How do you adjust the push rod on the brake booster? I tried grabbing the splined teeth with pliers while turning the nut but I couldn't get it to budge on both my old booster and my brand new OEM booster. Help!
Help! Unable to adjust brake booster rod (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter HRTROB
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Dave 2000
Not all Land Rovers are useless!
The adjustment is set at the factory and threadlock applied, get the adjustment wrong and brakes will apply themselves (or more accurately not release), after a period of time. Never had to adjust a new one for donkeys year's so...............
Regards
Dave
Regards
Dave
- Thread starter
- #3
The factory set the rod too far out, causing the brakes to stick after driving for a short period. It is off by about 2mm compared to my old booster. Anyway after two hours I managed to get the nut adjusted. What a PITA!
Yep it su ks
Dave 2000
Not all Land Rovers are useless!
Ah well, sorry I was a bit late with the warning. A tip for future installers of boosters, (Land Rovers in particular), get two or four washers depending on your master stud count. Cut a slot in them and throw in the glove box, sometimes it can take an hour of driving before the brakes stick on. If it happens just loosen the nuts holding the master to the booster, drop the washers on between master and booster and retighten, this will allow you to complete your journey and adjust at your leisure.
Regards
Dave
Regards
Dave
Last edited:
- Thread starter
- #6
Great tip on cutting a slot in the washers! I actually also used washers to space the master cylinder away from the booster temporarily. In fact just before giving up on adjusting the pushrod nut, I was thinking of just running the spacers and sealing the gap with some caulk
Dave 2000
Not all Land Rovers are useless!
You gather I get problems with LR boosters but IIRC never with a Toyota one. Using the washer trick allows you to get the correct adjustment. I slot them because you just know if you remove the nuts one or more will get dropped, the slot just lets you loosen and fit, quick and easy.
Regards
Dave
Regards
Dave
Ok what if everything is adjusted just like the stock one, but the brakes feel a lot stiffer, kinda like the booster does not work correctly, remember I have a Cummins 6BT and it runs off the vacuum pump, I tested it and I get more than enough vacuum to run one 30+# @Dave 2000
Dave 2000
Not all Land Rovers are useless!
Sorry you lost me, did you just change your login name?
Are we talking about the same car at the beginning of the thread.
Regards
Dave
- Thread starter
- #10
Nope he's a different guy. My new OEM brake booster is working great, but pedal travel is a bit too long. But towards the end of the travel it grabs hard and locks the 33" tires no problem (non-ABS). Would air in the system cause the pedal travel to be long? I had the fluid changed and bled a couple of months ago but I don't think it was bled correctly because of the old booster that was leaking/hissing.
Dave 2000
Not all Land Rovers are useless!
Ah ok, unknown history so cannot comment, or perhaps wrong thread?
Check the brakes were bled in the right order, there is a bleed nipple on the load sensitive valve by the back axle, often missed.
There are many ways to bleed brakes, I use a pressure blender but they are messy, perhaps better to have a friend help with the conventional method?
Regards
Dave
I also use a pressure bleeder, I kind of hi jacked the thread and since I just did a booster swap and I am not happy with the way it feels, I guess I'll do a complete bleed, again and see if it is my problem thank you @Dave 2000
Just did this job the other day. This little sucker is worth it's weight in gold. https://www.amazon.com/Motive-Produ...=1503947475&sr=1-9&keywords=brake+bleeder+kit
Also, after bleeding them once, all five spots, find a dirt road and get the ABS to cycle by locking up the brakes in dirt 6 or more times. Re bleed everyplace one last time. The power bleeder makes this a breeze.
The secret to adjusting the nipple on the brake booster is to install the booster. Then either have someone press the brake pedal or use a board between the seat and brake pedal, and get the rod to stick out where you can get some vise grips on the knurled part. I used a wax marking pen and made the inside female part on the master completely covered in red marker. Bolted the master on to the brake booster, then removed and looked to see if the red marker had been rubbed off inside the female brake master cone. Took a few times of adjusting the nipple out until it took off the wax mark inside the master cylinder. Brake booster was from NAPA.
I had to remove the entire brake cylinder (took the two lines off) to get the booster out. I think I could have done it by bending the lines some to get the brake booster out, but I learned along time ago, it's always better for me to remove crap to get it out of the way, because I have a terrible track record off screwing up more crap in these situations.
Also, after bleeding them once, all five spots, find a dirt road and get the ABS to cycle by locking up the brakes in dirt 6 or more times. Re bleed everyplace one last time. The power bleeder makes this a breeze.
The secret to adjusting the nipple on the brake booster is to install the booster. Then either have someone press the brake pedal or use a board between the seat and brake pedal, and get the rod to stick out where you can get some vise grips on the knurled part. I used a wax marking pen and made the inside female part on the master completely covered in red marker. Bolted the master on to the brake booster, then removed and looked to see if the red marker had been rubbed off inside the female brake master cone. Took a few times of adjusting the nipple out until it took off the wax mark inside the master cylinder. Brake booster was from NAPA.
I had to remove the entire brake cylinder (took the two lines off) to get the booster out. I think I could have done it by bending the lines some to get the brake booster out, but I learned along time ago, it's always better for me to remove crap to get it out of the way, because I have a terrible track record off screwing up more crap in these situations.
Dave 2000
Not all Land Rovers are useless!
No ABS on OP vehicle. I too had long travel on mine after bleeding, did the ABS on gravel and bled again and now about 95% happy.
I use a laptop to bleed LR Discovery brakes, electronics getting involved with bloody everything!
Regards
Dave
I use a laptop to bleed LR Discovery brakes, electronics getting involved with bloody everything!
Regards
Dave
They only way you could give me, one of those if I could sell it right away
Dave 2000
Not all Land Rovers are useless!
I hear you for sure. The reality is they are pretty capable vehicles, my avatar show my competition prepared Discovery kicking arse at an all comers event in Murcia, it was held at Land Rover in La Hoya many years back.
The problem is they (LR's) just seem to be so maintenance needy, barely a weekend would pass without something or other breaking or leaking. The 80 is simply better built from the outset and stands up to more punishment. Unfortunately now though manufacturers are employing too many (unreliable) electronics in critical areas, and in this area LR have completely lost the plot IME.
Regards
Dave
EscapeWagon62
SILVER Star
Thanks @dave2000! Your slotted washer idea just saved my day.
Installed master and booster on my 62, adjusted the rod by using the grease on the rod tip trick but experienced drag after a few miles. Pulled everything out, readjusted the rod, bled everything. A few miles in I had front brake drag again.
I assume that the vacuum from the booster was causing the rod to extend further than during a static test and the washers compensated for it.
Theoretically it’s a temporary fix....but it works so well I may just leave the damn washers on.
Installed master and booster on my 62, adjusted the rod by using the grease on the rod tip trick but experienced drag after a few miles. Pulled everything out, readjusted the rod, bled everything. A few miles in I had front brake drag again.
I assume that the vacuum from the booster was causing the rod to extend further than during a static test and the washers compensated for it.
Theoretically it’s a temporary fix....but it works so well I may just leave the damn washers on.
EscapeWagon62
SILVER Star
Guilt set in so I decided to adjust it the right way and keep the slotted washers for an emergency.
LESSON LEARNED:
If you use the process of putting a dab of grease on the pushrod end to see how much contact it is making with the master cylinder.........crank the engine so full vacuum pressure is present. I originally set mine without doing this and had dragging front brakes. Recalibrated with grease and cranking the engine and the brakes are perfect now.
LESSON LEARNED:
If you use the process of putting a dab of grease on the pushrod end to see how much contact it is making with the master cylinder.........crank the engine so full vacuum pressure is present. I originally set mine without doing this and had dragging front brakes. Recalibrated with grease and cranking the engine and the brakes are perfect now.
Bumping this thread in case this helps someone.
I adjusted the pushpin while it was on the truck to get it dialed perfectly, based on advice of another member on here.
With the new booster installed, I was still getting quite a bit of dead pedal travel. Even when using the push pin adjustment tool, there was still about 1/8" of space between the pin and the cylinder bore.
I disconnected the MC and pushed it out of the way (propped above the booster).
I then took a 2x4 and wedged it between the brake pedal and the driver seat. This made the push pin pop out of the booster, enough to hold it with some bent needle nose pliers and then turn the pin itself with a 7mm socket.
I then test fitted the MC to make sure it's not making excessive contact, and it slid right on and mated against the booster body without any resistance.
Granted I eyeballed how much I turned (maybe 3/4 of a full turn), but this helped reduce the pedal travel quite a bit.
I adjusted the pushpin while it was on the truck to get it dialed perfectly, based on advice of another member on here.
With the new booster installed, I was still getting quite a bit of dead pedal travel. Even when using the push pin adjustment tool, there was still about 1/8" of space between the pin and the cylinder bore.
I disconnected the MC and pushed it out of the way (propped above the booster).
I then took a 2x4 and wedged it between the brake pedal and the driver seat. This made the push pin pop out of the booster, enough to hold it with some bent needle nose pliers and then turn the pin itself with a 7mm socket.
I then test fitted the MC to make sure it's not making excessive contact, and it slid right on and mated against the booster body without any resistance.
Granted I eyeballed how much I turned (maybe 3/4 of a full turn), but this helped reduce the pedal travel quite a bit.
Dave 2000
Not all Land Rovers are useless!
The adjustment is actually quite critical.
First consider the travel of the brake pedal, at the pad end a 1 inch movement from rest is much less than the upper end of the pedal. So your adjustment method cannot be criticised, the 'book' assumes that everything else is perfect, wear at the pivot point for example, wear on the push rod contact points.
Assuming all is well elsewhere in the system, then extending the push rod to get the balance right between pedal travel, and the inevitably of the brakes applying themselves after driving a few miles is important, but not impossible.
Regards
Dave
First consider the travel of the brake pedal, at the pad end a 1 inch movement from rest is much less than the upper end of the pedal. So your adjustment method cannot be criticised, the 'book' assumes that everything else is perfect, wear at the pivot point for example, wear on the push rod contact points.
Assuming all is well elsewhere in the system, then extending the push rod to get the balance right between pedal travel, and the inevitably of the brakes applying themselves after driving a few miles is important, but not impossible.
Regards
Dave
