Need brake help cause the cam is too BIG

[Brandon Hovater]

On my 88 Pontiac Formula 383 TPI stroker the cam is too big to have enouf vacuum for the booster. I have an extra tank and it is no help. I have heard of a booster that works on the power stearing pump. Does anyone know or uses this? Thanks all!

 

[Todd Z]

It is a hydraulic assist pump for the brakes on diesel engines...



It may be able to retrofit to the car,



My 75 mustang had a 5.50 lift cam with almost 30 degrees of overlap. Make sure the vacuum canister you have has 2 check valves on it, Not just 1, One on each side.



The canister should work fine.

There should be no need for an extra pump..



Todd Z

 

[Brandon Hovater]

My uncle has this on his street strip truck. His brake system dosen't work off of vacuum. I am thinking of pulling the motor and trans. and have it all reworked and converted to a carb. This should help also. Thanks for the input Todd. I knew you would chime in! Hee Hee

 

[Gavin Allan]

Just get a stronger leg.



How do you think we used to do it in the 50's and 60's?



Drive a '69 SS Camaro that has a 4-speed and 50-series tires all the way around, but no power steering up and down the Boulevard all night on Saturday night. That is the best upper body workout known to man!

 

[Richard L]

Gavin,

Power brakes use a different mastercylinder with a different pressure ratio than manual brakes. When the power brake booster fails, it takes much more pedal pressure to stop than manual brakes.



The same applies to power steering. If you lose the pump it's probably 3 or 4 times harder to turn the wheel than if would be if it was plain old manual steering. The steering ratios are very different.



...Rich

 

[Brandon Hovater]

I have to put it in "N" just to keep the motor from pushing me through a red light!

 

[Brandon Hovater]

I FOUND IT! HYDROBOOST BRAKES.

 

[Tom Schindler]

FWIW,



Some of the older big block C3500 had a hydroboost pump on it.



Something to look at.





Tom

 

[Frank Z]

There is also an electric pump offered by Stainless Steel Brakes for just this situation. The pump kicks on below 18 in. of vacuum and shuts off at 22 in.

 

[Tom Schindler]

Do not buy from Martel brothers.



Bad service and they make you solve a problem they should have handled in the first place.





Tom

 

[Dreman]

Manual brakes replace pedal effort with pedal stroke. While a power brake setup may take 2 inches from released to full pressure, a manual brake setup might take 6 inches. And you just can't get enough pedal stroke to stop a fast, high horsepower car with manual brakes. Power brakes are the only way to get good stopping power. A lot of cars in the 50's and 60's didn't stop all that well. But, in the immortal words of Ettore Bugatti, "I want to GO, not stop!"



And if you don't think a manual steering car is a workout, try it sometime! It may be easier to turn than a power system when the engine is off, but not when the engine is on! A manual system is harder to turn AND more turns of the wheel!