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Question
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Answer
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Is a power booster required with disc brakes?
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No. Although a power booster gives a good pedal feel, manual brakes work fine.
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What are the symptoms of a bad power booster?
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A bad power booster will give a very hard pedal, it will feel like you need two feet to stop the car.
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What does a booster do?
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A power booster helps assist pushing the master cylinder piston when you apply the brakes.
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How much pressure should I be getting to the wheels with a power booster?
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Typically you should expect about 1000 psi. to the wheels for a disc brake system. A disc brake system requires this amount of pressure so be careful when using a smaller 7" booster that puts out only 900 psi pressure.
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What size booster do I need?
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For lighter weight vehicles like street rods a 7" booster will work fine for disc/drum set ups. For a 4 wheel disc system a 7" booster will not give enough assist. An 8" dual diaphragm booster is the ticket for 4 wheel disc.
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Can I use a Ford Booster on a GM vehicle?
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If you can mount the booster properly and link it to the pedal then any booster can be used on any type of car.
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How much vacuum is needed to operate a booster properly?
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For a power booster to function properly you will need at least 18" of vacuum. Anything lower will give you a hard pedal.
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I have power drum brakes, can I use the same booster if I change to disc brakes?
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Yes. Just be sure to use a disc brake master cylinder.
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What happens if the vacuum is too low?
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If your vacuum level is too low you will experience a hard pedal and it will feel like the vehicle won't stop.
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I have a radical cam. Is there any way to supplement my low engine vacuum.
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Yes an electric vacuum pump that works off the 12 volt system and gives 21" vacuum.
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Will a reserve canister help?
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Somewhat, but usually they will only show a moderate increase in braking performance since the engine doesn't really get to a sufficient vacuum level on a constant basis. You really need a constant 16" at least.
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What are my options if I dont want to use the vacuum pump?
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Not many. Without the supplemental pump the only choice is to eliminate the booster and go to manual brakes.
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How will I know if my booster is bad?
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A bad booster will give a very hard pedal and it will feel like the vehicle will not stop.
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How do I check to see if my booster is operating properly?
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Shut off the engine. Depress the brake pedal a few times to evacuate the booster Apply a steady pressure to the pedal and start the engine. The pedal should fall slightly.
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Is there any way to decrease booster size and still maintain assist?
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Yes. By using a dual diaphragm design booster you can maintain a high level of assist while keeping a small size. Pirate Jack offers an 8" dual diaphragm booster that fits most street rod and GM applications.
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I have installed a big block and the booster hits the valve covers. Is there anything I can do?
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We offer an 8" dual diaphragm booster that will work for most GM and Ford applications.
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Will I need a special booster with 4 wheel disc brakes?
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The main consideration with 4 wheel disc brakes is that you have plenty of power assist. Don't undersize your booster with a 4 wheel disc set up.
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When I step on the brakes the pedal feels good but I get no braking.What could cause this?
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One of the causes of this is a mismatch between the booster pin length and the depth of the master cylinder piston hole. Be sure the hole is not too deep for the booster pin.
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I have installed a new booster on my car and now the brakes drag.
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Again this can be due to a mismatch between the booster pin and the master cylinder piston. Too long a pin will cause this.
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I have installed power brakes on my origional manual brake car and now the brakes are extremely sensitive.
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There are two attachment points on the brake pedal.For power brakes you need to use the lower attachment hole. Using the upper hole will make the brakes too sensitive.
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Power boosters keep going bad on my vehicles.
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You are probably getting corrosive vapors back into the booster. Install a vapor trap and that should eliminate the problem.
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CanI rebuild my own booster?
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This is not a good idea. There are many parts inside the booster that will require special tools to assemble and re assemble.
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Brake Boosters
