I need ya help, Brake Booster Size?

[mmmBoost]

Alright ya'll I can't deside to go with the factory size 11" brake booster or go with a Dual 8" brake booster. I'm gonna have tall valve covers on my 400 small block. So I want as much room as I can get. If anyone has pics of the clearance between the booster and the valve cover of either stock or custom that would be great. Thanks ya'll

[AusTx68]

Have you seen the look of a 8" booster? I installed one and it looked all wrong. The extra length just looked weird. I promptly sold it and bought an 11". Looks way better.

[mmmBoost]

Thanks for the pics and the input ya'll. Its great to be able to get to talk to other people with my same interests as me. Does anyone have a pic of the 8in booster?

[treveiger]

interested

[AusTx68]

I found a photo of the 8" booster I installed. In looking at it, I think the firewall bracket pushed it to far forward and the master cylinder seemed too big. The front of the master cylinder was literally in line with the front of the valve cover.

[Hottrucks]

look at your frame and see which hole the frame engine mounts are in....my 500 caddy is in the front holes and I could still pull the vavle covers and heads without moving the booster

check build for pic

[Fitz]

Originally Posted by mmmBoost

Alright ya'll I can't deside to go with the factory size 11" brake booster or go with a Dual 8" brake booster. I'm gonna have tall valve covers on my 400 small block. So I want as much room as I can get. If anyone has pics of the clearance between the booster and the valve cover of either stock or custom that would be great. Thanks ya'll

Whether a 10 in, 8 in or a 7 in booster is required depends upon the deck height of your engine. All of them mount on the same bracketry as the stock 11 in. unit. I believe your motor is a 9.025 inch deck height so you can probably use a 10 in booster.

My big block is a 10.4 in (tall deck) motor so the valve covers sit a bit higher, so i use a dual diaphragm 8 inch.

[cparman]

I personally do not like 8" boosters. I installed one on my Blazer, and it took less than 24 hours to remove it. There is just not enough volume in them to make the pedal feel proper. I now have a 9" booster on it, and would think it would give you plenty of room to do what ever. The 11" are the best for a stock appearing setup, but I am very happy with the way my brakes feel.

[mmmBoost]

Originally Posted by cparman

I personally do not like 8" boosters. I installed one on my Blazer, and it took less than 24 hours to remove it. There is just not enough volume in them to make the pedal feel proper. I now have a 9" booster on it, and would think it would give you plenty of room to do what ever. The 11" are the best for a stock appearing setup, but I am very happy with the way my brakes feel.

Did you have a single diaphram or dual? I want to get as much room around the motor as I can. There's nothing worse to me then having to contort around to get to spark plugs or anything else. I was looking at either the factory 11" or using an 8" dual diaphram and a short bracket from summitracing. But I think the short bracket would lower the booster assembly closer to the valve covers.

[mmmBoost]

I'm also comtemplating using the angled bracket to get the booster away from the valve cover. But I don't know what that would look like. I'm not too worried about it looking factory. The motor, trans, and rearend aren't factory anymore.

[mmmBoost]

Originally Posted by cparman

I personally do not like 8" boosters. I installed one on my Blazer, and it took less than 24 hours to remove it. There is just not enough volume in them to make the pedal feel proper. I now have a 9" booster on it, and would think it would give you plenty of room to do what ever. The 11" are the best for a stock appearing setup, but I am very happy with the way my brakes feel.

Was the pedal feel to stiff or too soft with the 8" dual diaphram?

[rsavage]

There are two different length brackets that were used on these trucks. The shorter one was used for the double diaphragm booster and the longer one for the larger diameter single (if I am not mistaken) Double D's were used on 4X4's and the 20 and 30 series I am fairly sure. Tee It Up or Too Much stuff who do a lot of parting out will be gospel on this.

[mmmBoost]

Bump

[cparman]

With the 8" the pedal was too hard to push. I will post a couple of pictures here to show you my dual diaphragm 9" booster master. I have short valve covers, and have boat loads of room.

The Blazer picture ( yellow) is before the booster change. The other is my truck, and is a 9"
'

[eagleuh1]

Go Hydraboost, you'll have lots of room.

[Orangetonicclicc]

Sorry to crash your thread, but I just bought a brake booster and there's no hardware that came with it. Any one know the size and type? Is it studs? Is there a back bracket to stablize the weight? We have a great hardware company here in Tulsa. As long as I know what it is they have it.

[Orangetonicclicc]

Originally Posted by Orangetonicclicc

Sorry to crash your thread, but I just bought a brake booster and there's no hardware that came with it. Any one know the size and type? Is it studs? Is there a back bracket to stablize the weight? We have a great hardware company here in Tulsa. As long as I know what it is they have it.

DURRRRHHHH...I figured it out!!!!! So embarrased!!!

[dmack91]

Here is my 400SB (the above one looks like a BB). The truck was originally manual brakes, but the booster set-up I put on was from a factory truck (69 I think).