brake booster for a 60 catalina

[forsakenfew]

i think i've asked before, but i can't find anything using the search option.

i need to replace the power brake booster in my 60 pontiac. (bastard's full of brake fluid) can't seem to find a new one, and don't really want to send it off to be rebuilt. (too much money, and too much down time for my daily driver)

does anything interchange? other GM parts? doesn't matter if i need to change out the master cylinder as well. hell, i could go to a dual resevoir??

has anybody done this? how bout other random boosters being used?

thoughts? ideas?

[SwitchBlade327]

good luck dude. I been trying to find a carb for mine for over a month and haven't got shit so far. I found out napa can't get me brake shoes anymore either, theres no longer any cores. If the weather hadn't hav egotten shitty I was gonna try to go out to binghams for the car auction to find some stuff, but the snow killed that. If I find anything though I'll keep you in mind since your th eonly other person i know besides me with a 60 poncho.

[Fraz]

Can tell you what I did on my 60 Buick. They used the same booster, I believe.

I went to dual chamber setup. Used the booster and MC from a 69 Chevy Caprice. Drums on all 4 corners. Cost me $100 for the whole booster/MC assembly. Modified the mounting holes a little, Modified the brake pedal assembly a little, ran lines, bled the system. Can lock all 4 wheels down HARD if I need to. I haven't adjusted the pedal travel, I am just too lazy.

[forsakenfew]

now that's what i'm looking for fraz!! i need ideas like that to help me out. seems the smart way to go.

i got a quote to have the booster rebuilt and it was over 200 bucks with shipping, and the car is down for almost 2 weeks. fuck that.

[Fraz]

Just tryin to help out. The booster is big in diameter but is thin. Sorta like a pizza. I didn't have any clearance problems. Don't know if you will or not.

Got mine from O'Reilly's. Don't know if you have one in your area or not. AutoZone wanted like $130 for it. Still, you get both the MC and the booster for cheap. A little grind work, little bending of some new lines to separate the fronts and rears, bleed the system, and you're all done.

[38Chevy454]

forsaken, will a 60 Olds unit fit? I have the one on my car that I am parting out, worked great before I took the car apart. Almost new master cyl as well to go with it. I bet that it would work, but I can send some pics and measurements if you need.

[SwitchBlade327]

60 olds is probaly the same thing. I'd be suprised if it wouldn't work. I looked one over but can't remember about the booster. Can ya get a pic of it?

[forsakenfew]

hey 454, yeah, can you get some pics and send to me? i doubt that they could be MUCH different. i'd sure appreciate it.

[SwitchBlade327]

hey forsaken you don't happen to have one of the stock 2bbl carbs layin' around do ya? A carb is the only thing keeping me off the road since i got the speedo rebuilt. I haven't been able to find shit i can afford.

[forsakenfew]

sorry man, my car is a 4 bbl conversion. i do have a 2 bbl off a 65 chevy though. was a runner, but could probably use a 10 dollar rebuild kit. if you want it it's yours.

[SwitchBlade327]

you got a digi cam you could snap a couple of shots of it with? So i could check out the linkage, hookups and stuff? I got a carb from a junk yard but it was off a 70's model car and it was garbage. Bolted up but leaked vacuum really bad and ran you out of the garage with gas fumes. Trying to tie up too much more money in it unless it's something I'm more sure about.

[forsakenfew]

sure, ill get some pics and send em out to ya this weekend. (i hope. got a real shitty memory)

i'll also check the numbers and make sure you can pick up a cheap rebuild kit.

only thing it'll cost ya is shipping.

[SwitchBlade327]

cool. I'll pm you a little reminder just in case, heh. I could get a rebuild kit for the original carb pretty easily, so that one should be no problem seeing as it's newer. napa usually has the hookup on carb kits for me.