Brake Booster Disassembly

[Captain Obvious]

Sweaty, Thanks for the input. I went back and took a look at the pics from your rebuild thread.

So in the pic above, is that the farthest you were able to get the booster apart? Were you able to get the black part in the lower right of your pic apart? The part you call the "piston"? Did you try, or was there no reason for you to go further than what you did?

[Patcon]

 

6 hours ago, Captain Obvious said:

able to get the black part in the lower right of your pic apart?

The piston part has a metal piece that slides in from the side and keeps the pushrod captive to the plastic center section. It fits in the rectangular slot just below the cylindrical section of the plastic piece

This is the tool I made to open a booster

To hold the booster in the vise I took a piece of maple and drilled it so the studs fit in it

On reassembly we couldn't get it together so I put it in the press and it went together really easy

Be careful on disassembly to make some marks or take pictures so on reassembly the vacuum port is in the correct location. There are like six options...

This booster had a ripped section in the diaphram at the bottom probably from brake fluid. I used some black silicone to seal that area up. It seemed to work but I don't know how long. I believe it was on the car I sold a while back

Even with the long leverage of the 2x4's I had to put my foot against the work bench to pull hard enough to get it open

[Captain Obvious]

Charles, Thanks for the pics. After seeing that and hearing that it was still an effort to get that thing to turn even with that long of a moment arm, I'm skeptical that I'll be able to turn mine without rupturing a disk in my spine. Maybe rethinking if the educational value is worth the risk.

I just hate not knowing though...

[Zed Head]

If a press made it easier to assemble it might also disassembly.  Get the pressure off the locking points so you can trun the pieces.

[Patcon]

You've got that cool lathe!! I am sure you can come up with sufficient leverage

I believe Zed is right, I didn't try the press until I had to come up with a solution to not being able to reassemble it...

[Captain Obvious]

Haha! I think this is a job that even I cannot accomplish simply with a lathe. 

Zed, I thought about applying pressure to disassemble, but I'm not sure it would make any difference. I was looking at that housing clamshell where it interfaces, and I'm not sure there is a lock. I think it might just be friction that keeps things together. I looked at it under magnification and I couldn't find any evidence of any lock or detent. I mean, mine is crusty and painted, but I couldn't find anything.

Charles, Since you had yours apart and the interface points were easier to see, did you see evidence of a lock?

[240260280z]

[240260280z]

[240260280z]

[240260280z]

[Patcon]

Good pictures Blue

CO the compression seems to help because the diaphragm is sandwiched between the shells. It has to be compressed some to reduce the friction on the interference fit of the halves. There is no real lock, sort of an overgrown fuel tank sender ring.

[Namerow]

NAPA