Power booster broke pic added

[Jakedog]

Have you guys ever had a power brake booster break? After changing the oil in my bronco I decided to take it for a quick drive. I just started to back out of the garage, and when I hit the brakes the pedal went to the floor!!
At first the pedal came up enough so that I could push it again, but the next push it stayed down. Luckily I wasn't all the way out of the garage, and I forgot to release the E brake which doesn't work that great, but it was enough to stop on flat ground.

I opened the hood and I had my son try to move the brake pedal while I checked the linkage on the firewall. He couldn't move it. It was literally stuck to the floor. I told him to try and pull the pedal up. When he did, the push rod going into the booster came loose. When I pulled the black boot back from the rod I could see that the booster itself had broken. Like it pulled the piston out of it or something like that.
I don't know all the part names on the booster.

The booster came from O'Reillys about 4 years ago. I've never had a booster break like that.

 

[SteveL]

Good excuse to go hydroboost.

 

[Jakedog]

Good excuse to go hydroboost.

I have most of the parts for hb. I might give it a try.

 

[jckkys]

Your problem isn't the vacuum booster. There is a solid push rod linkage through the booster. So for obvious reasons a complete loss of vacuum, you will still have brakes. You just loose the power assist. Lose a belt or have the engine die and hydroboost will do the same thing. Check your master cylinder for fluid level.

 

[Jakedog]

Your problem isn't the vacuum booster. There is a solid push rod linkage through the booster. So for obvious reasons a complete loss of vacuum, you will still have brakes. You just loose the power assist. Lose a belt or have the engine die and hydroboost will do the same thing. Check your master cylinder for fluid level.

No loss of vacuum. There is plenty of fluid in the master cylinder. The rod going into the booster is broken. The pedal was stuck to the floor, so I couldn't even pump the brakes.
I won't know exactly what happened until I go to work on it.

 

[sprdv1]

Good excuse to go hydroboost.

10-4 on that..

 

[WheelHorse]

So the brake pedal went to the floor and the truck did not stop? Google that simple statement...that's the master. In theory........if your booster locked the pedal to the floor you would be writing...my truck is stuck with all four brakes applied and I cannot move it.

I ordered both master and booster from Jeff's. I ordered them separately so I had to set the depth of the pushrod. Food for thought if you're not comfortable making that adjustment. You can buy the tool, you can use clay, or you can buy a master and booster already assembled.

After installing a new master and vac booster, I can EASILY lock up the tires now. I could not do that before. Both pieces are relatively cheap. 40 or so for the master and 90 for the booster. I got it on a 10% sale from Jeff's.

 

[DirtDonk]

Agree in the theory, but he says he can see the broken linkage ahead of the booster (under the boot). So nothing seems to be able to push in on the booster.

I think we'd all love to see pics of that too Jakedog!
What you're saying is that even though the booster is in the way, there is still enough space for the broken rod to just flop around and do nothing?
Sort of like maybe rocking sideways instead of linear to the pedal and mechanism?

Never heard of a linkage breaking either. Gotta' get some pics of that dude!
Glad you were not rolling down the highway when that happened!

Small favors, and all that...%)

Paul

 

[Tiko433]

I suspect this pin fell out If someone put the pin in upside down and the cotter pin failed the pin could fall out

 

[SteveL]

I suspect this pin fell out If someone put the pin in upside down and the cotter pin failed the pin could fall out

^^^^this happened to me.

 

[Jakedog]

Took the booster and MC off today. I only took a few pics. It's about 102°f in my garage right now.

 

[Jakedog]

The rod going into mc pretty much just fell out.

 

[MarsChariot]

As I recall there is nothing really holding the push rod in the booster other than the boot and it comes out easily. I don't think that is the problem. It sounds more like something else went amiss, but not the linkage.

 

[Jakedog]

Regardless of what went wrong with it I'm going to go hydroboost. Like I said, I have most of the parts already, and I didn't like the feel of the old system. Thanks for the replies.

 

[Jakedog]

Ordered the MC and the hoses yesterday from WH. I hope the install goes smooth.