powermaster failure....best replacement??

Joined
Jan 6, 2013
took car out today when almost home lost brakes(hard pedal) found blown fuse, replaced worked for a few minutes and blew fuse again. What is the best conversion kit and where to get it? Thank you!
 
took car out today when almost home lost brakes(hard pedal) found blown fuse, replaced worked for a few minutes and blew fuse again. What is the best conversion kit and where to get it? Thank you!
Go vacuum. Pretty much any auto parts store have the master and booster for a non turbo regal
 
took car out today when almost home lost brakes(hard pedal) found blown fuse, replaced worked for a few minutes and blew fuse again. What is the best conversion kit and where to get it? Thank you!


I was skeptic on the vacuum conversion.. after doing it .. DONT be.. it is way better ... love it !
 
its personal preference really…. I don't like the feel of Vacuum brakes… a good PowerMaster is hard to beat…. I like HydroBoost's feel better than Vacuum, but its install is more involved. Did you troubleshoot the Brake system yet? if the fuse keeps popping - the motor its probably staying on…. bad pressure switch or accumulator ball possibly. Do you have any extra parts that you could switch out?

if you do get rid of it let me know what you want for the broken core….. i need to mock up some things.


aaron
 
its personal preference really…. I don't like the feel of Vacuum brakes… a good PowerMaster is hard to beat…. I like HydroBoost's feel better than Vacuum, but its install is more involved. Did you troubleshoot the Brake system yet? if the fuse keeps popping - the motor its probably staying on…. bad pressure switch or accumulator ball possibly. Do you have any extra parts that you could switch out?

if you do get rid of it let me know what you want for the broken core….. i need to mock up some things.


aaron
Assuming it's the motor replacing fuse only lasts a minute and brake presses in the driveway and it's only been in a year , want a more reliable system
 
Assuming it's the motor replacing fuse only lasts a minute and brake presses in the driveway and it's only been in a year , want a more reliable system
yeah the fuse is probably trying to save the motor from continuous running ….. i understand your pain. If you are just wanting to do the easiest switch possible, as said earlier, go vacuum. To me - i just don't like the pedal feel, I'm used to a firmer feel….. but as stated previously, just my personal preference.


aaron
 
yeah the fuse is probably trying to save the motor from continuous running ….. i understand your pain. If you are just wanting to do the easiest switch possible, as said earlier, go vacuum. To me - i just don't like the pedal feel, I'm used to a firmer feel….. but as stated previously, just my personal preference.


aaron
You think it's the switch and not the motor? How do I verify?
 
If you have access to spare parts [KNOWN GOOD] you can switch either the switch or accumulator ball out quickly and test operation…. those are the two parts that frequently fail.


aaron
 
If you have access to spare parts [KNOWN GOOD] you can switch either the switch or accumulator ball out quickly and test operation…. those are the two parts that frequently fail.


aaron
I have another bad one I replace last year but don't know what's wrong with it. How do I check switch
 
i think the main failure on switches was fluid leaking when the went bad…. Does your system have the Gray pressure switch? Is the accumulator ball the newer style? when you replace the fuse, does the pump just continuously stay on?

aaron
 
If the fuse bows the motor is shot.

The best replacement is hydroboost. Vacuum is second and a lot less money.

I am removing a brand new vacuum system with the bigger booster and new master. Shoot me a message if you are interested.

Rick
 
As Rick indicted, The best replacement is hydroboost, and vacuum is second and a lot less money. If you intent to continue to use the PowerMaster you might want to get a Kent Moore Tool that will check and troubleshoot the PowerMaster. I have one and it works great during the time I needed this tool to troubleshooting my PowerMaster and found my problem.
Right now EBay has this tool for a very cheap price where as many are listed for $40-100 range
http://www.ebay.com/itm/KENT-MOORE-..._Automotive_Tools&hash=item540407a7ee&vxp=mtr
 

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i think the main failure on switches was fluid leaking when the went bad…. Does your system have the Gray pressure switch? Is the accumulator ball the newer style? when you replace the fuse, does the pump just continuously stay on?

aaron
OK switch is gray don't know what new to old accumulator looks like the motor pumps fluid out of inside master like it should but motor runs every time brake pedal is pressed but it does cycle runs for a bit and shuts off until u release pedal and apply brake again runs every time. There is no fluid leakage anywhere
 
If the fuse bows the motor is shot.

The best replacement is hydroboost. Vacuum is second and a lot less money.

I am removing a brand new vacuum system with the bigger booster and new master. Shoot me a message if you are interested.

Rick


NOT true. A lot more motor running and switching is usually what blows the fuse. The motor and pump RARELY are a failure item although when they do fail it's the result of faulty maintenance or faulty troubleshooting.
The highest failure item on the PM system would be the switch and/or accumulator. Either of them going bad and not receiving proper attention will cause excessive motor operation which can start blowing fuses, and eventually will ruin the motor. But the motor and pump is not the place to start.
 
OK switch is gray don't know what new to old accumulator looks like the motor pumps fluid out of inside master like it should but motor runs every time brake pedal is pressed. There is no fluid leakage anywhere
The simplest test would be to swap out accumulator balls - BE VERY VERY CAREFUL - you must discharge system pressure first, with key off keep stepping on brake pedal until it's hard , then u can replace it
 
There are really 3 replacement options:
The hardly mentioned is the manual just the master cylinder mounted to the fire wall Simple? Yes. Reliable? Yes. Hardcore? Yes. Factory feel? No.
Hydro boost a more costly and complicated, it can strain the steering pump due to the extra work it has to do. Simple? No. Reliable? Yes Hardcore? Not really. Factory feel? Yes.
Vacuum most popular conversion it is cost effective and easy to convert. Simple? Yes. Reliable? Yes. Hardcore? No. Factory Feel? Sometimes.
 
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