No power brakes!?
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 473
Likes: 8
From: Shreveport LA
No power brakes!?
When I first got my car the power booster was bad. It was apparently too close to the rearmost primary header tube on the driver's side and it had melted a nice hole on the back side of the booster, just out of sight. :eek:
Well, that problem was fixed about 15K miles ago, but now my symptoms are back. Absolutely no power boost for the brakes. At first I figured my booster might have melted again, but I pulled the vacuum line that runs from the plenum to the booster and the idle jumped dramatically. I reattached the line and there is obviously enough vacuum pressure holding in the booster to cause a major difference in idle (basically the same as when I hold my finger over the end of the vacuum line.
So here's the question. If my booster is holding enough vacuum to affect the idle the same as when I hold my finger over the end of the vacuum line, WHAT on Earth could be causing me to have absolutely no power brakes? (it takes about 50 pounds of force on the pedal to stop the car). :smash: There isn't much to the whole power booster system, and the booster is practically new (9 months since install).
Any educated guesses?? :confused: Thanks :)
Well, that problem was fixed about 15K miles ago, but now my symptoms are back. Absolutely no power boost for the brakes. At first I figured my booster might have melted again, but I pulled the vacuum line that runs from the plenum to the booster and the idle jumped dramatically. I reattached the line and there is obviously enough vacuum pressure holding in the booster to cause a major difference in idle (basically the same as when I hold my finger over the end of the vacuum line.
So here's the question. If my booster is holding enough vacuum to affect the idle the same as when I hold my finger over the end of the vacuum line, WHAT on Earth could be causing me to have absolutely no power brakes? (it takes about 50 pounds of force on the pedal to stop the car). :smash: There isn't much to the whole power booster system, and the booster is practically new (9 months since install).
Any educated guesses?? :confused: Thanks :)
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 473
Likes: 8
From: Shreveport LA
Re: No power brakes!? (ROME)
Okay, I'm an idiot :rolleyes:
Turns out (as logic would dictate) that the rear most primary tube has in fact melted a nice new hole in my new power booster. I really wish I could find a metal one!
The confusion came in my assumption that the leak would be apparent while my car was sitting in park at idle, but the vacuum doesn't come into play until the brakes are depressed. I took the car out for a spin and low and behold, when the brakes were depressed I could hear a loud sucking noise behind the instrument panel. The scariest part is that the rpm's begin to race as soon as the vacuum leak is opened (ie: at the same moment the non-working power brakes are depressed). Nothing like compounding the act of stopping a car with (now) manual brakes by having the engine rev to 1600rpm at the same time!! :eek:
Now off to fix the power booster again :smash:
Turns out (as logic would dictate) that the rear most primary tube has in fact melted a nice new hole in my new power booster. I really wish I could find a metal one!
The confusion came in my assumption that the leak would be apparent while my car was sitting in park at idle, but the vacuum doesn't come into play until the brakes are depressed. I took the car out for a spin and low and behold, when the brakes were depressed I could hear a loud sucking noise behind the instrument panel. The scariest part is that the rpm's begin to race as soon as the vacuum leak is opened (ie: at the same moment the non-working power brakes are depressed). Nothing like compounding the act of stopping a car with (now) manual brakes by having the engine rev to 1600rpm at the same time!! :eek:
Now off to fix the power booster again :smash:
