Brake booster rebuild

by Joe73 Thu Aug 21, 2014 9:30 am

Anyone have their brake booster rebuilt? I've ordered two boosters from different suppliers and neither look the same as my original. I know they will fit and function correctly, but I want an original one.
I just got off the phone with Cardone R&R. They can accept mine, rebuild it, and return it to me. But the price would be approaching the $200 range. They recommended I just order their remaned units for half the price. Told them they dont look the same.
The rebuild kits are a "secret" and hard to find. But they are cheap. Usually in the 15-30 dollar range. And then there's the issue of opening the unit. Simple task but difficult to do. You have to compress it slightly and then turn it slightly to open it up.

Dont want to be driving my family around with 40 year old steering or brake parts. I'm still waiting for my manual steering box to come back from the Missouri rebuilder.

Anyway, anyone have theirs done for a reasonable price??

by thatfnthing Thu Aug 21, 2014 12:01 pm

I looked at it, and when I saw in the service manual that you need a special giant spanner wrench to open it, I decided against it. But you're right, it shouldn't be too hard -- there's really only a gasket and diaphragm involved.

by pila Thu Aug 21, 2014 10:09 pm

I rebuilt one some years ago. It was on a '67 Pontiac 4-door Bonneville Hardtop I had back then. It turned out the it wasn't the problem though, and the problem was a re-built master cylinder with the wrong bore size...

There is a big spring inside of those, which can be difficult to work with.....

by orange Juiced Sat Aug 23, 2014 3:52 pm

I purchased a remanufactured brake booster from auto zone a few years back, looked the same as the stock from what i remember. I was planning of using it but decided just go with a new chrome one. I'll look for it tonight and take some pics.

by Joe73 Sat Aug 23, 2014 3:57 pm

orange Juiced wrote:I purchased a remanufactured brake booster from auto zone a few years back, looked the same as the stock from what i remember. I was planning of using it but decided just go with a new chrome one. I'll look for it tonight and take some pics.

Please do!!

by orange Juiced Mon Sep 01, 2014 11:06 pm

Sorry for the delay, I haven't really had time to dig it out.

Brake booster rebuild 20140901_190223

by 77mali Tue Sep 02, 2014 7:05 am

Is there a gasket between the master & booster?

by Joe73 Tue Sep 02, 2014 10:03 am

I dont recall ever seeing a gasket between the master and the booster.

by thatfnthing Tue Sep 02, 2014 10:08 am

There is a rubber (or maybe neoprene) 'cup' that fits in the booster where the MC bolts up, and the pushrod pokes through it. I don't think it's so much a gasket per se as it is a method of keeping errant gunk out of the booster and/or keeping the pushrod aligned with the divot on the MC when the pressure's off.

by Joe73 Tue Sep 02, 2014 10:15 am

thatfnthing wrote:There is a rubber (or maybe neoprene) 'cup' that fits in the booster where the MC bolts up, and the pushrod pokes through it. I don't think it's so much a gasket per se as it is a method of keeping errant gunk out of the booster and/or keeping the pushrod aligned with the divot on the MC when the pressure's off.

Thats correct. Saw that in the booster rebuild kits.

by Joe73 Tue Sep 02, 2014 10:19 am

Thanks for the pics. Thats exactly the Cardone one I received from rockauto and auto zone. I returned them both. I want one that is exactly like my original. I was about to ship mine to boosterdewey.com but they were closed til the 8th. I hit craigslist and found a guy with a brand new one. He bought it and then ended up getting rid of the car. I paid $115 shipped. He had the receipt for the $180 he paid for it. Rebuild mine would have been $125-$145 plus shipping BOTH ways.

Here's the one I got. Glad it doesnt have the shiny gold like the pre 73 chevelles use.

My original and new one side by side.

Brake booster rebuild 16ixflu

by thatfnthing Tue Sep 02, 2014 10:36 am

Are those things sitting on one of your new front wheels? That table looks like it has 4.75" bolt spacing. Smile

by Joe73 Tue Sep 02, 2014 12:00 pm

thatfnthing wrote:Are those things sitting on one of your new front wheels? That table looks like it has 4.75" bolt spacing.

Yes, they are !!! My new "skinny" fronts. I have (2) spares. LOL. lol!

by 77mali Tue Sep 02, 2014 3:24 pm

thatfnthing wrote:There is a rubber (or maybe neoprene) 'cup' that fits in the booster where the MC bolts up, and the pushrod pokes through it. I don't think it's so much a gasket per se as it is a method of keeping errant gunk out of the booster and/or keeping the pushrod aligned with the divot on the MC when the pressure's off.

I found mine slightly buried in the booster. Funny thing is you'd think there would be a gasket there (between the booster & Master). The back of my M/C looks like Turd

by Joe73 Tue Sep 02, 2014 3:49 pm

Actually my original boosters gasket (left pic) is shaped like a cup. The new booster gasket is pretty much flat.

by JiMi_DRiX Tue Sep 02, 2014 5:07 pm

Unless you have a show winning, all original perfect car, why do you have the desire for an all original unit of a part that is very... unattention getting? Just curious! I like original parts too, but sometimes aftermarket is okay as long as its quality and works the same! your avatar does look like you have a sweet ride none the less!

by Joe73 Tue Sep 02, 2014 6:43 pm

Thanks for the compliment. I just like to keep things looking like the way they came. Unless, of course, its something easy to change back. I have all the original smog stuff and manifolds my engine came with from the factory but I dont mind that my engine will be aluminum headed, high rise, header wearing piece. Those things are easy to change back.
Even my interior. I currently have a 73 laguna rear seat, custom seat covers and upper door panels to match. Just because I really like the 73 laguna pleated interior. I installed it back in the 80's. But now my original interior will be going back in with the exception of the bench seat. Only because the swivels give me more room. I'd love to put my original bench back in because of the oddity of a factory bench seat 4spd. car.
As for the brake booster, mine has the 6 indents and most of the replacements have the X pattern "bump outs". Dont really like the looks of it so I'd rather stay stock with that. And I love searching parts down.

by JiMi_DRiX Wed Sep 03, 2014 12:31 am

Joe73 wrote:Thanks for the compliment. I just like to keep things looking like the way they came. Unless, of course, its something easy to change back. I have all the original smog stuff and manifolds my engine came with from the factory but I dont mind that my engine will be aluminum headed, high rise, header wearing piece. Those things are easy to change back.
Even my interior. I currently have a 73 laguna rear seat, custom seat covers and upper door panels to match. Just because I really like the 73 laguna pleated interior. I installed it back in the 80's. But now my original interior will be going back in with the exception of the bench seat. Only because the swivels give me more room. I'd love to put my original bench back in because of the oddity of a factory bench seat 4spd. car.
As for the brake booster, mine has the 6 indents and most of the replacements have the X pattern "bump outs". Dont really like the looks of it so I'd rather stay stock with that. And I love searching parts down.

Gotcha! Your car is a bench seat, 4spd car? Really? what does that even look like? That sounds cool and rare!

by Joe73 Wed Sep 03, 2014 6:38 am

I bought it with the swivels in it but the owner gave me the original bench with it. I found a pic on the net of a 74 with a bench 4 sped and my same color combo interior. Basically the same inside as mine except I have the round gauges and the 73 door panels.

Here you go. I always liked the bench 4 spd.

1974 malibu big block 4spd. bench.
http://blog.hemmings.com/index.php/2008/12/26/location-location-location/

by bracketchev1221 Wed Sep 03, 2014 9:01 am

My 70 SS350 Nova was a factory bench 4 speed car. Not the most desirable, but it was so odd. I liked it. Too bad it had to go to make room for the malibu.

by dynchel Wed Sep 03, 2014 3:21 pm

When I was a kid my day had a Pontiac Ventura ('72 I think) as a beater / work car. The thing was fecal brown with a tan bench seat interior with the big four speed stick with a Hurst t handle. My mom couldn't drive a stick so it was traded off.

by Joe73 Wed Sep 03, 2014 4:10 pm

First time I've ever seen a bench 4 speed (and got a ride in it) was around 1974. A neighbor of mine had a 71 chevelle SS 454, 4 speed bench. Green with white stripes and green bench interior. I loved that car.

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