Hi Guys,

I have an '88 4Runner, 4 cyl, 5sp, and I'm pretty sure the brake booster went bad. Ran the tests and it sure looks that way. The pedal is very firm, no matter what I do.

My question is this: do I HAVE to remove the brake lines from the master cylinder to in order to remove the MC (master cylinder) from the booster? I'm hoping that, if I remove the brake line retaining clips from the firewall, I'll have enough play in the lines to keep them attached to the MC while I remove and replace the booster. It will save me from bleeding the brakes by myself or having to buy special tools to do that.

Anyone have any other tips for this repair?

Thanks, Craig

 

If you have enough flexibility in the lines then sure, you can pull the booster out. But I doubt it, the stud length of the MC + stud length of the booster is a lot of distance.

Get parts to cap off the MC ports and the brake lines you have to disconnect. After you reinstall, you can bleed those connections like you would a caliper. Someone pumps the pedal, you crack the line with a flare nut wrench and let fluid seep out, and retighten before the pedal comes back up. I have used this method with good success.

Good opportunity to get a V6 1" MC too if you care about that

 

I swapped my 4 cyl booster for a V6 unit. I never disconnected the lines. They will flex just fine. You can unsecure them from the firewall for even more flexibility. Make sure you adjust the pushrod correctly so you don't have too much or no play in the brake pedal.

 

Thanks for the replies! I'll tackle this this weekend.

 

Just to confirm, I also swapped my MC last weekend without opening a line

 

Awesome...

Thanks!

 

Just to follow up: I had no trouble with the brake lines while replacing my brake booster. I removed a few of the brake line clips on the firewall for extra flex and the booster came out easily. The hard part is getting the pedal adjusted right. It took 4-5 times of adjusting the push rod and pedal position to get no brake dragging. It stops better now than it has in years!