Just got my new repro booster and new master cylinder, have new lines from the master to the proportioning valve, question is do I install myself or not. I have a brake bleeding kit and visions of grandeur of installing all myself. What do I need to know on installation; how to set up the master cylinder and booster correctly. Should I do this myself? I need to repaint the firewall which makes me want to do it at home, I can take my time and do it right. I am fairly mechanically inclined but I have never done any work with brakes. My concern is, I do this myself and end up hitting the back end of the garage ruining my grille, newly rechromed bumper, newly rechromed hood trim and original ram air hood. Encourage me or discourage me, what do you all think?
You can do it. Just worry about bleeding them. Everything else is straight forward. Don't try to move the car until jou have a firm pedal, or else push it with a helper.....you will crash it without brakes. I wasted 2 qts. of fluid the first time I did this, and learned the hard way you MUST bleed the master first and don't let it go empty or you'll have to do it all over again first. The most important thing is bench bleeding the master....if you don't do this right you will have problems. Patience is the word here. Aerated fluid will cause problems, so be sure let it sit for a while and then go back and gravity bleed it a little more before putting it in. Bench bleed the m/c WELL and then install it in the car. Don't open any bleeders on the wheels until you are done, and if the m/c is properly bled and you had the lines capped off while it was out, you should be able to gravity bleed them fairly easily. When you try pumping the pedal with air in the system, it all gets sucked back up into the master and causes problems. Anytime I had problems bleeding brakes, that was the cause, aside from defective m/cyls. with seals that were installed upside down. If you just can't get it, you can always have it powerbled at a local shop. You should at least have some brakes unless you really screw up bad. The rears are the hardest to bleed. You can do this if you are patient and stay cool.:bglasses:
master cylinder robert, being a mechanic ive replaced many master cylinders. most master cylinder manufacturers include a bleeding kit with their master cylinder. follow the instructions and bench bleed the master cylinder TWICE before installing it. if you bench bleed it properly you might not have to bleed your system at the wheels. if you find you still have some air in the system here is the bleeding sequence. passenger rear wheel first, then driver rear wheel, then passenger front wheel and last driver front wheel. depending how long its been since theyve been opened last, you might need to heat the bleeders a bit to get them open. a little bit of heat is better than having to replace a wheel cylinder or caliper. good luck
Thanks for the encouragement. I bought a mityvac vacuum pump/brake bleeder from eastwood, which came with detailed instructions on bench bleeding. I'm gonna give this a shot and WILL NOT move the car unless I have a firm pedal. If I run into help, I hope to run to the board for advice and/or encouragement. RHR
Robert, Make sure you read the thread on the brake booster group purchase first, as you will need to enlargen one of the holes on the bracket or it won't fit right. Chris
Thanks Chris, next time tell me to get off my lazy butt and hit the "search" button. Thank you for the link. RHR
