My car is a 40% street / 60% track car. Twisted 6 - Stage II. I know I am on borrowed time with my powermaster. But I am just very hesitant to convert to VAC. Right now if I try to panic stop I get a push back against the pedal, before it applies the brakes. I think last time this happened it was the ACC ball. But I know it is just not smart to be running 150mph a the track with a stock PM.
87 GN PowerMaster conversion to hydroboost questions.
- Thread starter CanMove
- Start date
m3x1c0
Bad luck Buick
- Joined
- Jun 16, 2014
This is exactly what mine feels like with Vac setup. Normal stopping is nice and progressive. Slamming the brake feels like nothing happens for a sec. Not sure if its a proportioning valve thing but this happened with stock valve and my new brass one too.
Jerryl
Tall Unvaccinated Chinese Guy
- Joined
- Dec 14, 2004
In reality . . Manual, PM, Vacuum and Hydroboost all work if maintained.
Easiest swap is factory type PM.
Least expensive conversion is vacuum.
Most combersome swap is hydroboost.
Manual . . Not sure . . By the time the pedal, mc, wheel cyl, etc
Depending on the goal and needs, ask yourself: Wich system provides the best brake assist (Read delta P)?
Its a 30/34/34/2% proposition. But that too changes with time. Lol
Easiest swap is factory type PM.
Least expensive conversion is vacuum.
Most combersome swap is hydroboost.
Manual . . Not sure . . By the time the pedal, mc, wheel cyl, etc
Depending on the goal and needs, ask yourself: Wich system provides the best brake assist (Read delta P)?
Its a 30/34/34/2% proposition. But that too changes with time. Lol
Last edited:
TurboJunky
Fire the Federal Gov't
- Joined
- Nov 5, 2002
My vacuum system from a 1983 Grand Prix works and feels 100% normal, no different than any other car.
The '84 Hydroboost set up on my '86 Ttype does this, too, so I don't think it is the Hydoboost.
Do you have a line lock on the front wheels?
Slamming down from 80mph there feels like a 1/2 second of no brakes, then tons of brakes.
m3x1c0
Bad luck Buick
- Joined
- Jun 16, 2014
No line lock. Stock brakes. new pads, and new cylinders. no leaks and properly bled.
I have LS1 fronts and a line lock, so the line lock and front brake type seems to be out of the equation. My pads are new and not fully bedded in, on drilled/sloted rotors maybe there is some similarity there.
When I go hard on the pedal, it goes in, not much seems to happen, then it feels like the power comes on and I have to reduce pedal pressure to avoid locking them up.
Is that similar to what you are experiencing?
TurboTnZ06
Go on red!
- Joined
- May 7, 2002
I have hydroboost. This one time at the track, at the end of the run, when I let off, the unsecured old school setup of a 3 inch hose and K&N just sitting in the engine compartment, well the maf hose got sneezed into the alternator pulley, cut the hose in two, engine shut off. Engine off, at 130 mph, ain't no fun because there is no accumulator in my hydroboost. So I had no brakes, I mean NO brakes. So, I threw it in N, hit the starter and got plenty of stopping power. Now, if I had lost my belt, I may have tried using the parking brake to slow and maybe used the runoff area, who knows. Now I have all my stuff secure, but an accumulator is something to think about having.
A great master is the 81 Eldorado caddy one by Fenco. Has a plastic more modern look to it. I used an 84/85 hydro unit from Advance (took a few to get one that didn't leak) and a "new" power steering pump from gbdoy or kirban ( I forget where I bought it because the Advance and Rock Auto ones were all the wrong rotation remans).
A great master is the 81 Eldorado caddy one by Fenco. Has a plastic more modern look to it. I used an 84/85 hydro unit from Advance (took a few to get one that didn't leak) and a "new" power steering pump from gbdoy or kirban ( I forget where I bought it because the Advance and Rock Auto ones were all the wrong rotation remans).
TurboTnZ06
Go on red!
- Joined
- May 7, 2002
At 45 mph I can lock all 4 super sticky tires up. 160 treadwear 245 45 17's front and 100 treadwear 275 40 17 NT01 back. Stock rotors and big rear shoes, s10 cylinders, hawk pads up front. SS Russel flex lines for the 3 that are flexible.
OK, well the decision was made after many hours of research... I'm going Vacuum... I already ordered and received the vacuum brake conversion kit from Kirbans...
I have the Baer Big brake kit on the front of my GN. 13" drilled and slotted rotors with T4 calipers... 4 piston. I just ordered the rear drum to 13" disk conversion kit from Baer for the rear of my GN.
Waiting for that to come in so i can do all brake work at one time and bleed the complete system once... My brakes should be top notch....
Got bored so i ordered the Ride Tech Level II Coil Over system also.... I hate the way this thing drives with the stock suspension..... Needless to say im very excited to get this stuff installed...
I have the Baer Big brake kit on the front of my GN. 13" drilled and slotted rotors with T4 calipers... 4 piston. I just ordered the rear drum to 13" disk conversion kit from Baer for the rear of my GN.
Waiting for that to come in so i can do all brake work at one time and bleed the complete system once... My brakes should be top notch....
Got bored so i ordered the Ride Tech Level II Coil Over system also.... I hate the way this thing drives with the stock suspension..... Needless to say im very excited to get this stuff installed...
