Ok, new part of project- vacuum booster

[Guest]

Got the new engine in, new ignition, alternator, etc. Drive it the 40 miles home from the shop and get a bad acrid smell, engine miss, and white smoke from exhaust. After losing my mind for a bit at the thought of my new motor having blown a head gasket I start searching for causes. Smell was slightly gas, but mostly acrid/non oil or coolant smell. Start checking for issues and noticed fluid seeping from the lower part of the vacuum booster. I have a new master cylinder and am looking for a booster (found one at Bobs birdhouse), so once I get those I am changing both and keeping the original booster to be rebuilt as a backup part much like I did for the power steering ram cylinder. So in changing these over is there anything to pay particular attention to as far as preventing me (user error) from damaging anything on install? I figured I would install everything, bleed the system, change the oil and probably run some cleaner through it to get rid of remnant brake fluid in the intake. Any other suggestion/considerations? Probably will clean or replace plugs as well.

[partsetal]

There is a square cut seal on the master cylinder that seals it to the booster body. The booster needs this to operate properly, and they are not provided in the booster kits.
Carl

[Guest]

ok

Is there any source for this seal? Or do I need to make one from some other available material?

[partsetal]

I know the Bird Nest has them and also Booster Dewey. Carl

[Guest]

I will get the seal there

but since I want to keep my booster I may need to try somewhere else for that part. I am not sure if anyone else will part with them without a core, but Bobs Birdhouse looks like they just put a core charge on top that they refund at the time core is received...perhaps I can do that. There is a local company in Spokane that will rebuild my booster if need be as well.

[Guest]

Has anyone here worked with

Power Booster Exchange Inc. from Portland? Good price, seemed to know what he was talking about. $150 part and 100 core. That is less than the part alone at most I have talked to.

[DKheld]

Booster Dewy aka Power Brake Booster Exchange rebuilt my booster 10 - 12 years ago (also changed the booster face so that I can use a modern disc/drum master cyl for my front discs).

I thought originally the price was a bit high but I was comparing to modern rebuilt stuff. Mine is still working great and no troubles ever - well worth it.

The master cyl to booster seal was not supplied but I found a plumbing seal at the local box store that worked fine. No idea which one it was - I took my master cyl and just started trying them.

Eric

(some old pics)

[simplyconnected]

Is it your intention to keep the car stock?
Modern and more powerful boosters are cheaper than rebuilding your old AND they offer much more boost.

DOT-3 is glycol-based like antifreeze. It's also water soluble like antifreeze.

Your booster had to suck in enough brake fluid to fill the inside and start coming out the vacuum hose. You must have noticed the pedal pressure get hard and the reservoir level going down as you refilled it. - Dave