Anyone have any ideas or experiences on cleaning up an old Brake Booster. It is still installed on my car but do not mind taking it off to get it refurbished if I need to. I really like the clean look of the zinc coating.

 

Take it off, clean it in parts washer carefully.Degrease.
Wire brush, sand or scotchbrite it.
Prime and paint
Or
Clean as best you can and bead blast with a very fine media like aluminum oxide and send it out to have it cadnium plated or skip the plating and buy Eastwoods spray bomb kit that simulates cadnium plate.
Just some ideas.
Or
Buy a new one already to install.

 

If you're going for correct that gold-cad booster paint stuff looks like paint.

By the time you spend the 60-70 bucks on it it you're better off to just spend a few bucks more and do it right with a new one or send yours out to have it replated and rebuilt.
Next to a car with a plated booster those painted ones stick out like a sore thumb IMO.


I know the gold-cad plating is supposed to be correct but I've had a few original GM cars that they say it's correct for and they had the silverish-gray plating on them. I've seen old factory line pics with it, my Goat and Vista Cruiser sure looked original and they were that too. I don't remember those bright gold boosters except on pick-up trucks and I was a pump jockey with my nose stuck under hoods checking stuff for years. Maybe they were just duller or worn, I could just not remember?

The disremberment may be a side effect of my coming of age in the 70's, could just be age too, how would I be able to tell ???

What was I talking about???

Rooster???
My neighbor has one and it drives me crazy crowing every five seconds all day.

 

If you decide to paint it, make sure your paint is resistant to brake fluid. Brake fluid is one of the most effective paint removers I have ever seen, next to paint removers... Plating would be much more durable.

 

Bluevista, I've seen a few restored 442's with the silverish-gray coloring, as well. Anyone know of a vendor that sells them?

 

Someone mentioned a month or so ago that graphite lube rubbed on the surface of brake boosters and exhaust manifolds provides an excellent coating that won't burn off or come off with chemicals.

 

I just recently gave the engine compartment a good scrubbing, painted what needed painting, and installed the correct decals. What then stood out like a turd in a punch bowl was the nasty brake booster and master cylinder. I gave serious thought to wire brush and steel wool for the job and a paint order from Eastwood. I was afraid I'd put a lot of time and money into the project and wind up with nothing more than a gold colored turd.

I bought a GM Restoration booster from eBay, and replaced the 10 year old reman master cylinder with a new, not reman, unit from NAPA. I did paint the MC with Eastwood's cast iron paint to prevent rust. It's advertised to resist brake fluid, we will see how that works. The booster was $104 plus shipping and fit perfectly.

 

how hard is it to replace boosters? any problems with bleeding?

 

the right side bottom nut can be a bit of bi-otch, but other than that it's pretty simple.

I have a vacuum bleeder but the old fashioned way or gravity method will also work

 

I hear you guys on polishing a turd. I decided to purchase a new Brake Booster and MC from Napa. Now just have to figure out what to paint it with beings it comes as a bare metal finish. Any ideas on what might look good and hold up?

 

You might try that Eastwood's paint specifically formulated for brake boosters. Didn't someone else mention it? Eastwood is a top notch company when it comes to car restoration. Either Eastwood, or check out POR 15s website. I'm sure they have a chemically resistant paint that would work great on a brake booster.

 

Make sure you disconnect your battery. Brake pedal will drop once the master/booster is out. Cleanup of the old booster etc took a while and I wasn't paying attention and I killed a battery that way.

The wife had a field day with that one.

 

HA! that is a really good one. I like that. It made me laugh out loud, just the image, at a wedding reception......kind of like a caddy shack moment.

 

tsk tsk tsk! Did you not read the instructions? Step one is always "disconnect battery", even if replacing wiper blades. I bet you didn't wear eye protection either.

I think that's in their genes. That episode will be remembered for years, trust me.