Hydraulic Brake Booster
A large majority of vehicles, particularly the older models, use vacuum boosters for the brakes. However, it is fairly common for newer vehicles these days to be fitted with hydraulic brake boosters. The pressure that the hydraulic brake booster uses is generated by the steering pump. For vehicles that are fitted with a vacuum booster, they use pressure generated by the engine vacuum.
The good thing about hydraulic brake boosters is that they are perfect for vehicles that run on diesel, as there is no need for a separate vacuum to be fitted. A hydraulic brake booster runs solely on pressure that comes from the steering pump. This is good because fluid is always flowing through the steering pump. It is stored in an accumulator which then goes to a master cylinder every time the brake is pressed.
If your vehicle runs on an old vacuum booster, then there is always the option to pay for a mechanic to upgrade it to a hydraulic brake booster. You can buy a hydraulic brake booster yourself, and take it to a mechanic to get it fitted, or ask the mechanic to do the whole job, including buying the booster. Either way, it is likely to cost you a significant amount of money. However, the prices can vary.
It is possible to convert a standard vacuum boost system into a hydraulic brake booster system. It is best to get a professional mechanic to do this for you, but if you know what you are doing, then installing a hydraulic brake booster system yourself is fine. The example below will explain to you how to change your hydraulic brake booster to a newer version.
The first thing that you will need to do is to remove the old booster from your vehicle. To do this you need to disconnect the hydraulic lines first. Next, you will need to remove the brackets, and the connection to the brake pedal. The next thing that you will have to do is important to making sure that everything is connected properly. You need to fit any brackets that were on your old hydraulic brake booster, onto the new one.
One important thing to note is that you shouldn’t remove any nuts or bolts. You should place the new cylinder over any nuts or bolts that are already there. After all of this has been done, and the hydraulic brake booster is securely in place, you will need to test the power of the brakes. Firstly, it is important to get rid of any vacuum that is left over in the vehicle. You should do this by repeatedly pressing the brake pedal several times while the engine is switched off.
Once you have done this, you can now test the brakes with the engine turned on. You will know if it is working properly or not by the way the pedal moves when you press on it. In order to make sure that this whole process is done correctly, it is better to get a professional to do it for you, unless you are one hundred percent confident and comfortable doing it yourself. If there is even the slightest bit of doubt in your mind then you should not attempt it, as the brakes are vital.
You shouldn’t tamper with them unless you are positive that you know what you are doing. By asking a mechanic to replace a hydraulic brake booster you can be sure that your brakes are in full working order, and that you can be completely safe when driving your vehicle on the roads.
