Powermaster Help Needed

[Sinister86]

ive run into a little bad luck with my 86 gn so far... i bought it for 9000, and since have had to replace the motor, battery and alternator, and now its the powermaster going out. oh yea, ive only logged on 150 miles since i got it. lol, anyway what i need help on is the powermaster problem because so far ive fixed everything else. i know that many people end up converting over to vacuum brakes after the powermaster fails, but exactly how difficult would this be and how expensive in comparison to just replacing the powermaster unit would it be. ive priced around and it seems that the powermaster unit itself is about 250 along with 100 for the accumulator ball. after all of the engine work and alternator problems, wha i really need to do is just get this fixed right so that i wont have anything to worry about for a while. im only 17 and as the old addage goes, money doesnt grow on trees. so far my gn has a te-44, blutops, kennebell ram air, 3in dp, hooker exhaust, air bags, red armstrong xp fuel pump, a thrasher chip, red stripe convertor, and a shift kit, plus a bunch of other goodies i cant think or right now. so as you can see, itll go (thats for sure) but it wont stop. im sure the problem is in the powermaster unit itself but please throw out any ideas you have and if you have any good links to the conversion or anything that would be great. thanks, Taylor

 

[ckisner]

Hi Taylor

depending on what's wrong with your powermaster, you have a couple of different options. did you diagnose you powermaster using the info on gntype?

http://www.gnttype.org/techarea/brakes/PwrMstr.html

so, depending on whats wrong and what you want to do,

you can get a vacuum setup here:

http://www.turbobuick.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=16442&highlight=powermaster.

detailed instructions on converting to vacuum located here:

http://www.gnttype.org/techarea/brakes/Powermaster_to_vacuum.html

or you could go with a new powermaster unit from hank terry here:

http://www.members.tripod.com/Turbocars/pm.html

or get a reman unit from autozone. lifetime warranty about 250.00 (i think)

or you could get a master cylinder rebuild kit (50-60) from various vendors and do it yourself. i think i got mine from bowling green customs.

i think you can get to accumulator ball cheaper than 100.00. i paid 85.00 for mine from here. do a search on part number 18038507:

http://www.oldbuickparts.com/


hope this helps

chris

 

[Sinister86]

thanks a lot for the links theyre great. from what i was reading on the diagnostic page and my car has the traits of the broken switch (broken and leaking brake fluid, stiff brake pedal) hopefully that is all it is, as far as the vacuum conversion i think ill have to do that down the road (right now i just need to get it on the road) lol, kidding aside thanks a lot, Taylor

 

[Sinister86]

hey guys, just got word.... great news. when the shop i took it to to check the alternator, checked my electrical system through the cigarrette lighter, they put in some crappy old cigarrette lighter in there. well, after i got my car back i noticed this crappy component on my beautiful dash and figured they had just put it in there to fill the spot. what happened was, when my dad took it out to look at it and put it back in, it got wedged in the back because it was not made for a regal. it shorted out the power booster somehow causing the brakes to fail. what a nightmare for something so little right? well, it'll be back prowling the street of the c-bus within the next 24 hours and i will once again be the happiest guy in the world. thanks again, Taylor