Changed my clutch booster

[mikeyT]

I phoned my buddy Steve Morris yesterday. I'd just finished a few night shifts and was wiped out. I said to Steve, "I'm feeling pretty fogged up...". He replies, "More than usual?"

So today, I changed out my clutch booster. An old parts truck booster was rebuilt using a Toy rebuild kit and I added a new master. With a speed bleeder in the slave, the job went fine. Now the clutch pedal feels real light, just perfect for my wonky knee.

Job took 1.5 hours. Would have been 15 min. faster except that after unbolting the old assembly, I couldn't pull it out. Something kept pulling it back in. I checked and double checked until I realized I'd pulled the pin on the brake pedal and not the clutch pedal.

Still fogged up.

 

[s79bj40]

so you had a vacuum booster on the clutch master? what did you pull that from?

 

[cruiser_guy]

so you had a vacuum booster on the clutch master? what did you pull that from?

We have those on the diesel 'Cruisers from '84 for sure and possibly '83. It's not on my '82 but was on the '84 that I used to have.
It's straight from the factory.
Does this mean we actually did get something that the Aussies didn't?!?!?

 

[mikeyT]

We have those on the diesel 'Cruisers from '84 for sure and possibly '83. It's not on my '82 but was on the '84 that I used to have.
It's straight from the factory.
Does this mean we actually did get something that the Aussies didn't?!?!?

Yup. It's stock.

I've had my truck for 7 years now and didn't even realize that the booster didn't work until Steve piped up and told me (I keep telling him to quit looking at my truck; he keeps finding things wrong with it I knew nothing about ). Seems that his worked fine. Of course, being obsessive-compulsive, I absolutely had to have it working again. Besides, off-road it was a pain b/c the clutch and brake boosters share a line from the vacuum pump, splitting at a "T". If you need to come off the clutch then brake real fast, as in easing down a big rock, the brake has no vacuum for a split second, time enough to allow you to come down hard on the rock before the brake vac is built up properly.

I got a booster rebuild kit from Toy, I pulled the booster off the parts '70 and then searched far and wide for the SST needed to dismantle and reassemble the booster. It's called a hollow-body clamp (or vise) but is nowhere to be found. NAPA was surprised to hear that a booster could be rebuilt; people just usually buy new ones ($1100 at Toy, though). They couldn't source the SST. Priceless Auto, OTC, Babco, etc., etc.... Not one to be found anywhere.


So, Steve heard about my searching and said, "Give it to me and Francis, some night shift when it's quiet, we'll do it. So they did, with no SST. I didn't get to see the procedure, though.

Those two together are unbeatable.

So, I find the pedal very light; it's weird. It wasn't so hard before. The big difference will be in the trickier off-road stuff. I could simply have diconnected the clutch booster and plugged off the vac line... but I'm pleased with this result.

 

[roscoFJ73]

We have those on the diesel 'Cruisers from '84 for sure and possibly '83. It's not on my '82 but was on the '84 that I used to have.
It's straight from the factory.
Does this mean we actually did get something that the Aussies didn't?!?!?

Nope,we aussies had them and still do .I think its standard now on the troopy and cab chassis.

 

[Greg_B]

Hey Mike...

I had wondered how you pulled the booster apart to be rebuilt. Would have been nice to see and add to the tool box for sure...

Did he at least talk you through what they used?

gb

 

[mikeyT]

Hey Mike...
I had wondered how you pulled the booster apart to be rebuilt. Would have been nice to see and add to the tool box for sure...
Did he at least talk you through what they used?
gb

Hi, Greg.

The assembly was soaked liberally with penetrating oil well ahead of time, then placed in an ordinary vise, front end down, the 4 bolts facing up. Nuts were placed on the bolts to protect the threads. They took 2 pry bars, one each, and gingerly turned the upper half 'til it would release. Then, with their 4 hands, eased the assembly apart.

The reverse process reassembles the booster. The major consideration is getting a good quantity of the silicone grease on both sides of the lip of the diapragm in order to ensure that the 2 halves slide smoothly back together without tearing the diaphragm. Also, once all is together, be careful that the rod that comes out the front, to actuate the master, does not move forward/out at all. If it does, the rubber/stopper part at the base of the rod could slip out of place inside the booster body and you wouldn't know it. Best to place the master on right away.

 

[mikeyT]

Just to follow up...

I'm liking this cushy clutch pedal very much!

I'm completely spoiled; I'll be looking for some chrome soon.