Electric Vacuum Pump
Has it been suggested to you that you install an electric vacuum pump into your vehicle? Were you not even aware that there was such a thing made for vehicles? If so, you are not alone but an electric vacuum pump may be exactly what you need to operate the power brake booster in your vehicle. If you are at all savvy with auto parts you may even be able to install such a system yourself so you do not have to pay the labor involved with installing such a system.
Did you recently upgrade your vehicle with disc brakes and a high performance motor? If so, you may find that your vehicle has a difficult time generating enough vacuum to operate the power brake booster. The result is that you do not have the braking performance that you should have and this can be dangerous and unpredictable. Many people don't realize how bad their vacuum is until they install an electric vacuum pump and suddenly they realize just how crazy their braking has been! An electric vacuum pump really can make that big of a difference when it comes to safe and predictable braking.
If you have a power brake booster you may not know that it needs to have at least 16 inches of vacuum at engine idle. If the vacuum falls below this minimum of 16 inches the booster will lose power and this will greatly impact the braking performance. You can install your own electric vacuum pump so that you can be sure that your power booster always has the vacuum that it needs to give you the maximum braking power and performance that you need. This will make your vehicle much more predictable when it comes to braking and it will also help you ensure that your vehicle is as safe as possible.
You can actually buy an electric vacuum pump kit that will ensure that you always have the vacuum you need to power your vehicle's brake booster. Generally these pumps kick in only when the engine vacuum is too low, which is really common if you have a high performance or even a supercharged engine. If you buy a kit you will have everything you need to install the electric vacuum pump. These kits generally include a vacuum pump, switching relay, vacuum line and control, mounting insulators, as well as any hardware that is needed for proper installation.
When you buy an electrical vacuum pump kit generally it will be mounted inline between the intake manifold and the power brake booster. Many of these pumps work on 12 volt power, so you don't need to worry about using too much or too little power. There are many different kits and options to buy, you'll just need to shop around a bit to find the right option for your specific needs. Generally the pumps are quite small, measuring just eight to 10 inches long by five inches wide, and usually six to seven inches high.
All you need is just a little bit of knowledge about the system, the kit, directions, and some time and patience and you may be able to install the electric vacuum pump to your vehicle yourself. Of course, because you are dealing with your brake system, if you are in doubt about the job you did you should have your work checked out by a professional. The idea here is to improve the performance of your brake system, so you should be sure that you follow directions exactly so you get the improvements that you are looking for without he worry of a brake system failure.
Comment by Patrick on 4 March 2009:
I have bought one of these electric vacuum pumps and I am wondering where to install the pump in order to get the power i need and without using tons of vacuum tubing.
Comment by Dave on 4 June 2010:
Yes, the 12V vacuum pumps work very well, and cycle quickly. However I am discovering there are no service parts available. After 3yrs I need to buy another one, just looking for one with repair kits. IE;replacement diaphraghms