1957 Mushy Brakes

[The Tassie Devil(le)]

Check to see if the internal orifice of the booster hose is not collapsed.

Bruce.

[60eldo]

   WHAT??  Talk to me like Im in grade 4

[wbdeford]

Check to see if the internal orifice of the booster hose is not collapsed.

Bruce.

The booster, if it is like other boosters of that era, has a large hose through which air passes when you apply the brakes.  This is what gives you the boost.  If that hose is collapsing internally, the air can't get through and you essentially only have manual brakes--actually worse than manual, since some of your effort is used to compress the booster without help from the air.

[Walter Youshock]

If you're expecting bleeding and adjusting is going to give you the same braking effect you're used to on your modern car or even one from 1962, forget it. 

This is a 4 wheel drum brake car with a single master cylinder and old school brake assist(hydro vac).  The Hydro vac was in service for years before 1957.

Also, these cars were designed around asbestos pads which reacted far differently than today's ceramic amalgamations.

On a 60 year old, 6000 pound car, be happy it even has power assist...

And you have s used booster.  There's no knowledge of its usage or current effectiveness.  These are "wet" boosters in that brake fluid that. By nature, absorbs water, could be rusty inside.  All that and you have a commercial chassis...

[60eldo]

  Well today all installed and bled. I have brakes now a good pedal but I have to push it hard to stop. I would never atempt to drive this car on a highway. I think the booster is not working cause I did a test on it. Sat in the car pumped pedal 2 times and hold, then started the car. Pedal should of dropped a tad,,,,it didnt. I guess I will spend another 500 bucks and get the booster done,,,,,mmmm

[Walter Youshock]

You should definitely have it done but don't expect miracles from it.  I've owned one of these for 23 years.  The brakes are horrible.  Get used to it.

[60eldo]

   Good thing its a hearse,,,I will drive real slow    Whats the alternitive to this brake system. Is there a M/C and booster from another car I can go with

[wbdeford]

Being a 58 owner, I have noticed a number of brake parts for my car are listed as fitting 56 and 58 but not 57....that always signaled to me that they knew they made things worse on 57s and had to go back.

[Ed Eckhart #12747]

Ed Strain at brakeboosterrebuild.com is often cited on this forum as a quality rebuilder of these boosters. Yours probably needs rebuilding.
There is a long thread on this forum regarding the possibility of retrofitting a modern dual master cylinder/booster setup on the 57, but my memory is that it would not be realistically feasible.

Ed E

[Walter Youshock]

How do you have the vacuum connected?  There were 2 different ways.  One had the vacuum hose attached to a pipe at the back of the carb.  The other was directly off the intake manifold. 

Both styles use a check valve attached to the firewall.  There is no vvacuum ta k on the '57 so you can't pump the pedal and get it to pump up like a modern car.  It'll only hold enough vacuum for 2 or 3 pedal applications.

[60eldo]

 Walter, I have no check valve on the firewall, my vac pipe comes out of the rear of intake directly to the booster

[Walter Youshock]

Without a valve, you'll never build up vacuum by pumping the brakes,with the car not running.

[wbdeford]

How do you have the vacuum connected?  There were 2 different ways.  One had the vacuum hose attached to a pipe at the back of the carb.  The other was directly off the intake manifold. 

Both styles use a check valve attached to the firewall.  There is no vvacuum ta k on the '57 so you can't pump the pedal and get it to pump up like a modern car.  It'll only hold enough vacuum for 2 or 3 pedal applications.

2 or 3 applications with the engine off is all the manual promises for '58s, which do have a vacuum tank.

[60eldo]

   Mine is a 57 not a 58 which is a different system. I think my check valve is inside the booster. If Im wrong does anyone have a pic of it on the firewall or is there one in the manual.

[Walter Youshock]

I don't have a photo handy right now but can get you one.  It's an L shooed poppet valve that attaches to the top right of the booster mounting bracket with a round clip.  The vacuum hose from the intake goes on one port and the hose to the booster on the second port so it's in line.  With your engine off, there's no vacuum that can be built up since at least some of the valves are in an open position.

The check valve also pprotects the booster in case there is a backfire from the carb.

[Dave Shepherd]

Walt, the 57 is different, there is no check valve external on the hydro vac, later models had the canister type booster with that plastic check valve.

[Walter Youshock]

Really?  Then why does my car have one?

[Roger Zimmermann]

Have a look at the picture: that check valve is really there. OK, it's a '57 Brougham, but the brake system is the same as for regular cars.

[Dave Shepherd]

Odd, the 57 Seville I am working on does not have that set up,  just a direct connection to the manifold?

[Roger Zimmermann]

The difference is probably due to the fact that the car above has a 2-carbs set up. From the parts book: (cars with 1 carb)

'57 before engine # 75598: part # 3715067 between intake pipe hose and booster hose

'57 after engine # 75597: part # 1469686 between carburator and booster

No matter where the check valve is located, there must be one!