Hey guys I was wondering if you could confirm my suspicion on something.

The other day on my way home from work I went to slow down and turn in my drive. I hit the brakes but nothing till I pushed down really hard and then it was like I had no power brakes. I finally got stoped and backed up and got in the drive and up to the house. My wife who was sitting on the porch watch this display and was laughing her butt off cause she said the look on my face was priceless. Any ways back to the subj. My first inital thought was the brake booster I poped the hood and had a look around and all looked normal then. I then pulled the vacume hose to the Brake Booster and put my thumb over the end and it had very very little vacume to it. So I whiped out my manual and studied a bit and come to the conclusion with the info I read that the Vacume Pump was out. I called a buddy of mine that works for Peterbuilt and currently owns a Ford pickup simalar to mine and he seemed to agree that it was Pump as well. I called and priced a new pump and the cheepest one in my area is $120.00. I know that isnt much for most of you but times are tight here on the home front and my wife is already a little pissy about me buying this truck in the first place since I have a brand new pickup in the garage lol. I just dont want to spend the money on a new pump and that not be the problem then have to listen to you know who about you know what for who knows how long. So to sum it all up my brake pedal is hard like a old truck with no power brakes but it will still stop. I pulled the wheels off and checked all the pads calipers ect and all is good. The brake light stays on constant on the dash now. Any help with this would be greatly appreciated

 

Check for leaks on the lines. Then try swapping your AC to floor defrost etc. If it does not switch then most likely your VP is dead. Loosen your Belt and turn the vacuum pump by hand it should get tight and then flop over and get loose and tight again. The bearings croak on these quite frequently Mine died at 75K. I have seen others where the vacuum pump has frozen up and ripped the mounting shaft.
You will have to use a puller to pull the wheel and then when reinstalling put the bolts in first and the press the wheel on. Who knows maybe you can find a used one that can get you by.
and welcome to FTE.

 

The Floor, Vent and Defrost swaps back and forth like normal. Ill take the belt loose and see if it builds up when I turn it by hand I really appreciat the info and thanks for the welcome.

 

Before you take the belt off pull the line off the vacuum T on the driverside fender well and see if there is a good vacuum at the line going to the pump. If you can get your hands on a vacuum gauge it should have 18 in hg minimum. If the pump has that you need to find the leaks

 

I bet its the vacuum pump. My heater controls would still work when mine went bad.

 

This may be more anecdotal than anything.
I had a 94 E350 and I could make the brakes do exactly what happened to you. All I had to do was feather the brake pedal a few times and then try a full stop. I would have to stand on the pedal to make it stop. I had the dealer look at it a few times and even replace the pump but it would still do it.
It was a company truck so I was limited to what I could personally do. I always thought it was some kind of a resivour or check valve issue. The company dumped the truck a few months later so I never did find out. My 97 E 350 has never done it.
I hope this helps
Rico

 

mine did the same thing, adjusted the shoes on the back and replaced vacuum booster, nada, check valve was good, then replaced the vacuum pump and that was the fix.

 

Thanks for all the help guys!! I checked everything out this weekend real good and the best I could tell it was the pump so I bit the bullet and went and got one and flung it on. Bam!!!! it fixed my problem. It was obvious when I pulled the old pump off and could twist the shaft with my greasy fingers lol.

 

You would think that these would work longer since they dont have as much duty as a gasser. Just a weak part of these trucks. Glad your set, mine almost killed me when it went out going 55 pulling 14K. Hair turned white been that color ever since then. LOL

 

The 94 models had brake booster problems. There was a service bulletin about it that had a new booster that was a zero loss design. Mine still had the original booster on it when I got it amazingly. If I held the pedal, or pumped it lightly it would end up on the floor with no brakes. I must have replaced a hundred of them at Ford too.
If I remember right all the 96 and up trucks have the updated brake boosters on them.
Just because the pedal goes to the floor on these things does not mean it's automatically the master cylinder.