How comes there's not a sticky for a vacuum brake conversion????

["Turbo-T"]

I was hoping there was a sticky for a vacuum brake conversion but no....?

I am looking for conversion info...like...

If you use a standard G body master cylinder and brake booster....i.e. would a m/c and brake booster off of an 80 Malibu would work...

If I need a check valve for the vacuum line feeding the booster....and where to get one...

How well would the car stop if I just ran a manual brake set up (no booster)....

If I would have any issues leaving the underhood wiring for the PM switch and motor disconnected once the swap was completed....

I am not asking anyone to repost but if someone has a good write up I'd like to see it. I am considering converting to vacuum for simplicity, and cost. Thanks.

 

[zeus87gn]

Why are there no stickies for this section?
Excellent question.

My guess is because there arent any moderators in this section.
The listed mod on the main page hasn't logged in a few years.
I don't think he has logged in but a few times anyway.
Kind of strange if you ask me.

I personally think there should be quite a number of stickies in this section so there wouldn't be so many threads asking the same thing.

Vacuum brake conversions
PowerMaster writeups (I kind of prefer this one :biggrin: )
Hydroboost writeups
Brake mods at the wheels (4 wheel disk brakes)
Suspension reworks
Larger wheel mods

To answer you general question, there are a few threads regarding the conversion. You have to be sure you allow your search to go back far enough to find it.

 

[John Larkin]

Do an advanced search under my name choosing posts rather than threads in this section. I wrote some good tips in Dec. '06. Search under "bruce" the same way for manual brakes. The PM wires can lay on the fenderwell just fine; you can tape them up if it makes you sleep easier. FYI, boosters have check valves in the fittings for the hose.

 

[SGRIM]

I would be happy to make any post a sticky that enough people feels it worthy....

I removed alot of mods this past weekend. There are some open spots, I will be covering them for now...

 

[JST A 6]

Here's a link to a thread from a little while back with a few tips, and I also added a couple of pics to show what reservoir you need to get (The previous owner converted my car and used a large reservoir that stuck up so far in the front that when I installed a brand-new hoodliner the reservoir lid put a gouge in it... I installed the correct reservoir and that is what is shown in the pics.

http://www.turbobuick.com/forums/general-turbo-buick-tech/249593-current-powermaster-solutions.html

 

["Turbo-T"]

The vacuum booster will use the same firewall holes as the Powermaster but the holes under the dash for the brake pedal apparently need to be redrilled

Thanks, you are referring to the where the rod attaches to the brake pedal right?

Also does the block on top of the intake incorporate some sort of check valve to prevent boost from reaching the master cylinder?

 

[JST A 6]

Thanks, you are referring to the where the rod attaches to the brake pedal right?

Also does the block on top of the intake incorporate some sort of check valve to prevent boost from reaching the master cylinder?

I'm not entirely clear on which holes get redrilled as my car was already converted when I bought it (they just never cleaned/painted the booster and they used the wrong fluid reservoir and tee'd into the PCV valve line for the vacuum source while keeping the stock plastic vacuum block so I ended up redoing everything to make it right for me.) The hole where the brake pedal attaches to the rod should already be the correct size since you need to use the brake pedal from the donor vehicle as well. I imagine the hole where the pedal attaches to the bracket under the dash is the one that needs redrilled. All I really know is what I read in the description on Kirban's website for his conversion kit:

"The actual booster unit uses the same holes on the firewall as the original
powermaster. You will have to redrill the holes for the brake pedal on the
inside of the car. Since nothing gets cut or drilled related to the original
powermaster, the original powermaster can be reused should you want to
convert back to the factory set up at a later date."

As somebody stated previously, the 90 degree elbow where the vacuum line attaches to the booster has a check valve built in just like on any other vacuum brake car so no other check valve is needed. The aftermarket blocks simply add the extra port on the driver's side to be used for the brakes just like the factory vacuum block on the TTAs (they came from the factory with vacuum brakes.)

 

[JST A 6]

I just thought of something else--Kirban's conversion kit description doesn't say anything about it coming with a new brake pedal, so when he mentions doing the drilling he may be talking about converting your original brake pedal for use with the vacuum system (where the pedal attaches to the rod.) If you're doing the conversion without buying the kit I'd suggest getting the pedal from the donor car (as the previous owner did for mine; I still have the original Powermaster unit including the brake pedal) and just see how everything fits as you're putting it in, that way you're not enlarging any holes that don't need it.

 

["Turbo-T"]

Yeah that's what I think I will do, is find a brake pedal from a non turbo G body.

Also is Kirbans the only one who sells the block for the intake with the check valve for the vacuum booster?

 

[JST A 6]

Yeah that's what I think I will do, is find a brake pedal from a non turbo G body.

Also is Kirbans the only one who sells the block for the intake with the check valve for the vacuum booster?

No, many vendors sell a billet vacuum block--Gbodyparts, Kirbans, etc...Kirbans is a bit cheaper than Gbody but theirs has a smooth top; I chose to go with the Gbody one because it has the fins to match the upper intake plenum and valve covers. Make sure to get it with the extra port for the vacuum brakes as they sell billet blocks both with and without it.

None of them have a check valve though; the check valve is on the booster. I circled it in red in this pic (the billet vacuum block is also visible in the lower left hand corner of the picture):

 

["Turbo-T"]

Ok thanx I was thinking the block incorporated a check valve. :redface:

 

[turbojd]

Finding another donor brake pedal would make it a faster swap when doing the conversion, but if you don't come across a donor brake pedal when you wanna do this conversion, just take the powermaster pedal and mark it where it has to be drilled and redrill a hole in it, it's not a big deal, I re-drilled my powermaster pedal when I did this conversion because my kit did mnot come with a donor brake pedal when I did this years ago.

 

[not a v8]

red regal

i bought a complete kit from red regal & it came with the correct pedal,no drilling needed. works great.

 

[cruzn57]

Me too !

I bought a complete kit from red regal few yrs back, and I just ( yesterday) ordered another complete kit for one of my other cars.
there complete with correct pedal, instruction, check valve, rod, etc,etc
I suggest Red Regal,!!!!!

 

[JST A 6]

i bought a complete kit from red regal & it came with the correct pedal,no drilling needed. works great.

I bought a complete kit from red regal few yrs back, and I just ( yesterday) ordered another complete kit for one of my other cars.
there complete with correct pedal, instruction, check valve, rod, etc,etc
I suggest Red Regal,!!!!!

Just curious--how much do their kits go for? Do either of you have a link to their site (I've never even heard of Red Regal)?

Thanks...

 

[cruzn57]

here's his name on the board

Red Regal T

John Dicarlo,

his units run $165-$175 and are complete,

good guy to do business with.