Removing Brake Booster

[PDXk5]

Hi,
Can someone give me direction. I'm removing the brake booster to hopefully clean it up, paint it and reinstall (it works fine, just looks bad).

I removed the retainer clip that holds the pin (that connects to the the rod from the booster) but can't seem to get enough leverage to slide the pin out. Is there a trick or something I need to do?

Sorry for the blury photo but I think it conveys what I'm dealing with.

Thanks for your help.


IMG_8418 - 67-72 post by Luftwaffepdx, on Flickr

[floyd]

Usually the pin just slides out...you can loosen the 4 firewall bracket bolts to take any pressure off of it.

[rsavage]

I recently changed out the booster on my 71. That pin had corroded itself enough to the bracket it passes through that I had to remove the brake pedal push rod (after dropping the column down enough to get that bolt out) and take the entire bracket and booster off. I left the MC hooked to the lines and hung it with bungies so lines were not kinked. Once on the bench, I used a little heat and some good penetrant, along with a visegrip on the head and was able to free the pin up and slide it out. A job that should have taken a half hour turned into a few hours. If you can get a vise grip on the head and some PB Blaster, you might be able to free it up where it sits, but I didn't want to mark up my firewall and it isn't in the easiest location to reach. Good luck - hope yours goes better.

[Dale99]

I had a fairly large prybar. I put it on one side, and slide something down the other side(I forget what) to brace the rod. It slid part of the way out and then I grabbed the head with visegrips.

[PDXk5]

Originally Posted by Dale99

I had a fairly large prybar. I put it on one side, and slide something down the other side(I forget what) to brace the rod. It slid part of the way out and then I grabbed the head with visegrips.

Originally Posted by rsavage

I recently changed out the booster on my 71. That pin had corroded itself enough to the bracket it passes through that I had to remove the brake pedal push rod (after dropping the column down enough to get that bolt out) and take the entire bracket and booster off. I left the MC hooked to the lines and hung it with bungies so lines were not kinked. Once on the bench, I used a little heat and some good penetrant, along with a visegrip on the head and was able to free the pin up and slide it out. A job that should have taken a half hour turned into a few hours. If you can get a vise grip on the head and some PB Blaster, you might be able to free it up where it sits, but I didn't want to mark up my firewall and it isn't in the easiest location to reach. Good luck - hope yours goes better.

Thanks guys, I'll try to increase leverage with a large pry bar and something behind to support the rod and bracket AND if that doesn't work, I'll disconnect the brake pedal and remove the whole assembly so I can disassemble it out of the engine bay. Definately a tight fit to get to, work tight against the fire wall and being squeezed by the hood.

I'm actually in the begining of a powersteering conversion and new tilt steering column. I'm going to have a few parts powdercoated while I have everything broken down and the Brake Booster will look even worse if I don't address it at the same time.

I'll try some efforts this weekend and let you know how it goes.

Thanks for the help.

[PDXk5]

OK, got the brake booster off. Had to unconnect from brake pedal, unbolt in engine bay and slide entire unit out. The pin was STUCK. I used a bench vise to press the pin out. It resisted all the way to the end. Thank you for the suggestions. Pretty easy - just took some time.

I got another thing I'm hoping you can shed some light on. What type of brake booster is this that I have in my rig? Is it a Bendix or Delco-Moraine? I'm going to have a guy rebuild the entire unit while its out - he was telling me it might be easier to just sell me one rather than shipping mine to him ...

Anyway, the guy runs a Brake Booster rebuilding company - he sounds like he knows what he is talking about - very professional website. He was telling me that GM did not put Bendix brake boosters in the 4wheel drive vehicles. He said Bendix went in 2 wheel drive rigs and Delco-Moraine went in the 4 wheel drive rigs.

Does anyone know? I like the black color on the booster, I can paint it any color but kinda want to stay true. It sounds like the Bendix were black and the Delco-Moraine where the cadmium (gold) plating.

Here is what I have:


IMG_8330 by Luftwaffepdx, on Flickr


IMG_8522 by Luftwaffepdx, on Flickr


IMG_8531 by Luftwaffepdx, on Flickr

Thank you fellow Forum members for any help you can provide.

[Ole Beater]

If im not mistaken i think that one of them had the brand stamped on it somewhere. I think it was a delco. I had the wrong one and had to return it for the other. Cant remember which but i do know they are not interchangeable. The rear mounting bolts did not line up correctly.

[rsavage]

According to the NAPA website, the bendix was usually painted black and the delco gold anodized. I ordered a Delco (rebuilt unit) because I wanted the anodized color, waited a month, and it came in painted cast color. It is now painted gold and it fit fine because both the delco and bendix showing on the NAPA site as fitting my 71 were the larger diameter flatter single diaphragm booster. The brackets can be adjusted somewhat by loosening the brakets at the firewall. The fatter but smaller diameter dual diaphragm boosters were often used on 4X4's and 20 and up series. The brackets for these boosters are shallower and will not work with the larger diameter single diaphragm booster you ( and I ) have on our Blazers.