Brake Vacuum Booster Tank

[claude brousson]

Has anyone had any experience with taking apart their vacuum boost tank
and doing the handicap sensitization themselves? I am inclined toward
doing every thing myself if it is within reason.However I never have had
the tank apart and am not sure exactly what is done to sensitize it. In
looking at the blown up schematics in the parts book there really isn't
much to the whole thing, so I'm presuming it is just a matter of
enlarging a valve hole or changing something with the piston
arrangement but in any case likely pretty simple, provided one knows
exactly what to do so one doen't screw it up.If any have done it
themselves, did you get the right degree of sensitization and do you
consider the job was successful? Did you also change the diaphragm?

Claude in Victoria,BC

 

[dick kennedy]

Claude,

You could be into something where mere earthlings can't find the necessary
parts. That's what I was into on the AC until I found the right source.

One power steering unit I was into had a torsion bar arrangement so I would
assume the brakes are either that or some type of spring load. But I'm just
speculating.

There are actually two issues you need to be copncerned about. The first
is the sensitivity. If the system is very sensitive then a light touch will
apply a lot of vacuum and set you on your nose. The second issue is the
maximum braking force applied when the system tops out with full vacuum.

On my coach the brakes are sensitive enough for normal driving but in those
few times that a panic stop situation arises I can't generate enough force
to lock the wheels. I'm probably twice as strong as the wife so I'm not
sure she would agree that the brakes are sensitive enough and I'm sure she
can't lock the wheels if needed.

What I don't know is whether in a panic stop have I maxed out the vacuum
boost or am I still pushing against a too stiff spring rate.

The net has had threads on both sensitized boosters and the powermaster
unit but I don't recall the basic tradeoff between sensitivity and max
boost having ever been discussed.

I haven't said much to answer your question but there are a lot of us
needing to know more about this issue so keep us informed with what you find.

Thanks in advance

Dick Kennedy

>Has anyone had any experience with taking apart their vacuum boost tank
>and doing the handicap sensitization themselves? I am inclined toward
>doing every thing myself if it is within reason.However I never have had
>the tank apart and am not sure exactly what is done to sensitize it. In
>looking at the blown up schematics in the parts book there really isn't
>much to the whole thing, so I'm presuming it is just a matter of
>enlarging a valve hole or changing something with the piston
>arrangement but in any case likely pretty simple, provided one knows
>exactly what to do so one doen't screw it up.If any have done it
>themselves, did you get the right degree of sensitization and do you
>consider the job was successful? Did you also change the diaphragm?
>
>Claude in Victoria,BC
>
>