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How do you know if the brake booster should be rebuilt? I believe I have an 8 1/2" Midland Diaphragm Brake Booster (I'll try to get some pictures tonight). I need to replace front brakes shoes, wheel cylinders and brake lines. I have already replaced the rear shoes, wheel cylinders, master cylinder, and rear brake lines.
Can the emergency brake band be relined or is it better to replace? (It is a band that goes around the drive shaft)
How do you know if the brake booster should be rebuilt? I believe I have an 8 1/2" Midland Diaphragm Brake Booster (I'll try to get some pictures tonight). I need to replace front brakes shoes, wheel cylinders and brake lines. I have already replaced the rear shoes, wheel cylinders, master cylinder, and rear brake lines.
Can the emergency brake band be relined or is it better to replace? (It is a band that goes around the drive shaft)
Here is a pretty generic way to test the booster. This can be done on the truck using a vacuum gauge.
Also, there is no "emergency" brake on these trucks - it's a PARKING brake. Don't try to stop the truck using this brake. You can buy lining and rivet kits, and there may be reman units available. There may also be NOS available.
I know this is part of the brake booster. Then I remembered, in a box of spare parts I had this tube with a breather on it. I’m pretty sure that goes to the brake booster as well but don’t know where it goes.
The breather mounts behind the drivers seat with a gas tank bolt. There should be a hole in the floor with a grommet for it.
That thingy on the firewall is the booster's check valve. Wouldn't be a bad idea to clean it.
The breather mounts behind the drivers seat with a gas tank bolt. There should be a hole in the floor with a grommet for it.
That thingy on the firewall is the booster's check valve. Wouldn't be a bad idea to clean it.
That's right, Bob, except the 53 gas tank is not behind the seat so it must be attached to the back wall of the cab with its own bolt or screw. My brother had a 53 F 600 but I don't remember how it was attached or where.
That's right, Bob, except the 53 gas tank is not behind the seat so it must be attached to the back wall of the cab with its own bolt or screw. My brother had a 53 F 600 but I don't remember how it was attached or where.
Those VAC boosters were used up until the mid to late 60's possibly into the 70's
About 13 years ago, I bought a rebuilt one from Cascade Friction Materials in Tacoma for $125 + my old core. They told me that they send them to Portland to some brake booster rebuild shop. I didn't ask.
I have since removed it, practically gave it away and switched to a hydraulically boosted duel res MC from a 2005 Super duty F350. (I had to add a PS pump too)
My plan "B" was going to be to obtain another identical VAC booster and use 2 of them with a split-system manual master cyl. (I think they did this on 70's F-600's when they went to split systems)
Either way, there was no way I was going to make this 7000lb truck a regular "driver" with single-circuit brakes.....So I switched. I even put the MC and hydraulic booster in the OEM position so I can use the original thru-the-floor brake pedal.
If you want to consider doing it, I have pictures if you want to see how I did it.
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