Brake cylinder disassembly seems impossible

[Stokestack]

Hi all.

I need to pull the driver's side heads off. I read this thread about valve-cover removal, but have reached an impasse at separating the brake cylinder from the booster.

Not only is the bottom nut on the back of my master cylinder (unlike that depicted in the other thread), but even when I got a ratcheting box-end wrench on it there was absolutely no way to apply leverage to it. I can barely get my arm between the valve cover and brake cylinder, let alone apply any leverage. And it's inaccessible from the bottom; way too high and far back toward the firewall to get to.

I have the booster unbolted from the firewall, and it detached when I pressed the pedal... but while assembled it won't even move far enough to come off the single bolt on the engine-compartment side.

WTF are we supposed to do here? Thanks for any insight!

Follow-up: While unbolting the assembly from behind the brake pedal, I noticed quite a bit of fluid on the rubber boot. Obviously this doesn't seem good, so I assume the booster or cylinder may be bad.

Maybe I'll just disconnect the lines and follow the procedure for removing the whole booster/cylinder assembly entirely since something seems amiss.

 

[Stokestack]

Why was the thread moved to this forum?

 

[MG0h3]

Not sure where it was but you’ll get more traffic here anyways.

And yes, if you have fluid in the cabin it should be the master. Fluid may have damaged the seals in the booster too


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[Stokestack]

OK, thanks. Right now I'm trying to figure out how I'm even going to detach the lines from the proportioning valve.

 

[MG0h3]

Unfortunately I’ve never tackled this, but someone will jump in here for sure


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[Stokestack]

On further infuriating struggles and research on this, I don't think the master cylinder and booster are intended to be separated while installed. But they can't be removed from the car, because the booster hits the strut tower before the bolts clear the firewall!

This is seriously pissing me off. I have pulled up on it as hard as I can, trying to tilt it up away from the strut tower, but nope. The bolts will not clear the holes.

I found a couple of other threads with people having the exact same problem, but no answers. Chilton's says remove the two as a unit. Anybody?

 

[MG0h3]

Man that sucks. Surprised nobody has jumped in here.

 

[MG0h3]

Doing a little digging for you. Looks like if you pull the drivers side motor mount and lower the engine with a jack a bit you can get the VC off. Not sure if the head will fit though.

@ctgreddy just pulled his heads in car; maybe he can help.

 

[01yellercobra]

There's a bracket that holds the brake lines in place under the master cylinder. If you unbolt that the master cylinder will move a little more. I still had to give mine a good yank to get the studs to clear the firewall. Thankfully the mounting plate covers the scratches. But I was still pretty pissed.

I also loosened the K member and let it sag as much as possible with the springs still in place.

 

[MG0h3]

https://www.svtperformance.com/foru...-little-deep-this-year.1156171/#post-15849290

OP take a look at this. 3rd post. He lowered the whole K to get his headers unbolted. This allowed him to get the VC off. He then loosely bolted it back up and pulled the heads.

I've seen a few threads where just pulling the DS motor mount while suspending the engine with a floor jack and then lowering it allowed the VC to come off.

Might try that.

Stupid question but you have the rod unhooked from the pedal right? Saw someone else saying they unbolted the HB then pushed the pedal a bit to push it away from the firewall. Shouldn't matter if you're hitting the strut tower though.

 

[Stokestack]

Thanks guys. In the end (surprisingly), removing the power-steering lines to the booster allows more flexibility and I could brute-force the whole thing out of the firewall and up. It didn't seem that these lines were really limiting the movement that much, but apparently they were.

 

[hotcobra03]

Booster is easy..

4 bolts inside..and hook on brake pedal..

2 bolts on mc,use long extention to reach bottom bolt
.

raise car slightly..will be a bolt above tire to loosen brake block..

Mc will seperate..you than move hydro booster to where battery was and tie to hold..

Mc will just hang on lines..you do not remove any lines at all..

after install.

you cruise control switch will need to be reset...

left side of brake pedal..

Un hook switch from pedal..push rod into switch till it clicks..
than push brake pedal down to reconnect rod..