I need a new booster for my 63 Riv. So far the local parts stores have come up empty. Any suggestions?

Thanks

Doug,
http://boosterdeweyexchange.com

No new or remanufactured boosters are available, but Dewey can rebuild yours. A good friend had his done by Dewey and it works great.
HTH,
Tim

Or, if originality is not a concern to you, go with a later model booster ('67+) plus dual master cylinder. Get the booster you need and a safety upgrade all at the same time.

I'm probably the last person who should chime in on technical questions, but I just had my '65 professionally restored and my restorer more or less insisted on installing a dual master set-up for the safety aspect Jim mentioned... Just my two cents.

So just any 67 or newer booster and dual master cylinder will work? Do I need a proportioning valve?

You shouldn't need a proprotioning valve unless you have drum AND disk brakes.
Disk brakes require up to 200 psi more than drum for the same stopping power.

Disk-disk (front & rear) and drum-drum (front & rear) don't need a proportioning valve, power booster or no power booster.

If you don't use a proportioning valve on disk-drum brakes, the back wheels will lock-up before the fronts.

Doug,
I installed a 67 Riviera dual resevoir master cylinder on my ORIGINAL 63 booster, you don't need a 67 booster to make it work, just an o-ring to seal up the vacuum. It's been on my car for 5 years with zero issues. I guess it all depends on how original looking you want to keep your car. The dual master set up is a very good idea for safety sake, but don't forget to replace the brake lines, hoses, wheel cylinders and brake hardware to do a really through job of it.
HTH,
Tim

Thanks.

I found one last year...its in and works well... there were a few on the web at various parts establishments... Napa was one..Car stuff... I think and there were also boosters with master cylinders all in one available

And what about rebuild kits?

Are there any sources for just the rebuild kits on the brake boosters?

thanks
alex
roa 11550

Not that I have ever seen. But you'd think they must exist. I guess you need to ask at a good auto parts store if they can order one.

Please bear with me since I'm a newbie still wet behind the ears. I hate to ask dumb questions but I have never been clear on this. When you say "dual master cyl.," are we talking about two single reservoir masters or one dual reservoir master?
Tim, can you tell me what size o-ring that was? That is fabulous news to me since a previous owner has made a real mess of my brake set up. The booster looks original but the master has a plastic reservoir and has the "Ford" logo on it. Whether or not the rod is original or not I don't know yet.
Thanks,
Paul

Welcome, Paul!

There are no dumb questions around here. Don't worry about it.

A dual master cylinder is a one-piece casting with 2 reservoirs and a special piston that puts pressure out of 2 separate ports when you step on the brake pedal. A nifty piece of engineering that gives you brakes on one pair of wheels if there is a leak in the brake system on the other pair of wheels. Without it (with a stock single master cylinder) you have no brakes at all if you have a leak.

Take that Ford master cylinder off of there and put one on from a '67 full size Buick with drum brakes on front and rear.

Do the stock steel lines bolt up to the dual master cylinder or will those have to be replaced as well?

Don't count on these places having a '63 booster in stock. All told me they had one when I needed it last fall, two even took my credit card number. Each came back about a week later to say they did not actually have a '63 booster in stock. I have been told a '64 will interchange, but the vacuum hookup is different, so it would not look 100% original. Just my two cents.

Steve Owens
Oklahoma City
'63 low and slow.

[quote=alex bonino]And what about rebuild kits?

Are there any sources for just the rebuild kits on the brake boosters?

For my 67 I just went through a month long process checking every source I could think of both likely and unlikely ones and came up with with a big fat Zero. Very frustrating. These things are fairly easy to rebuild. The shops that offer the rebuilding service have to get the parts somewhere and neither of the two popular ones would tell me where or sell me just the parts. Can't say I blame them because that would cut into there business. I was told that no rebuilt parts or kits are available in the retail market. Your option is to buy a rebuilt booster or send yours to be rebuilt.

I know it has always been a big topic to convert single master cylinder systems to dual for "safety" reasons but when it comes to a Classic car that is typically garage kept and well maintained, I do not think it is really much of a safety hazard running a single cylinder, but thats just my opinion. Thats what the E-brake is for. Insure the steel lines are good, install a rebuilt master cylinder and flush the fluid every 3-5 years and you'll likely never have a problem.

Take that Ford master cylinder off of there and put one on from a '67 full size Buick with drum brakes on front and rear.

[/quote]
I went to a local parts house (actually two) who could order the master cyl. for a '67 quickly enough but there were two types; one w/ a shallow piston hole and one with a deep one. The shallow one was a Delco type and the deep one was a bendix type. Since the '63 has an adjustable rod (from what I understand)does it matter which one? If so which one would be the correct or better fit?
Being as my system has been corrupted with a Ford master cyl. I can't even reliably compare with the old one. They were nice enough to take the old one for a switch out though.
Thanks again,
Paul

Yes, it matters. The adjustable push rod is not THAT adjustable. You need to get the MC that matches your booster. If you get the MC with the shallow hole in the piston and you actually need the one with the deeper hole, the master cylinder will not bolt on to the booster without pushing the piston in. You should be able to tell if that is what is going on and then you know you have to get the other MC. So start out with the MC with the shallow hole.

You must put a rubber ring seal on the MC (once you figure out which one you need) to seal at the neck where it slides into the booster. If you do not, you have a massive vacuum leak there and you will have no power brake boost. Many people leave out that seal and then wonder why they can't stop the car.

Great! I'll follow your advice and try that. You guys are very helpful and quite gracious.
Thanks again,
Paul

I found an interesting link about this topic please read
http://www.blowupthespot.com/press/65-buick-riviera/dual-well-master-cylinder-conversion/