Power Drum brake booster question.

[James Romano]

Hi. I'm swapping out my single to a dual MC. I have everything ready and am mocking it up. First thing I noticed is my "new" booster is totally different than my original which is toast.

Napa part number 54-73520 give the correct picture on the website, but the one I have on my bench is vastly different in shape and check valve design. There are no padded gaskets, nothing.

Is this ok? Can I use this booster? Why does it have a 3 port check valve? Bolt patterns match ok.

I'm using an MC from a 67 Mopar. Here are the pics. Not really sure what I have here and not sure if this will work. Any help/advice would be great. Thanks.

JR

 

[Davea Lux]

That is the late style booster. As long as it will bolt in place and clear the fender strut, hinges as well as the valve cover on 440 applications, it will probably work. Be sure to also check the length of the activation rod on the rear of the booster as later mopars might have a different length due to body changes. I need to know what year car this is going on. Most of the older pre '69 Mopar C-Bodies had midland single clamp boosters for drum brakes and that is what would be correct for that application, for that reason, I would suggest sending out your existing booster for a rebuild to keep the booster correct for the application. www.boosterdeweyexchange.com does quality rebuilds for nearly every type of booster. They will do the job right the first time and you will be happy. Check the warranty information for you NAPA booster, it will probably be a Cardone reman and it usually takes two or three units to get one that actually works. The three port check valves function the same as the two port models so that is not an issue. The extra port is for additional vacuum accessories. Most mopars have a check valve with a 90 degree port for the main vacuum line input.

The master cylinder in photo supplied is for drum brakes and is not appropriate for discs.

Dave

 

[saylor]

that booster should work with that M/C. leave any unused vacuum port capped off. not knowing what you had before you may need left/right and/or front/back combo valves.
bench bleed the M/C then when you stab it you want the pushrod where it wont let the M/C slide the last about 1/8" flush up to the booster it needs to be stood off about 1/8" by the rod keeping it from going flush.

make sure the kickdown linkage and throttle linkage is good free movement thru range of travel.

try not to die -

- saylor

 

[James Romano]

That is the late style booster. As long as it will bolt in place and clear the fender strut, hinges as well as the valve cover on 440 applications, it will probably work. Be sure to also check the length of the activation rod on the rear of the booster as later mopars might have a different length due to body changes. I need to know what year car this is going on. Most of the older pre '69 Mopar C-Bodies had midland single clamp boosters for drum brakes and that is what would be correct for that application, for that reason, I would suggest sending out your existing booster for a rebuild to keep the booster correct for the application. www.boosterdeweyexchange.com does quality rebuilds for nearly every type of booster. They will do the job right the first time and you will be happy. Check the warranty information for you NAPA booster, it will probably be a Cardone reman and it usually takes two or three units to get one that actually works. The three port check valves function the same as the two port models so that is not an issue. The extra port is for additional vacuum accessories. Most mopars have a check valve with a 90 degree port for the main vacuum line input.

The master cylinder in photo supplied is for drum brakes and is not appropriate for discs.

Dave

Thanks for the reply. I own a '65 Sport Fury that has factory power drum brakes. The booster is shot, and so are all my lines. So I'm going all out and replacing everything while also doing an MC swap per the 'Dueling Brakes' article from Mopar magazine. I can take the booster back to Napa, as I just picked it up 2 weeks ago. I haven't looked at the activation rod in detail yet, as the overall look of the booster stopped me in my tracks. I was thinking it's not the right one.

I agree with you.. I'll send mine out. I really want this right. Not only for looks, but for safety as well. I took a shot with the NAPA unit... failed. Maybe it will work, but I don't want to be bothered having it look totally awkward, as everything else I've done is year/era appropriate.

Here's what I had in the car. It's all out now...


thanks

JR

 

[Davea Lux]

That is a midland booster that is the correct one for your application. Your NAPA booster is larger in diameter and on a lot of applications, it will not clear the valve cover. Good choice to keep the car correct and rebuild your existing unit. www.inlinetube.com has the brake tubing patterns for your car including the update for the split brake system. www.manciniracing.com and others have the correct reproduction distribution block for the '67 if you desire to use that block.

Dave

 

[James Romano]

That is a midland booster that is the correct one for your application. Your NAPA booster is larger in diameter and on a lot of applications, it will not clear the valve cover. Good choice to keep the car correct and rebuild your existing unit. www.inlinetube.com has the brake tubing patterns for your car including the update for the split brake system. www.manciniracing.com and others have the correct reproduction distribution block for the '67 if you desire to use that block.

Dave

I bought the SS lines for front and back (I live in Long Island, salt air sucks)... what do you mean about the update for the split brake system? Also, I have that 'T' for the 65-66 C-Bodies from Mancini Racing.. Inline Tube distribution Block. I don't know what they're talking about... it doesn't fit. The bracket is too small, and the holes don't line up with the direction of the lines. Unless there are other lines I was supposed to buy. I bought specific for my car.

I cleaned up my block pretty well, and bought all the adaptors from NAPA.

Did miss something better?

 

[Davea Lux]

I bought the SS lines for front and back (I live in Long Island, salt air sucks)... what do you mean about the update for the split brake system? Also, I have that 'T' for the 65-66 C-Bodies from Mancini Racing.. Inline Tube distribution Block. I don't know what they're talking about... it doesn't fit. The bracket is too small, and the holes don't line up with the direction of the lines. Unless there are other lines I was supposed to buy. I bought specific for my car.

Split brakes require a dual line setup from the master cylinder to the distribution block, that is the update. Mancini makes more than one distribution block, one for discs and one for drums, verify that you have the correct unit for drums. One of the problems with stainless brake lines is that they are very difficult to rework is something needs to be changed. The dual pass distribution block is bigger and the lines will set up differently than with the single units.

Dave

 

[James Romano]

Ok. I'll give them a call tomorrow and see what they have. If anything, I'll use my T-block with the line adapter per the mod instructions. I know that will work with the stock lines, hence why I bought them.

Thanks for your help and advice. I appreciate it!

 

[rapidtrans]

Here’s the piece you’ll need from InlineTube.

 

[James Romano]

View attachment 332659
Here’s the piece you’ll need from InlineTube.

You have that installed in a 65 C-Body? When I spoke to Inline, they gave me a reference to a guy in Montana that only works on Mopars. I called him and he said it won't work without a lot of extra bending because of the port angels and positions. I have the block, and compared it to my original... He's right.

How did you make it work? Got any pics of it installed? Apparently it's really meant for 67 and up B, E bodies...?

I'm really curious.

JR

 

[James Romano]

I gave Mancini Racing a call today about that Inline Tube setup being for a 65-66 'C-Body'. We both agreed that it's really not.... but you can mod the bracket and your lines to make it work. Looking closer at the porting of the block...the block is in the wrong direction, and the bracket is too short. So it's not a plug-in and go setup as one might be led to think.

Essentially, I can cut the 90 deg bend off the bracket, make another bracket and mount the block and it's bracket to it, then mount the new bracket with the block mounted on it to the chassis hole as the stock block does.
The ports are another issue... rotating the block 180 degrees will put the rear ports towards the rear of the car, straight hook-up with the rear line. Then I would have to make a tight 90 bend in the right front brake line (or a 90 elbow) to use the side port of the block. Then of course is the MC to the block... you can use those tubes as they cross over each other for the correct front to back alignment.

Doable.. but certainly not any cleaner than using the original block and Mopar Magazine's Dueling Cylinders method.

I now own a $35 paper weight...

On a good note... I'm sending out my booster to Power Booster Exchange. Real nice people. The gal on the phone was terrific and very easy to talk to. I happy to know my original booster will be mounted back in the car when it's all done.

 

[James Romano]

I think adding this elbow in to the side port, turning the block 180 and having the two ports facing forward will be the answer to using this block on a 65-66 C-Body.

 

[Davea Lux]

I think adding this elbow in to the side port, turning the block 180 and having the two ports facing forward will be the answer to using this block on a 65-66 C-Body.

View attachment 332965

Just be sure to get a fitting that is rated for brake use, your run of the mill gas line fittings are not strong enough to take brake system pressures.

Dave

 

[James Romano]

Yup... I'm going to talk to the local guys at NAPA .. I'm sure they have the correct elbow for brake use. I just posted that pic for reference as to what that block needs to fit as it should