively I don’t think it would last very long.
Just read this
Have been thinking of not putting the reservac back on my car.
The opinion here seems to be that it would be dangerous as there would be no brakes if the engine cut out, this is not true you would just have to push the pedal harder, its rubbish to say that the only brake will be the handbrake. I can’t see many mot testers knowing that it was missing.
Just my view.
Steve.
So true Steve , I removed mine years ago , like I have said before , if it was needed , or thought to be needed , modern cars would have them .
The brakes work ok with out a servo , thought mine had a fault so disconnected it , yes the brakes needed more pressure , but they worked ok .
Hi mate, thanks for reply,
I have recently removed the servo and tank from mine and its rusty as f#$k so I am going to clean it up and paint etc but I think it may be too rotten to go back on. Im doing this on a shoestring and its £100 I could spend on something else.
Steve.
If yours is too perforated when you get it cleaned up, there should be plenty of good used ones around for less than the price you mentioned I would think. Try posting a wanted to buy ad here. Yes, I hear you about another, nother expense that wasn’t planned for. And, I am of the same opinion voiced in an earlier posting that deleting the vacuum tank is unwise.
I too think keeping the brake reservac is sensible
I know your MKX is apart, and its the least of your worries, but I did delete the reservac for the scuttle vent system, talk about unneccesary, I put a one-way valve in there, clears up much needed space around the distributor
Thanks, Tony. Mine was working perfectly after some R&R of the valve switch and freeing up the scuttle, but I will be quick to delete it if it gives trouble.
Steve
As far as I can tell no one has suggested here that there would be a zero braking effort without a vacuum tank.
If you are having problems finding a suitable vacuum brake tank then try sourcing a truck brake air tank from a scrap yard. These are around 6 mm thick and can be welded easily if needed, to attach brackets and fittings. They make a very cheap and effective reservoir.
If you have doubts about the requirement to need a tank, ask yourself:-
Why was it necessary for Jaguar to actually increase the size of the servo during the production run of the Mk2 and S Type? Yet we witness end users suggesting there is enough braking power available in an emergency, without a tank. I would suggest that Jaguar were seeking to increase braking effectiveness and safety.
Why does it appear that no one qualified in automotive engineering has suggested removing a brake tank?
Perhaps they know that pad, disc and even tyre materials have developed, along with experience with hydraulic cylinder sizes to enable adequate stopping distances, to now eliminate brake reservoirs. This does not eliminate the need on older designs to encompass a vacuum reserve tank. The original tank requirement was split along the lines of vehicle weight, speed and on occasion the need for cadence braking, to name a few.
Early disc brakes ran at red hot temperatures when pushed, far outstripping the materials, and as the stopping power decreases one hoped for more servo power even with a dead engine. A fast run over the Swiss Alps in the 60’s soon showed up why you needed a brake tank, don’t think your engine would be running all the time to provide that much needed vacuum. A Jaguar XK engine loves oil and spark plugs do not, give it enough trailing throttle and it would rather cough and splutter than run properly ….no run, no vacuum. For a short while in the mid 60’s,as a Fleet Engineer I actually operated one Jaguar over the Alps, from Derby UK to Milan, Italy on a route of 82,000 miles per year, we actually added some items including extra vacuum tanks.
I have scraped enough individuals out of crashed cars and from under trucks, including Jaguars, to last me a lifetime. Removing brake tanks does not fit with that experience.
Is it really worth an individual removing a brake reservoir tank? Well, they most certainly have yet to attend a Coroners Court, and they better be well qualified in Automotive Engineering before they do so.
The only reason the air tank is fitted , is so you have around 8 pedal operations , and still have the servo working full .
Trying to think why anyone would want servo assisted brakes when your parked up .
Only other car I have had with a tank was a Triumph 2.5 PI ,
My tank is in the shed . collecting dust , and will stay there
Haha, bit of a Hornets nest here,
Well i’ve cleaned up and pressure tested mine and it’s all ok so it will be going back on after a few coats of stone chip and a new check valve (£34) ouch.
I’m still with resident alien though and I think its unnecessary and not un
safe in a low use classic car that will never be going anywhere near the Alps.
Cheers.