Anyone mess with the electric brake booster set ups?

[Chevy Guy]

I've got a 79' TransAm w/ the WS6 4 wheel disc brakes, running a LQ4 6.0 with an Elgin cam, pretty big. The brakes have always sucked, Ive gone through all the steps of adjusting the rear calipers, checking and adjusting the stop on the proportioning valve, bleeding several times, the brakes still suck.

I've heard good things about the electric boosters so I ordered up a CPP electric booster assembly and looking forward to playing with it. Anyone else have one?

https://classicperform.com/shop/brakes/booster-kits-and-accessories/electric-brake-booster.


LQ4 Swapped TA Cam (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mDNirOY9AxA)

[streetk14]

What exactly is bad about your brakes, and what is your booster setup now?

[Chevy Guy]

What exactly is bad about your brakes, and what is your booster setup now?

It's got the OE WS6 9" dual diaphragm vacuum booster, MC, and prop valve. The brakes are low, and have very little strength, I'm thinking one of the diaphragms in the booster is likely bad. The cam doesn't give great vacuum either so I was going to go Hydro boost, but I'm intrigued by the electric set ups and have heard some good reports on them.

Was hoping someone here had 1st hand experience.

[dhutton]

Some good info here
https://www.pro-touring.com/threads/142246-Manual-or-Vacuum-boosted-brakes-on-69-Camaro

[Chevy Guy]

Some good info here
https://www.pro-touring.com/threads/142246-Manual-or-Vacuum-boosted-brakes-on-69-Camaro


Thank you!

[Chevy Guy]

Well, got the kit and installed it. The kit is nice quality and mounting brackets are CNC made, the bracket that mounts booster to the firewall needed a little modification because the bolt hole for the studs on the firewall were too small. The kit over all is OK but you will likely need to make new lines yourself and relocate the proportioning valve.

On my car the prop valve wouldn't fit due to the wheel well. I bent the lines and pushed it in just to complete the install, I'll make new lines and relocate the valve this winter more than likely. The brakes have a completely different feel to them, less mechanical which makes sense, hard to describe but the car has exponentially better braking. Overall I'm pretty happy with them if that helps anyone else.

217403

[JuStBlAzIN]

I am considering a similar kit. How is the break pedal feel?

[boss_hoss]

I am considering a similar kit. How is the break pedal feel?
I’ve got the CPP kit. Pedal feel is pretty similar to a newer car. Light, responsive right off the top, lost of power that really ramps up the further you get into the pedal. I had to re-learn how to brake a bit in my Pontiac swapping from a vacuum set up to the ibooster. One thing I did to give me a bit more modulation and to make the brakes a bit less touchy was to drill another hole about an inch above the stock power brake hole on the pedal arm. I found if I mounted the brake pedal clevis in the stock power brake hole it was just a bit too touchy.

[Chevy Guy]

I am considering a similar kit. How is the break pedal feel?

I was having persistent issues with my braking system overall, the second gen WS6 systems are notoriously difficult to get feeling "good".



I’ve got the CPP kit. Pedal feel is pretty similar to a newer car. Light, responsive right off the top, lost of power that really ramps up the further you get into the pedal. I had to re-learn how to brake a bit in my Pontiac swapping from a vacuum set up to the ibooster. One thing I did to give me a bit more modulation and to make the brakes a bit less touchy was to drill another hole about an inch above the stock power brake hole on the pedal arm. I found if I mounted the brake pedal clevis in the stock power brake hole it was just a bit too touchy.

Well said, I would describe it as a bit "disconnected", from a driving feel/experience perspective.
My car has much better braking with this set up and I like new technology so I'm pretty happy overall.

[Scott Atk]

Totally agree with everyone else, the pedal feel is really light like a new car. I'm not a competition/track guy but I suspect if you were, you wouldn't like them. With that said, they work great. Here's a short video I did after the install.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cJgKLGURRo0

[68Formula]

I’ve got the CPP kit. Pedal feel is pretty similar to a newer car. Light, responsive right off the top, lost of power that really ramps up the further you get into the pedal. I had to re-learn how to brake a bit in my Pontiac swapping from a vacuum set up to the ibooster. One thing I did to give me a bit more modulation and to make the brakes a bit less touchy was to drill another hole about an inch above the stock power brake hole on the pedal arm. I found if I mounted the brake pedal clevis in the stock power brake hole it was just a bit too touchy.

Are you saying you more or less moved it from the pedal pivot point to the manual pivot point? Once you did that was it enough that it would be comfortable on a track?

[boss_hoss]

Are you saying you more or less moved it from the pedal pivot point to the manual pivot point? Once you did that was it enough that it would be comfortable on a track?

I basically split the difference between the power brake pivot point and the manual brake pivot point. It’s pretty easy with the CPP kit because it comes with an offset adapter for the Ibooster pedal rod. Instead of running in it the stock configuration which puts the pivot point in the stock boosted location I rotated the offset adapter 180 so that the pedal pivot moved up about an 1” then re drilled the hole where the brake pedal clevis landed. Pedal is still light but much more modulation. I wouldn’t have a problem running it on a track.

[boss_hoss]

Just flip this piece so that the rod is on
the top 217426

[JuStBlAzIN]

What is the fail safe should the booster stop working or power gets cut to it?

[dontlifttoshift]

Same as the failsafe if your vacuum hose falls off the booster. You still have direct mechanical linkage to master cylinder, just no assist.