What about this booster?

[Alfonso Gomez]

What about this booster?

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Has anyone used or know someone that has this power brake booster installed? The original one is plastic and costs over $300.00, $439.00 at a Chevy dealer.
This one is from MidAmerica and costs $169.99

Corvette Central has one that looks the same for $164.95

What do you think?

 

[AdvancedAutoCC]

Functional replacement.... just fine for normal use, only an issue if originality is what you're after.

 

[m nordin]

It looks like the one I installed in my -84 last winter. Only needed to get a new vaccum hose since the connection is placed a little bit different. Works fine (well, as good as stock brakes can work...)

BR

MN

 

[Edmond]

I went with the cheaper one a couple years ago and haven't had any problems with it. Originality doesn't mean anything to me when they want $300+ for a brake booster!:L

It's a bear to install. Took me a couple hours because you're in such an awkward position to get to the two inner nuts holding the booster on the inside.

 

[Aprlsvet]

Our 84 has brake problems. Started noticing it awhile back. The peddle would be tight and would lack stopping power. Usually when it was cold outside. When the car warmed up they would work well. Finally decided it was time to do something about it and figured it had to be the booster.
We replaced the booster, without much problem. We got ours from Advance auto for $94. Unit is supposed to be a stock replacement and fit real well. I didn't need to undo any of the lines from the Master cyl. and there was no need to bleed the system.
After the booster change I drove home 7 miles without any problems, The Mrs. brought the car shopping yesterday and the brakes froze up on her. She pulled over and I had to rescue her lastnight. The car will be fine for several miles then the brakes start to drag. By the time I got home 12 miles I could not roll the car by hand.
Anybody heard of anything like this?? I need help and please don't tell me I need to get under that dash again. I'm still sore!
Thanks in advance
Scott

 

[SPANISHVETTS]

Anybody heard of anything like this?? I need help and please don't tell me I need to get under that dash again. I'm still sore!
Thanks in advance
Scott

Sorry dude – it is back under the dash for you. The valve on the input shaft of the booster is leaking which is allowing the booster to apply the brakes. It could be as minor a problem as adjusting the height of the brake peddle or it could be a defective booster. If you pull the vacuum line off of the booster it should release the brakes allowing you to drive the car home W/O power brakes.

I have an extra one of those that I bought from Ecklers. They screwed up the shipping and stopped answering my email so I bought a second one from MidAmerica - it arrived here in 3 days. The one from Ecklers arrived several months after I canceled the order. Now Ecklers wants a restocking charge if I return the booster so if anybody needs one of these boosters you can have mine for $150.

BTW They work as good as the original.

If you want to stay original for cheap you can buy a rebuild kit for the plastic unit. For around a C note you get new valves and a membrane.

 

[Aprlsvet]

Thanks for the quick reply, I guess I will have to check out that Booster once again. I knew it really, just needed encouragement to get back under there.

Question about checking the booster. When removing the line (car not running) should you hear it release air, or does the check valve keep it in? I know I have good suction at the line when the car is running.

Thanks once again for the help
Scott

 

[Aprlsvet]

Finally got brakes back. I started to investigate my problem. Not being offically trained in such things, It takes me awhile to catch on to things. Found out that the push rod from the booster to the master cyc. was adjusted wrong. This allowed pressure to build up on the system, hence the locked up brakes. It was strange to say the least. The little adjustment nut was a little bit trying to reach and turn, but 4 threads later I had fluid flow in the master cyc. Just thought I'd write this in case somebody else has the same problem.

Scott

 

[Alfonso Gomez]

Well, I went ahead and bought this one from MidAmerica. It was backordered but I received it this week. In spite of a sprained lower back, I went ahead and installed the new one (that really hurts )

. After dropping the bolts a couple of times, which required getting out of the car to find them, I finally got it installed. When I connected the battery to start the car, I noticed my brake lights were on. So, I dove under the dash once more to check things out and found that the brake pedal does not return completely, so it does not actuate the stop light switches. Besides removing the booster to measure the rod length (which I should have done before the install), can the switches be moved forward so the pedal engages the switches when I release the brake pedal? Or how about gluing a piece of thick rubber or plastic to the pedal to "fill the gap" between the pedal and the switches?
Crawling back under the dash to remove the booster is sooooooo painful..........
Also, I checked in the old booster if there was some sort of adjustment nut but there is none. What now???

 

[WhalePirot]

Finally got brakes back. I started to investigate my problem. Found out that the push rod from the booster to the master cyc. was adjusted wrong.

I smiled when I read. It's nice to be right and see someone find a simple fix. The manual describes how to do this properly, and a few others have been exactly there.

With even minimal care in doing this job, no fluid is lost from the master cylinder; hence no bleeding is called for. Might be a great time to check the fluid color and change it, though.

I was told by a rebuilder, that in addition to being smallish, the diaphragm inside the booster is rather cheap. Hence, its life is limited and the brakes lack stopping power on par with the newer cars.

When my '84 was new, I thought it stopped great! Actually, it does now, with stock pads and calipers.

 

[Alfonso Gomez]

Well, I went ahead and bought this one from MidAmerica. It was backordered but I received it this week. In spite of a sprained lower back, I went ahead and installed the new one (that really hurts )

. After dropping the bolts a couple of times, which required getting out of the car to find them, I finally got it installed. When I connected the battery to start the car, I noticed my brake lights were on. So, I dove under the dash once more to check things out and found that the brake pedal does not return completely, so it does not actuate the stop light switches. Besides removing the booster to measure the rod length (which I should have done before the install), can the switches be moved forward so the pedal engages the switches when I release the brake pedal? Or how about gluing a piece of thick rubber or plastic to the pedal to "fill the gap" between the pedal and the switches?
Crawling back under the dash to remove the booster is sooooooo painful..........
Also, I checked in the old booster if there was some sort of adjustment nut but there is none. What now???

UPDATE - UPDATE - UPDATE

I tried adjusting the switches and everything was OK. Everything worked as it should. So I washed the car since it was sitting for 5 weeks and was very dirty. Took it out for a test drive and the brakes seemed to work properly. Then I decided to get some take-out for me and the wife and drove to a nearby restaurant. Was doing about 40 mph when I decided to test the brakes by stopping hard. When I stepped hard on the brakes, I heard a sharp crack and was left with MINIMAL stopping power. It was so bad that I had to downshift to get the car to completely stop. Then , after stopping, I pressed the brake pedal with my left foot and with my right foot gave it a little gas in Drive. The car shot forward

This does not sound good. I got my food and drove back home VERY SLOWLY . I am SO COMPLETELY ****ED .
There is no way, in my opinion, that a person with mechanical inclinations and some basic tools can screw up a brake booster installation. It is straightforward although unconfortable but anyone can do it. The booster only goes in one way, there are only 2 bolts holding it to the firewall, only 2 bolts for the master cylinder, and a cotter pin and 2 washers to secure the connecting rod to the pedal.
So I must conclude that something INSIDE the booster broke.
Any ideas before I take everything apart? Definitely I am calling MidAmerica Motorworks first thing Monday morning and tell them I am returning the booster because it broke. Can you imagine this happening at a higher rate of speed and having to hit the brakes during a panic stop? The car (and me) would have been demolished.
Any opinions on where can I have gone wrong or is it just bad luck I got a bad booster?

 

[Edmond]

Alfonso,

The booster is a straight forward job. There isn't much that could go wrong with it.

Call MidAmerica, tell them your story and see what they have to say.

It is possible that the booster you received was faulty. Unfortunately, things like this happen and you're fortunate that the results didn't end up in injury or death!

Could you call today? I believe they may have someone there for a short day on Saturday.