BLKTOPTRVL

Two years ago, I tried to rebuild the Brake Master Cylinder. Something went bad on that job because the master booster ended up sucking in all the fluid from the reservoir. In frustration/tiredness, I just let the car sit in my garage while looking for a new master and booster. Couldn't find one until I purchased one recently from a member on this forum.

Well, I received the new (to me) parts a couple weeks ago and just now have had the time to try to get the booster out.

I know! 4 bolts and a cotter pin. Simple right?!

(@$&$^&$!!!!!

I've removed the seat but that didn't give enough room.
I then tried to lay on the floor with my feet sticking into the hatch/trunk, but I couldn't get my head and shoulders under the steering wheel.

You really have to be a contortionist to get those 4 bolts out. They are not tight - in fact, just cracking the nut will give them the freedom to spin out by hand, but it's amazingly hard to get wrenches on them.
If you have to do this job, I would suggest that maybe it would be good if you had a 2.5" to 3" socket and very short shaft wrench, but that still was tough for me.

SETaylor

iTrader: (4)

I had a similar experience that was equally not fun some years ago when I was in the process of switching out a brake pedal assembly as part of a manual conversion. There is a photo somewhere of me wedged in between the seat and the footwell! Not sure how long I'll be able to do such things before it catches up with me, but we will have to see in 30 years...

ptrhahn

iTrader: (9)

It's actually not hard to take the seat out, and its WAY, WAY easier to do anything in the footwell that way.

b3delta

iTrader: (2)

I don't recall mine being THAT difficult to remove the brake booster. When I added the Chase Bays brake booster delete master cylinder I had the entire dash out so that was pretty easy. As usual, it fell into the "well, while I'm doing this...."

j9fd3s

iTrader: (3)

sometimes its easier to just sit on the floor next to the car, and then you can reach up and over.
its a Little British Car, LBC thing

BLKTOPTRVL

OK, when last we saw our hero, he had felt around and found the Kotter pin. Thinking (from the feel) that it was a "slip-in-and-bend" type pin - he had quit for the day, grabbed dinner, and then "girded his loin" for the fight ahead the next day. Today that bout with the pin was scheduled as a fifteen round winner-take-all-brawl! But in a major surprise - after feeling the pin again, it turned out to be the "slip-in-and-spring-lock" type and the melee lasted only 30 seconds! The champ is elated! The booster is out! The crowd goes wild!

Thanks all for the encouragement. Now. Does anyone have any idea how the master booster can be tested? The brake fluid sat in it for the past two years and I suspect the diaphragm or other parts may have been weakened.
Also, if it needs to be rebuilt, does anyone know of a shop? Last I called around, no one rebuilt these for the RX7. Although I now have one that should be good, I'd still like to get this one rebuilt so there is one more available to the community if need be.

b3delta

iTrader: (2)

Unless you really want the purity, look at the Chase Bays Brake Booster Delete. They size it to keep pedal feel and efficacy as close as possible while cleaning up the engine bay and freeing up a tons of space! They use a really nice Wilwood master cylinder and bias valve, and they have the additional hose to run to the clutch Master cylinder.

They also have a new radiator I'm saving for, thing looks sick!

j9fd3s

iTrader: (3)

if you refer to the good book, P16, Power Brake unit, it says

GerryGrady

Thanks for sharing, you made my day. I appreciate you

BLKTOPTRVL

Thanks,

But I am not a "delete" kind of guy... unless there is absolutely no alternative. For now, I have a new master, the question is when will I get the new one in... Maybe next week.

BLKTOPTRVL

Thanks. I guess a master that has had brake fluid in it for so long will either work - or not work, but I was hoping I could find a bench test procedure now that the "suspect" booster is out of the car.