Vacuum brake booster kit

MN250R

Member
Joined
May 16, 2006
Anyone selling a vacuum brake booster kit? Im looking to convert mine to vacuum over the hydroboost. Is there kits out there you can buy at a good price? or do you have to piece it together with parts from other vehicles? Just trying to figure out the best route to go about this.

Thanks
 
brakes

I just converted mine, used a brakes from an 87 regal that I got from advanced auto parts, and a brake pedal and support from a 84 cutlass that I got from the junkyard and it works great:D
 
I just did mine,I took everything out of an 87 buick regal,very easy job to convert too.:biggrin:
 
Anyone selling a vacuum brake booster kit? Im looking to convert mine to vacuum over the hydroboost. Is there kits out there you can buy at a good price? or do you have to piece it together with parts from other vehicles? Just trying to figure out the best route to go about this.

Thanks

Yes they make kits $$ but you can get what you need cheaper looking on Craigslist or Junk yard or parts store.

IE:
Brake Pedal & rod from a regular Monte, Regal in bone yard or craigslist $5 to $20

Vacum booster (narrow style) Junk yard $20 Parts store $75

Master cylinder (new or rebuilt) parts store $15 to 60

Vacuum block ( vendor on board $50) or find another source for vacum (FREE)

New hose, Inline Filter $15.

I think I covered it. Love mine, works great.
 
From the Junkyard donor list...

Vacuum Brake Booster Conversion
86-87 Monte Carlo Double Diaphragms
Non-turbo Regals
Carquest # 54-71243
Get the double-diaphragm type vacuum booster like what the 86-87 Monte SS used. I know most of the vacuum brake G-bodies from 79-87 used the same unit, but specifying it to the guy behind the parts counter lets them pick it out from the computer easier. I think mine was part number 50-1243 from AutoZone. $200 -- order it with a master cylinder.
 
From the Junkyard donor list...

Vacuum Brake Booster Conversion
86-87 Monte Carlo Double Diaphragms
Non-turbo Regals
Carquest # 54-71243
Get the double-diaphragm type vacuum booster like what the 86-87 Monte SS used. I know most of the vacuum brake G-bodies from 79-87 used the same unit, but specifying it to the guy behind the parts counter lets them pick it out from the computer easier. I think mine was part number 50-1243 from AutoZone. $200 -- order it with a master cylinder.

I tried the double diaphragm from a Monte SS and it placed the Master cyl to far forward to meet the braklines when hooking up.????
 
Yep get the pedal from a wrecking yard out of another g body.

When purchasing the Booster and MC from the parts house. Get them seperately otherwise if the MC starts to leak you have to pull the whole unit to honor the warranty.

Alson I would spend the bread and get a alum vac block with booster tap vs tapping into the PCV line.
 
G Body Parts has a used kit for about $250 delivered, everything is complete in one box, and mine shipped quick.

Or you can search and source as also suggested.

New kits are also available I believe. Kirbans and G Body perhaps.
 
10 bucks for the pedal
5 bucks for a new pad
87 for booster
36 for MC
42 for vac block and gasket
10 for hose

Thats 190 bucks and you have lifetime warr on the booster and MC

Just for comparo
 
Thanks for all the replies!
Is it pretty easy to install the conversion? So is it better to go with a cardone kit for a 86-87 monte carlo or from an 87 buick regal?
Anyone have part numbers from advance auto parts on what i would need to purchase? I can get the brake pedal from a salvage yard
Where do you get the vac block with booster outlet at? Kirbans?

Thanks
 
Three hours or so in the winter cold outside.

Oh that was for the damm pedal, about an hour and a half for the rest of the stuff. :eek::p

Not that bad an install. :)

Bleeding will add a bit more time of course and must be done.

No pedals here in CT for $10, and then there's gas money too. ;)

Temps. in the 60's would be ideal, not the middle of the winter, or in the middle of the summer. :eek:

If you buy an alum. vacuum port make sure you seal the screw in ports and tighten them to the body of the thing, or they may leak on you if you install it right out of the box.
 
Is the vacuum setup better over the original power master?
I see some people installing hydroboost. Is the vacuum brake setup good setup for the occasional driver or is it worth it to spend the money for a hydro boost?

Thanks
 
I converted over to vacuum couple years ago, works just as well and alot cheaper to fix if it were to go bad in the future.
 
Buick never used a vacuum booster on a GN

My original post 7 years ago was that Buick knew better than to install a vaccum booster on a Supercharged car. Vacuum boosters need vacuum. 20" of it to work. Blowing air INTO a vacuum booster drops all power assist to manual brakes, or could, if the check valve did not hols blow the steel shells apart. Several guys here have experienced brake FAILURES at speed when the boost blew the hose off, or the check valve aprt. Buick already knew this. They look at any reason they can be sued, and brakes is at the top of the list. THAT is why they spent the extra money experimenting with the PowerMaster. Vacuum ISSUES. The GN has several strikes against it, vaccum wise. 1, small cubis inches 2. Turbocharged (opposite of vacuum) 3. overdrive trans (car runs along in OD) 4. F.I. It only cost Buick $20 for a vacuum booster, but 15 times that for the PowerMaster. Why? Becaus eof brake failures. Guys spend enormous amounts of money to make their car go faster, and then "go junkyad cobbled up" brake systems? What is your car worth? What is your life worth? I saw a on "Pinks All Out" a GN lose the race (and his car) when he tried to spool up the Turbo, and the car pushed thru the lights, and he redlighted. It was obviously a "Vacuum" brake booster. Guys HERE have reported being able to hold the car to 22lbs of boost with a Hydroboost brake.
 
And I suppose the turbocharged TTA in 1989 was some sort of strange exception to your logic? :rolleyes:

Maybe what you saw on TV was a hydroboost kit that failed when the owner couldn't get in touch with his MIA kitmaker? :eek: :eek:

You remember those threads right?

My life is worth about as much as a Pontiac TTA's guys life. :p

Probably a bit more than someone still looking for promised help and parts for his cobbled up hydroboost kit from an infamous "vendor".

Does a N/A V6 or V8 car produce 20" of vacuum? I doubt it.

I bet with all the $$$ warranty and liability claims on the Powermaster that Buick wished they used a vacuum setup on the GN's.

How's that logic? ;)
 
Buick installed Hydroboosts from day one

Everyone points to the TTA. How many were made? The Powermaster was out of production at the end of 1987. The TTA was made with leftover V-6's in 1989. There were no Powermasters even available to install on the TTA's. The Powermaster would not even clear the spring tower of an F-Body. I rebuild these boosters. Vacuum, Hydroboosts, and Powermasters. Thousands of them. I know what is in them ,and how to modify them for increased power. Vacuum boosters need VACUUM. Something the G.N. does not have enough of to operate the booster. Blowing air PRESSURE into a VACUUM booster can not work. We had big problems in the 60's when they put bigger cams in Chevelles and Mustangs then. Vacuum dropped to 14" and 7" in gear with an automatic. Now it's worse for vacuum in these cars with the addition of 4 discs and even bigger cams. Buick knew that from the first one in 1983, Buick INSTALLED HYDROBOOSTS from day one, NOT a Regal vacuum booster. Maybe Buick Knew something? Vacuum boosters are rated to operate at 20" of vacuum. IF you have a Buick that pulls 20" of vacuum IN GEAR, then it will work, maybe even with the tiny S-10 brakes.
 
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