Whats Up With This Powercraper Brake System.....

[TurboRussty]

here we go again i was hoping that i would not encounter any problems with that expensive piece of crap. well it looks like it is leaking a little from the cap on the top but the gasket is brand new and the cap is in good shape. i was driving earlier today and then all of the sudden i hit the brakes to stop normally and the pedal went all the way down and the red brake light on the instrument cluster came on, i had absouletly no brakes whatsoever and the car would only stop unless you pegged the pedal to the floor. then about a couple mins later the pedal came up and got harder the light turned off and then everything was back to normal again whats the deal with this....
really bad i do not want to be racing up a street trying out the new tires and then that crap happens to me..... aw man that would suck a$$.....

any input on what this could be or if it is a qucik fix , or could i just convert the system to vacum brakes.....

please get back a.s.a.p......

 

[roz930]

Just guessing, but I wonder if you don"t have more than one problem. The red light on the dash should only illuminate when there is a hydraulic imbalance in the braking system. Air in lines, wheel cyl. leak etc. As for why it would correct itself, beats me, but I'd smoke over the hydraulic end first.

 

[TurboRussty]

the rear cylinders are not leaking the drums are dry , the front brake pads are brand new but i have not checked the rear shoes. the fluid in the resivoir has some fluid what would be the pass side and the driver side of the res. is full. is there a different way to bleed the system on this car or do you do the same procedure as with any other car...
i think th problem lies in the hyd aspect of it all...

 

[Roger]

When the PM fuse blew due to the pump motor requiring too much current, the red light came on.

 

[turboman38]

Switch to vacuum setup!

 

[6pack]

Sh*t can it and go vaccum!!!

 

[TurboRussty]

hey turboman38 that is what i wanted to do is as easy as 1.2.3. to do this or is it complicated....

hey roger if the fuse was blown on my car that would mean that it would stop working and not come back to life until someone replaces the fuse correct..... i still have not replaced no fuses and the system fades and then comes back to life....


hey guys what about the little black ball that has the yellow marking on it, i think someone told me that it had some type of nitrogen gas in it or something. when this part fails what are the symptoms and what does the car do when it is not functioning....

more info .....

 

[AsphaltAnihil8r]

Originally posted by 6pack
Sh*t can it and go vaccum!!!

Yeah go VACUUM

6Pack--Vacuum...

 

[turboman38]

Here is a link to what you need to do to convert to vacuum.

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

I went to the yard last Friday and pulled everything I needed to convert. I will be using a new master cylinder instead of the one from the yard.

After reading thru the link I am sending you it looks easy other than getting up underneath the dash to install everything.

 

[Splwubs GN]

I am thinking of converting as well.. Can you still powerbrake (burn out) with the vacuum. Or do i need to install a line lock as well.. ANy one using vacuum have any problems with braking.. Especially under an emergeny maneuver..

 

[6pack]

Originally posted by AsphaltAnihil8r
Yeah go VACUUM

6Pack--Vacuum...

Sorry!! I posted that this morning after getting in from a 13 hour shift I bought my car with the powermaster system already bad, converted to "VACUUM ". No problems here!!

 

[6=8]

When the accumulator (Black Ball) goes bad, the pedal will get hard... like no assist, when you hit the brakes hard and fast. When it is dying, the pump may be good enough to recover, and all will feel normal (Until your next "Panic Stop!")

Also, when it is on it's last legs, the brake light will come on, or flash at you, on almost every brake application.

Your problem actually sounds different. Almost like you have a good power assist, but no fluid or piston pressure. Maybe you need to bleed again???

At any rate, you have a few options I know of:

John DiCarlo offers a complete vacuum brake conversion kit for $115 bucks on this board in the parts for sale section (Mine is on order!)

Or AutoZone sells a rebuilt unit with a lifetime warrantee for about $275

Or get a Delco Remanufactured unit for about $900!

I would bleed the brakes again, starting with the back first.

 

[lyonsd]

Hmmm... I notice the brake light has been coming on with the initial application of the brakes. But they've been working fine. I reckon that means my Powermaster is on the way out, eh?

Since I've already replaced it once, I may go vacuum.

 

[ez at nova]

Lynosd, I have the exact same situation. Check out my post about it. See if your "pump on time" is similar to mine. I jsut bought a new accumulator today, so I'l update when I get it and put it on.

 

[GeneralB44]

Go to vacuum. I just did and I can't believe how much better it stops. Almost as cheap as fixing my failing accumulator too!

 

[1bad85gn]

I just replaced the entire setup with a rebuilt unit from auto zone for $140 + $60 core. I wanted to go vacume but for the price I could not afford to switch. The auto zone unit has a lifetime warranty and took abuot 20 minutes to instal. Let me know if you need a part #.

 

[BlackBeauty]

Originally posted by 6=8
When the accumulator (Black Ball) goes bad, the pedal will get hard... like no assist, when you hit the brakes hard and fast. When it is dying, the pump may be good enough to recover, and all will feel normal (Until your next "Panic Stop!")

Also, when it is on it's last legs, the brake light will come on, or flash at you, on almost every brake application.

This is my exact problem, I need help with it. For at least the past month, every time I touch the brakes, the red light would come on then go off a second later. I wasn't low on brake fluid though. Now when I slam on the brakes, nothing happens for a half-second, then it engages and nearly locks up the brakes... no fun at all. Also if I push on the brake pedal when the car is started, the brake pedal is hard, then slowly sinks in. Does this mean I need to replace the accumulator, or everything? I am now looking into this vacuum conversion, but I am also wondering... are you still able to build boost at the line with the vacuum brakes?

 

[Ross L]

Thats what mine does. The brake is very hard at first(no brake) the light will flash on then off. But after about 1 sec, the brakes return to normal. My switch is leaking fluid and I hope that is the problem. Someone please correct me but, doesn't the autozone part come w/ the acc ball and switch. I just called them AGAIN> When I mentioned electric motor in conjunction w/ power brakes, the guy said " I don't think so!" I talked him through it over the phone(86,buick,regal,3.8 turbo,brakes,powermaster) I have to pay for it before they will order it.

 

[ez at nova]

From what I've read here and heard from everyone, you should replace the accumulator first. That's probably the problem.
That's what I'm trying now anyway!

 

[1bad85gn]

The auto zone unit comes with everything. Master cylinder, motor, ball etc. All you do is unbolt old unit (2 nuts) unplug 2 plugs on unit, disconect 2 brake lines and undo pedal under dash (1 cotter pin). My brakes were ROCK HARD and would not stop the car. Brake light came on intermitinly for a while until it finally stayed on. Auto zone unit fixed it all.