Aftermarket brake Boosters

[shifty]

Nice, and good feedback.

I am still all drum here, but definitely looking forward to the upgrade to power.

One question about lines, since there is already great feedback here. I am going to be moving up to a power booster. Obviously, when this is added, my lines are going to change, but only the two short lines from the MC to the valve block.

Does anyone make easy to work with braided lines for brakes, or is it 100% necessary to get steel tubing and bend your own lines and put your own fittings on them?

Or can you find pre-flared brake lines in the Help! section of the local auto parts store that just need to be bent to fit?

Or maybe the Help! section at the LAPS has braided brake lines that can be used?

[Shane]

Get in touch with Inline Tube (www.inlinetube.com) and explain what you are doing ... I called when I put the rear discs on and explained what I was doing. They sold me everything I needed in a single call.

[Lippyp]

I'm sure I read on here that there is usually enough flex in the original lines to just ease the MC fowards and bolt the booster on behind it. Am I right or has my brain gone all soft and squishy? The aftermarket booster I've been offered (by a board supporting vendor) is double diaphragm but smaller than the stock booster.

I'm still confused a little as to which to go for, I'd prefer to keep it stock really so from the sound of it if I reuse the existing master and valve block and just bolt a stock booster behind it I should be OK as long as I use the longer connecting rod, regardless of what truck (as long as its a 67-72) it came off. Corretc?

[jugernot]

I did not realized someone had mentioned my name on this thread.

Yes I just bought an after market power booster (pic attached) It is an 8 inch duel diaphram. I also bought a bracket for it (pic attached). I need to enlarge the holes on the bracket so it fits onto the bolts from the pedal assembly. I will also have to cut down the push rod or clevis that is attached to the pedal assembly. The guy said it should work with either a disc/drum or disc/dics set up.

The bracket has different holes on each side. The small holes attach to the booster. The elongated hole attach to the firewall and pedal assembly, these are the one that have to be enlarge, because the bracket does not quite fit onto the pedal assembly. He also said the the hole that the boot and clevis goes through may have to be enlarged so the boot can fit.

We will be mocking it up on the firewall soon. I will try to get some pics then aswell.



Hope this helps.

[Jayss109]

I bought a disk/drum dual diaphram booster/master cylinder setup from "No Limit Engineering" in San Bernadino Ca. In July 2001, cost me $361. Was a bolt in, except for the the rod from the pedal. I didnt get their setup that makes it a true bolt in. I just relocated the hole in the pedal and made it work. They were good people to deal with IIRC. part # was PBU 642.

their # 909-386-7637

Since then I learned that the booster that I bought was actually a stock replacement for a chevy astro van. I havent confirmed this yet, but I am planning on checking it out.

Jason
________
Nigel stepney

[mbgmike]

Originally Posted by shifty

What is difference between metering valve and combi valve?

they are sort of the same thing but the proportioning valves are used to on the rear brakes of a disc/drum setup. just on the rear brakes.to prevent rear wheel lockup in SEVERE braking conditions

The metering valves are used on the front circuit allows the reare brakes to catch up with the fronts.

[mbgmike]

Originally Posted by shifty

Just out of curiosity, what's the actual difference between the two that would allow it to work with one application, but not the other?

drum brake mc's have residual valves inside disc do not and also a smaller bore than a disc mc
if you use a drum brake master cylinder on a disc brake setup you don't have enough volume applied to the brakes and they will drag because of the residual valve built into it.

drum brakes use less fluid than discs do.
e is
if you use the disc mc on a manual setup that doesn't work good either. the bore is too large and piston depth is too shallow to work for the drums.

[mbgmike]

Originally Posted by Brad

Here's the part where I look really stupid.........drum roll please.................'I don't know, it's just what I've been told'.

Actually, I think it has something to do with the fact that the bigger resevoir puts more pressure on the front lines......er something like that, lol.

They require more volume is what it is

[kbs71]

Sorry if my post was a little confusing. I just relooked at it and it was kinda daft reading. I posted it after another "night of insomnia" , right before I work my son up for school. (I work mids and its my weekend, so either I sleep for 20 hrs stright or can't sleep at all)

Lippyp, Look at the picture above of the dual diaphram booster. It's @ 1.3 times the thickness (from front to rear) as a single diaphram. I just looked at my stock set up on my 71 you will probably be able to "streach" your stock lines.

shifty, you could use braided line but after working with it for over 30 years, it may look cool but it's a b!t@h to work with short pieces. Plus will will need to find some fittings that will work. You can probably find short straight pieces at the LAPS and get a tubing bender and bend them up (by the way wound spring wire IS NOT a suitable tube bender IMHO) .

shane, your 100% correct "dual" doesn't equate "double".

mike, your answers are right on also. You said about the same thing in about 1/4 the space. By the way, what days are the best to "drop" by your shop. Even tho I live on the opposite side of town, I'm down that way a few times a month. Would like to drop in a shoot the "BULL" .

[Lippyp]

Getting new brake lines made up isn't too much of a problem, we tend to use copper/nickel brake pipes here in the UK so they don't rust and they're easy to bend by hand although I have a proper tubing bender anyway.

I think as I really want a drop in solution then a stock booster is gonna be my best bet, I'm always a bit wary of brake work since I had the brakes fail on one of my Alfa Romeos when I was younger and slid it sideways into lamp post.

[kbs71]

The only problem I see is brackets and input rod. You can use just about any booster brackets, may have to drill or elongate the holes. Or just fab them up there U shaped @ 8' to 10" long. The rod can be either rewelded to the correct length or cut with a die for threads add an adjustor and voila new rod and its adjutable.

[ghetto_superman]

ttt so i just read this over the course of two days, and most of it sank in i think.. and i have two questions now. for starters, none of my stuff is put together, but i have 4 wheel disc brakes, and a booster/mc setup for a 70 corvette. what i dont have is a prop valve or any other valve.. i do have the valve that came on my stock 4wheel drum 68- but its not the same and will not work for 4 wheel discs? (EDIT AGAIN: the residual valves are in the combo valve, and the only difference in the MC's is the volume, so i will need a prop valve, correct?) since the residual valves are in the old MC it still doesnt make sense to me why the valve isnt the same as the disc/disc.
other question- whenever i find an input rod from a 1/2t power brake truck will that work in the corvette booster? or since my current (corvette) booster is dual diaphragm will the rod not be long enough. i would like to set up my brakes so the pedal doesnt rest 3 feet off the floor like it does from the factory, so please keep that in mind. this thread has been very helpful, and ill pry read it again a few more times.. but i did just wake up a little bit ago. thanks for the help guys!
-Mike

(edit) one more question- why do the aftermarket brackets that mount the booster the the firewall seem to not have the linkage system built in? am i way behind the times for still trying to use the HUGE (5-6" from booster to firewall?!?!) linkage bracket? id like something thats not as lengthy and ugly... thanks again

[PICKMUP]

Use the complete replacement system that is made for and exactly like the original. Take it out of the box and bolt it on. No cutting, welding, drilling or modifying and it will be safe and work correctly...and it looks right.
You can even run a stock/rebuilt 67-70 3/4T DD booster on our 1/2T disc/drum trucks. See the blue one. Just make sure you get all the matching brackets & rod.

[ghetto_superman]

ok ive got pretty much everything figured out now.. i just dont like my booster bracket thats off of a 71. (looks like the one sitting on the grille above) its huge. arent the 67-70 brackets shorter from front to back? i think i might be able to get a hold of one...

[Brad]

Originally Posted by ghetto_superman

ok ive got pretty much everything figured out now.. i just dont like my booster bracket thats off of a 71. (looks like the one sitting on the grille above) its huge. arent the 67-70 brackets shorter from front to back? i think i might be able to get a hold of one...

More specifically, it's the 3/4T-1T you're after if you want the shorter brackets, but you'll need the appropriate 3/4T-1T booster and pedal rod to go with it. I'm using a 77 m/c with my setup and it's a very nice pedal effort and stops nicely too.

[shifty]

*bump* for tomorrow's research

[Lippyp]

I've now managed to source a complee original setup from a drum/drum truck and a new booster thats now winging its way across the atlantic to me (Thanks Bob!)