SARGE - ROAD WARRIOR

That looks pretty rough. I hope everybody is okay.

 

Okay, so technically, the plate that bolts to the axle tube flange is what keeps the axle and bearing in place, so you'll need to drop it out, and look at the spider gear that axle shaft rides in. In my mind, the splines on the inside may have stripped out, and with an open diff, it's the broken, freewheeling side that ends up getting driven, so ¡No Va!

 

OK, its been a while since I posted. I had to delay work on Sarge for health reasons. Anyway, I have been slowly putting it back together. The differential is in now and I thought I'd be on the road by now, but as I was preparing to take it down from the jack stands, I checked the brake fluid and the reservoir was half full. I ran my finger under the M/C where it attaches to the booster and...brake fluid. I have fought this battle before and the booster is no longer in production and almost impossible to find.
I want to change out the M/C and booster to something I can find at the local Parts house. The front brakes have been upgraded to disc so I need a modern booster combination. The one I have on it came from a 67-70 Chevy C20 pick-up.
I am curious...Has anyone upgraded the brake system utilizing the OEM brake pedal mechanism? If so, what M/C booster combination did you use?

 

I'll bet if you contacted Cardone, they could rebuild yours.

 

Hope your health concerns are for the better.

 

I don't have a lot of faith on the rebuilt Cardone units. This is my 3rd one...
It is OEM 0n 67-70 Chevy C20. I can't find one configured the same way but by a different manufacturer. BTW the last one I got came from NAPA and only had a 1 year warranty, so I think they don't have faith in them either.
I'm looking for a different setup that will work.

 

Definitely frustrating when you put new parts in and they are either junk out of the box or they don't last more than a year.

 

One of my Hot Rod buddies suggested that if the master cylinder was not leaking prior to putting it on jack stands that it's unlikely that brake fluid got into the booster. Is there a way to determine if there is fluid in the booster?

I got a replacement M/C from Rock Auto.

Also, the Budge car cover I had on it is dry-rotted. It was size A5, which was too big. What size covers are best for wagons?

 

Man, I hate hearing about issues like this. Since I did the disc brake conversion I have had to replace the booster in the Fury once already too.

 

I bought a M/C Booster combination unit on ebay. I have brakes, but they needs tweaking. I think the rear brakes are doing most of the work. It stops but its the opposite of the problem I had when it was grabbing. Now it stops but increased pressure on the pedal does not make it stop better.
The whole thing is a bit frustrating so I've decided to take it to a shop and let them figure it out.
In the words of Dirty Harry..."A man needs to know his limitations"

 

I've worked in the oe. supplier industry for thirty years and have seen the quality drop across the the spectrum, it's even worse in the aftermarket side. You have companies ordering from the cheapest Chinese supplier plus the proliferation of counterfeit parts which has created a minefield with no safe path through,. We've even had warranty returns from our clients that on inspection turned out to be counterfeit Chinese parts that were put on by a private shop and when they failed were sent to a dealership as a warranty issue.
I do a lot of rebuilding of components for both of my cars and finding decent quality seals & gaskets is getting harder every day.
It is a big problem that is only getting worse.

 

Merry Christmas to one and all!! I haven't posted lately because Sarge is still out of commission. It's been almost a year since it's been on the road. I still don't have brakes. I did all I could do (I'm a fairly good mechanic but not certified). I had my certified mechanic neighbor look at it and he couldn't figure it out. So I took it to a shop I trust. It's been in there 8 weeks.
Mushy brakes. I replaced the Booster/MC, the flex hoses on the front. Drained all the brake fluid and refilled/bled the system.
I have Corvette disc brakes on the front and original drum on the back. The system does not have a proportion valve on it.
I'm gonna swing by the shop this week and suggest they install a proportioning valve. I'm at my wits end...

 

Merry Christmas Paladin. I hope you and your family have had a wonderful time together.
It's a bummer when a project like this is stuck in limbo, especially when it's something that seems so simple. I hope the shop gets it figured out soon.

 

Christmas was a blast even though we were missing three of our four kids. Every year the family comes over to open gifts. This year our oldest could not come. She lives in Ft Worth where she is a nurse. She just accepted a new assignment and couldn't leave the hospital. Our second son lives here but his youngest developed a cough and we all agreed that they should stay home. Our oldest son's middle son is attending the Air Force Academy and had to be in Colorado Springs XMas day!!! I still haven't completely understood why. Anyway, the highlight of the gift giving was the gift we gave to another grandchild. He is a college student about 80 miles away. Victoria and I gave him a car so his parents don't have to go get him. His reaction was priceless!! (That's the fourth grandkid car)

I got a new aluminum racing floor jack. Just wish Sarge was here so I could lift him up.

 

Has this combination of parts ever had a firm pedal? Many things can affect pedal feel including pedal ratio, master cylinder bore, front caliper piston size and rear drum wheel cylinder bore. Do the brakes stop the car, but the pedal feels soft or do the brakes not work well?