1996 3.0l 24v Has a Leak in the Break Booster inside the car

tonysvolvo · Post by **tonysvolvo** » 22 Jul 2008, 14:35

Nubie here. Has anybody replaced this booster? It looks like a real big pain in the rear. I am on a budget like most of us and I am planing on doing it myself. A good friend of mine said I should replace the master break cylinder while I am in there. It looks like it's gonna be a costly situation no matter what. If anybody has done this, how long did it take? and did you run into any surprises? Thanks for the help. Tony.

lummert · Post by **lummert** » 22 Jul 2008, 17:15

Is your master cylinder good? It is probably expensive like on a 760 w/ ABS. I have never replaced a brake booster on a Volvo, but I would check to see if the master cylinder can be unbolted from the booster and moved out of the way with the brake lines still attached.

Post by **billofdurham** » 23 Jul 2008, 12:50

tonysvolvo, welcome to Matthew's Volvo Site.

What type of leak is it, vacuum or fluid?

Bill.

tonysvolvo · Post by **tonysvolvo** » 23 Jul 2008, 13:39

Yea I forgot to mention that it's an air leak. You can hear it under the dash when you depress the pedal. I can only assume it's the booster seal starting to go out. Thanks.

Post by **billofdurham** » 24 Jul 2008, 12:46

Are you experiencing problems with the brakes? Sometimes you can hear a hissing sound in the car when the brake pedal is depressed but there is nothing wrong with the servo (booster).

Replacing the servo is not a hard job, just a little fiddly in places.

Remove the brake master cylinder from the servo without disconnecting any of the pipes and carefully move it to one side.
Disconnect the vacuum hose and pry out the check valve using a screwdriver.
Remove the fuel filter and move it aside.
On some engines there is a vacuum pump near the servo. Disconnect it and move it aside.
Inside the vehicle remove the soundproofing from under the dash on the driver's side.
Disconnect the pushrod from the brake pedal.
Remove 4 nuts from the servo and remove the servo from the engine compartment.

Any questions, ask.

Bill.

tonysvolvo · Post by **tonysvolvo** » 24 Jul 2008, 13:07

Thanks Bill. The breaks have gotten really stiff and the only thing I can think of is the booster. I will attempt the replacement soon and will post my results. I got a price of over $500 for the booster. Ouch!! But you have to STOP! I'll be back.

Post by **billofdurham** » 24 Jul 2008, 15:32

That certainly sounds like a servo problem.

Before you blow a $500 hole in your bank account check the seal which sits behind the inlet valve in the servo casing. This is easy to get at by removing the vacuum pipe from the inlet and prying the valve and seal out with a small screwdriver.

That seal does go and will produce a fairly loud hissing sound which you will be able to hear in the car. The seal and the valve can be bought without the major expense of a servo which rarely fail themselves.

Also give the vacuum pipe a good check to see if it has any defects in it. One thing I have found with them is that they collapse from the inside out, look normal but cause havoc with the brakes.

Bill.

tonysvolvo · Post by **tonysvolvo** » 24 Jul 2008, 16:19

Good stuff Bill. I will look into the seal option and find out if I can get a hold of one. And WHACK the vacc hose. Got it. Thanks again.

Post by **billofdurham** » 25 Jul 2008, 11:42

One more afterthought which may save you money. Look at FCP Groton for the parts you need. There are two types of valve and they have pictures of both. Also a new servo unit costs $248.38 if you do need one.

http://www.fcpgroton.com/category-exec/ ... y_year/46/

Bill.

tonysvolvo · Post by **tonysvolvo** » 25 Jul 2008, 14:15

Wow this is a lot better. The price is affordable. I will order through Groton. Thanks again.