A piece of unobtanium scored.....

[resq302]

Welll, I was on good ol ebag yesterday and came across an item that seems to be made of a rare mineral called unobtainium, a Bendix disc brake booster with master cylinder still attached.  If any of you have tried to come across one of these rebuilt on the shelf, you know how hard these are to come by.  Pretty much it is rebuild yours if you have one.  For me, I like to have spares of any hard to find part for my cars that are out there.  This just happened to be able to be obtained within my price range even though it still needs to be restored.  There was a similar one on ebay that just went off a couple days ago that I only saw it at the opening bid price of $345 that needed to be restored.  Someone wanted it bad enough cause there was one bid on it at that time, who knows what it ended up going for when the gavel banged.  Anyway, here is the link to my most recent score!

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=190180388103&ssPageName=ADME:B:EOIBSA:MOTORS:1123

Tell me your thoughts..... did I get the big ol screws again?  I don't think so.

[Just 6T9 CHGR]

Looks good Brian, although I am leery about the rusted ones.  IIRC if the booster is rusted internally it can't be rebuilt.    That would be for Booster Dewey to decide though

[resq302]

Well, I plan on this being my test subject for my new blasting cabinet.  I am hoping to be able to get the two halfs of the booster apart, blast the inside and outside of them, fill in any pits on the outside of the cans, and then have them powder coated the same color as when I had my master cyl. powder coated.  We shall see......

[Chatt69chgr]

Anybody know how the "halves" come apart on these Bendix boosters?

[WINGMAN]

     Booster Dewey did mine about eight years ago on my 69 500 and it still works just fine, and he sent along a bag of M&Ms with the booster   Jay.

[resq302]

Ok, I gotta know.  What was the bag of M&M's for?

[Just 6T9 CHGR]

Ok, I gotta know.  What was the bag of M&M's for?

He calls them "Booster Nuts" IIRC

[WINGMAN]

Some of  those master cylinders have the brake lines on the engine side and some like mine are on the outer side. I sent mine to some place years back and had it redone with a stainless steel sleave instaled with no leaks in eight years.   O i gobbled down the M&Ms.  Wish i had some now!    Jay.

[Ghoste]

So the booster is the hard to find part?  Thats the same set up on my car.  I finally found a place that had rebuilt Master cyl's, they had 4 more on the shelf and it cost me 18.00.  If anyone needs a M/C ?

Mine too but I've found that pretty much the entire system except the brake lines to be hard to find. 
I found most everything I've needed but it hasn't been easy.  That is a great deal on the master cylinders.

[resq302]

Chris had mentioned in a post last year that NAPA now makes a brand new master cylinder that is pretty much dead on in appearance as the old original Bendix master cyl.  I picked one of those up as a spare also.  I also have extra 4 piston calipers, rubber brake lines, brake pads, now I just need to get a spare rotor or two.

[1969chargerrtse]

Some of  those master cylinders have the brake lines on the engine side and some like mine are on the outer side. I sent mine to some place years back and had it redone with a stainless steel sleave instaled with no leaks in eight years.   O i gobbled down the M&Ms.  Wish i had some now!    Jay.

That was my first problem, I went to PEP boys and they gave me the one where the lines face the fender, I've seen that one on Hemi cars, of course I went home with it and had to run back.  When I said Power Disk brakes, thats when It took me 5 hours and many phone calls to find the one that face's the engine side.

[Highbanked Hauler]

  Do you know if the brake booster is the same from 68 and 69  B  Body ?  I know the disk brake master cylinder is different than the one for the drum brakes.

[471_Magnum]

They can be rebuilt, although it's not a DIY job. There is a shop here in town that did mine. Power Brake Machine in Evansville, IN. Cost me about $100 a couple of years ago.

[Chatt69chgr]

Just to update everyone on the Bendix 8 inch dual diaphram booster.  I called MBM in Asheville, NC.  Still no booster.  They list it as their part PB8536.  Guy said they have a long list of folks wanting one.  It's been over 2-1/2 years now and they still don't have it.  He said they had got samples in a couple of times but they always fail their test procedure.  He couldn't explain why they never have been able to source one. 

As far as repair-------Prior Remanufacturing in Garland Texas will rebuild/repair your core for $87.  They are at 1-800-444-4821.  NAPA buys a lot of stuff from them.  I don't know of a rebuild kit for these.  I think you have to bend the tabs to separate the two halves. 

[resq302]

I know of a lot of places that rebuild power brake boosters.  Booster Dewey is one of them that comes to mind as being a reputable source.  That is the whole reason why I purchased a "spare" since they have been so hard to find.  I have also heard that someone was supposed to be coming out with a repro unit but that was over 2 years ago and nothing has hit the market yet that I am aware of.

Highbanked hauler,

I know the same booster was used for disc brake cars from 68-69.  Possibly even back as last as 1966.

As for rebuilding it myself, I am not planning on rebuilding it, just separating the halfs so I can get the booster powder coated for finish durability and longevity.

[gtx6970]

1968 and 1969 only
1966 and 1967 is a similar disc brake system, but different on the way the booster mounts.

1966 is 1966 only and VERY hard to find parts for.

The last NOS Master cylinder I know of for a 1966 sold on Ebay  about 4 or 5 years ago, for like $600 or something like that

[Rolling_Thunder]

 

[resq302]

Rolling thunder,

I am guessing that you were bidding on that as well from the smiley icons?

[Rolling_Thunder]

Rolling thunder,

I am guessing that you were bidding on that as well from the smiley icons?

na...     just dont like you on principal of getting a good deal when i seem to always get shafted on parts   

[Ghoste]

Bill, could you be more specific about the mounting differences for a 1967 booster?  Is the booster itself the same as a 68-69 or is it physically different in order to accomodate this mounting difference?

[68 bee]

Is the Bendix booster from a 1968 or 1969 Imperial with power disc brakes the same?

[Just 6T9 CHGR]

Is the Bendix booster from a 1968 or 1969 Imperial with power disc brakes the same?

No.....different length rod that connects to the pedal linkage

[Chatt69chgr]

Prior can change the longer rod used in the C-body with the correct length rod for a "B" body at the same time that they rebuild your booster.  The booster is the same except for the rod length.

[gtx6970]

Bill, could you be more specific about the mounting differences for a 1967 booster?  Is the booster itself the same as a 68-69 or is it physically different in order to accomodate this mounting difference?

As far as I know the 1967 Booster mounts similar or same as a Hemi disc brake booster does. At least the pics I've seen of an unrestored 1967 GTX was anyway.

1966 I've never see in person or pics of.

[Ghoste]

Is the booster itslef exactly the same?  Is there a bracket that accomodates this mounting difference or is it a different booster which is the same internally and functionally?  I know I'm not explaining my question well and likely frustrating the hell out of you but this stuff fascinates me and the guys like you and John Kunkel who know all these little details are the only way for me to learn.

[Chatt69chgr]

I can tell you that the C-body booster on a 69 New Yorker is exactly the same as the one on a 69 Charger with the exception of the actuating rod that connects through the firewall to the bellcrank.  And Prior can change that rod when they rebuild these to be the correct shorter length for a "B" body.  On these two applications the booster mounts directly to the firewall reinforcing plate.  That plate is different between power brake cars and cars that came without power brakes (but the non power brake plate can be filed out to work).  I don't know about Hemi's.  I seem to recall that the booster is mounted some metal pieces that move it away from the firewall and up.  Just like is done on some "A" bodies.