another GN converted over to vacuum brakes

[crownvic96]

AND I COULDN'T BE HAPPIER! no more wishy washey power masters, i have a consistant brake pedal ALL THE TIME. the swap was not that bad and i didn't even remove the seat. just takes time, patience and a few breaks to let my arms rest from being kind of upside down in the floor board.

regardless if i got any performance benefits or not the biggest thing i have now is PEACE OF MIND! every time i was on the road with my powermasters i was always looking at ditches and places to swerve when i started braking in case that brake application was "the last".

unless you have some 100point concours car i think everyone should get rid of their overpriced pieces of gm engineered crapmasters and go over to vacuum.

i've put a lot of mods on my car in the last 3 months and i honestly think i am happier with this mod than any of the "go fast" upgrades i put on it.

 

[DonnieShort]

I did my conversion about 3 years ago and I have never looked back. Probably one of the top 5 things I've done to the car. The reason I switched was I was going down my street which intersects another street and you have to turn right or left. Straight ahead is a house . So I'm driving @ 35 or 40 and go to put on the brakes and it was like I was standing on concrete block! I was pushing so hard my face was like and I was going right toward that house. With about 20 of raod left the Power Diaster decided to work and I was slow down and stop. I said that's it. I bought Red Regal T's vac. conversion the next day. And at the track I can hold 20psi of boost on the line as long as I want on the footbrake, I just don't launch off 20, but 15psi is another story

 

[kh440]

Ditto. Letting Red talk me into buying the kit was the second smartest thing I ever did.

 

[INEEDAGN]

Love mine also. I spent the dough on brand new GM parts. I may get a different master cylinder sometime in the future though, as I have a noticeably softer pedal now. At least I know it will stop.

bob

 

[crownvic96]

i was getting a slight lockup of the rear drivers wheel but i bled the rear brakes. i was gonna do a full bleed but i have the new brass combination valve on the way. i found out i still have the old rusty pos oem one. plus i have russell speed bleeders to install too. this will be some brake bleeding vacuum pumping one man fun!

and after that me and my vacuum pump are going back into my computer room for some high speed internet luvn!


wait did i just say that out loud?

 

[denn454]

i had them and absolutely hated them. they were on the car when i bought it, so i don't know if maybe some parts were not right or what, but downshifting was the only way to really slow the car down. i couldn't, even if i wanted to lock up the wheels, not even one wheel. all i could say is make sure to get a good unit and hope for the best. from all i could find, what i had was right. i don't know if its my high altitude and a general lack of air or what, but they did not work and i wanted to switch back to a powermaster.

 

[bruce]

Originally posted by denn454
i had them and absolutely hated them. they were on the car when i bought it, so i don't know if maybe some parts were not right or what, but downshifting was the only way to really slow the car down. i couldn't, even if i wanted to lock up the wheels, not even one wheel. all i could say is make sure to get a good unit and hope for the best. from all i could find, what i had was right. i don't know if its my high altitude and a general lack of air or what, but they did not work and i wanted to switch back to a powermaster.

Judging from the info here, it would seem, that your setup had issues.

http://www.t6p.com/forums/showthread.php?t=6220

I can *just* lock up the fronts, but, I can stop 80MPH-0 in less then 180'.
Which ain't bad compared to any street car.

 

[Robbie-87plz]

Glad you like it...

Switched over thanks to Geoff87, after telling me the story of his GN running downhill without brakes. Pucker factor story if I've ever heard one.

 

[crownvic96]

Originally posted by denn454
i had them and absolutely hated them. they were on the car when i bought it, so i don't know if maybe some parts were not right or what, but downshifting was the only way to really slow the car down. i couldn't, even if i wanted to lock up the wheels, not even one wheel. all i could say is make sure to get a good unit and hope for the best. from all i could find, what i had was right. i don't know if its my high altitude and a general lack of air or what, but they did not work and i wanted to switch back to a powermaster.

did you try to diagnose the problem?

i skipped the whole buy everything at a junkyard and just bought all remanufactured stuff locally. that way i have a warranty. i also got a vacuum filter and picked up an extra check valve for the booster just to have an extra on hand.

 

[denn454]

my g tech told me 220' 60-0. thats not good in any respect. i had more than enough vacuume, the check valve was in the right way, all the brake pads and shoes were in good condition. for what ever reason it just didn't work. if i were to do it again i think i'd go with the hydrolic unit that runs off the power steering pump. it might draw a litle extra power but it always works, isn't afected by the engine making boost, and more than anything is unique.

 

[jasjamz]

I roller I recently got has a brand new powermaster. Have had both systems. I had an 84 regal v6 and put an lc2 in it and the vaccum brakes were great! But I had no major problem out of my 87 with the powermaster either. A buddy of mine has a 78 regal with a LC2 drivetrain and is allways having trouble holding over 7psi on the line standing on the brakes. I guess its just one of those things.

 

[crownvic96]

Originally posted by denn454
my g tech told me 220' 60-0. thats not good in any respect. i had more than enough vacuume, the check valve was in the right way, all the brake pads and shoes were in good condition. for what ever reason it just didn't work. if i were to do it again i think i'd go with the hydrolic unit that runs off the power steering pump. it might draw a litle extra power but it always works, isn't afected by the engine making boost, and more than anything is unique.

did you do a pre-swap test?

and as far as i know g-tech's aren't really that accurate.

 

[bruce]

Originally posted by denn454
my g tech told me 220' 60-0. thats not good in any respect. i had more than enough vacuume, the check valve was in the right way, all the brake pads and shoes were in good condition. for what ever reason it just didn't work. if i were to do it again i think i'd go with the hydrolic unit that runs off the power steering pump. it might draw a litle extra power but it always works, isn't afected by the engine making boost, and more than anything is unique.

If the problem is anything other then the vacuum booster, swapping to a HB isn't going to cure the problem. *Good Condition* covers alot of territory. How long as it been since you flushed the brake system's fluid?, how old/what type of brake lines are you running?. How large of tire?. Is the combination valve working?. Before condeming a system, you might try going thou it completely.

While I've changed more then just the M/C, Booster, I have vac's that'll stop as well as about anything out there.

 

[Phatman]

I've always had pretty good luck with mine...

No tailgating while under boost, but I guess that goes without saying, eh...