69 300, hard brakes; booster and valve question

[potshot]

I'm gently reviving a 69 300 and it's responding well. That said, the brakes are hard to press when moving the car around the driveway and in and out of the garage (no dragging, grinding or other weirdness, just needs a real hard press) and I need to get this sorted before I do anything more. The car has drums front and back and has a power booster. I've been reading about the booster and check valve and I have a couple questions;

The car is very stock, like crazy un-touched, but I see the booster valve has a second port on it with no hose. I realize this would impact the function of the booster so I'm interested in plumbing this second port before I do anything else. Where should this port route to?
If I were to remove the check valve from the booster, how would I do that? Just pull on it? I figured I'd ask in case there was a trick beyond a serious tug.

Thanks!

 

[thrashingcows]

That second smaller port off the check valve usually runs to the cruise control servo, but if you don't have cruise then just put a cap on it and your done. The fact that there is no cap on it now is why you have no power in your brake booster....all the vacuum is just leaking out and away. To get those outI like to spray a little PB blaster or something around the base then take it slowly and twist and rock it while pulling gently until it pops free.

 

[CBODY67]

The check valve is there to keep vac in the booster for about two full brake applications should engine vacuum go away while driving. A safety feature of sorts. With the engine stopped, each push of the pedal should become harder to do, as a result.

Should the booster diaphram "go away", with the engine running, when you depress the brake pedal, less boost will be there for assist, plus the one time that happened on our '66 Newport, as the brake pedal was depressed, the engine would start to miss (from a vacuum leak), but with the pedal unreleased, the miss went away. Cycle repeat.

So, cap that cruise servo vac tap on the check valve and see if things don't get better. In earlier times, the check valve had only the 3/8" line from the vac source going to it.

CBODY67

 

[potshot]

Thanks, I'll do that.

 

[413]

If that second fitting is open then cap it and try the brakes. Don’t remove the valve if the brake problem is fixed. Something may break and then what? Yes some lube or getting it warm will help it come out. It’s just pushed in a rubber grommet.