Brake Master Cylinder and Booster Technical Info

[VileZambonie]

Description: Hydroboost

The Hydro-Boost system provides an additional cylinder in the brake system. This cylinder contains no brake fluid. The Hydro-Boost cylinder is hydraulically operated, by pressurized fluid from the power steering pump, providing power assist to operate a dual master cylinder brake system.
The booster is composed of two sections; the linkage section and the power section.
The booster is designed so that if a total absence of power assist occurs, the brakes can be applied manually, but somewhat greater pressure on the brake pedal is required.

[VileZambonie]

Single Diaphragm Vacuum Booster

DESCRIPTION
These power brake units are a combination vacuum-hydraulic brake booster of the vacuum suspended type which use engine intake manifold vacuum and atmospheric pressure for its power.
These units consist of a vacuum power section and an hydraulic master cylinder section. The vacuum power section contains a power piston with rolling diaphragm mechanism and power piston return spring.
The control valve is made up of an air valve and floating vacuum control valve assembly. The reaction mechanism consists of an hydraulic piston, reaction plate and a series of levers. The valve operating rod, which operates the air valve, projects from the power section and is connected to the brake pedal linkage.
The hydraulic pushrod operates against the master cylinder piston. A split system (tandem piston) type master cylinder is incorporated into some units. The front half of the master cylinder in the split system operates the rear brakes while the rear half of the master cylinder operates the front brakes.
A vacuum check valve, attached to the front vacuum chamber and connected to the intake manifold, traps vacuum in the power unit at the highest level of vacuum.

OPERATION
As the brakes are applied by the driver, the valve operating rod and control piston move forward in the power piston assembly to compress the valve return spring and bring the poppet valve into contact with the vacuum valve seat in the valve housing to close the vacuum post. Any additional movement of the valve operating rod in the applied direction moves the control valve away from the poppet valve to open the atmospheric port and admit air through the air filter and passages to the chamber at the right of the vacuum power piston assembly. With vacuum on the left side of the diaphragm and atmospheric pressure on the right side of the diaphragm, a force is developed to move the vacuum power piston assembly, hydraulic pushrod, and hydraulic piston to the left to close the compensating port and force hydraulic fluid under pressure through the residual check valve and brake tubes into the brake wheel cylinders.

[VileZambonie]

Tandem Vacuum Booster

These units have a vacuum power chamber that consists of a front and rear shell, a housing divider, front and rear diaphragm and plate assemblies, an hydraulic pushrod and a diaphragm return spring.
The unit operates in much the same manner as the Single Diaphragm unit described above. The diaphragm and plate assemblies use the pressure differential created by engine intake manifold vacuum and atmospheric pressure to assist the hydraulic pushrod.

[VileZambonie]

Combination Valve and Height sensing proportioning valves

These vehicles use either a two function or three function combination valve. Some vehicles use a height sensitive proportioning valve in addition to the combination valve.
The two function combination valve consists of a metering valve and a brake failure warning switch. The hydraulic brake lines are routed through this valve to the wheel cylinders or calipers. The metering portion of this valve assists in providing balanced front to rear braking by delaying full hydraulic fluid pressure to the front disc brakes until the rear drum brakes overcome return spring tension and the linings contact the drums. The brake failure warning switch portion of the valve activates the brake warning lamp when there is a loss of pressure in either the front or the rear braking system.
The three function combination valve consists of a metering valve, a brake failure warning switch, and a proportioning valve. The metering valve and brake failure warning switch operate the same as those in the two function combination valve previously described.
The proportioning section of the valve proportions outlet pressure to the rear brakes after a certain rear input pressure has been reached, preventing rear wheel lock-up.
The height sensitive proportioning valve provides ideal brake balance according to weight at rear axle. This valve is mounted on the frame and responds to changes in vehicle trim height in relation to rear axle load. Mechanical linkage connects the valve to a bracket attached to the rear axle.

Height sensing proportioning valve

[VileZambonie]

Master Cylinder

Some vehicles use a conventional tandem master cylinder with two hydraulic pistons operating in line. The primary piston controls the front brake system and the secondary piston controls the rear brake system.

Quick Take up Master

Other models use a master cylinder that operates the same as the conventional master cylinder, but also incorporates a quick take-up feature in the rear chamber to reduce excessive pedal travel which may result from increased fluid displacement required to move the low drag caliper piston out against the rotor. The quick take-up uses a spring-loaded ball check valve to hold pressure in the large diameter rear chamber when the brakes are first applied. At initial application, movement of the rear piston causes fluid to be displaced forward past the primary piston seal into the primary high pressure chamber. At a specified pressure, the ball unseats and fluid from the large rear bore is displaced past the bore into the reservoir. When the brake pedal is released, suction generated in the large bore chamber replenishes its fluid supply by drawing fluid from the reservoir around the quick take-up lip seal and through a small bleed orifice in the ball seat.