Just lost my brakes, while driving

[Aaron Berk]

Well it wasn't to scary, I was in a parking lot at low speed.

Just sucks.

I'll be popping the hood later today.

After getting out of the parking lot and onto the road, I stopped at a red light. It felt like the peddle was "Ever so slowly" creeping to the floor.

So should I be looking at the booster and VAC lines?


My peddle was HARD AS A ROCK and only gave me about an inch of travel.

My money is on booster issues, any other thoughts?

[atvrider93]

so you had no brakes at all in the parking lot(mushy? hard? no feedback?) then you got on the road and it was hard but slowly going in still?
sounds like slight vacuum leak. have you checked your fluid?

[Aaron Berk]

yeah my pedal was had as a rock. like pushing a brick wall

But it did slow down, no haven't checked fluid yet, but I'm thinking the booster wasn't operating


yeah on the road it was hard, bout had to 2 foot it. and at the stop light it was creeping to the floor

[Aaron Berk]

Just checked fluid, it's full

Whats the name of the vacuum manifold thing that feeds the booster?

All the hoses are attached, I'll crank it up later and check for leaks. They don't look rotted, but it is a 97 so it might just be their time to go.

Hope it's not booster internals going out

[Chop]

Check your vacuum pump,these are known to fail.If you had a leak at the booster you would most likely hear it leak.

[Aaron Berk]

cool, ty Chop.

So where is the vac pump? And wouldn't that affect other things as well?

Maybe unrelated but once I go over 70mph I get a drop in power and an engine light.

Always runs great under 70 though, and the light resets every time I turn off the truck. I've been to lazy/busy to pull my scanner out and read that one.

[Aaron Berk]

ok so I think this is it right?

[retmotor]

Someone slap me if I'm being stupid, but if the vacuum pump is the culprit, wouldn't the steering quit working also? That's what happened on my '95.

[Aaron Berk]

I cranked up the truck and got a new noise

I think it's the vac pump.

I drove half a mile and was watching for all issues.

Brake light is on at low throttle, and no brakes.

Rev up the rpms and brake light flutters then goes off. Press the brakes and get a little response then HARD pedal and then brake light comes back on.

So I'm guessing the vac pump is pumping enough to build up a little vacuum under high rpms, but once I press the pedal I lose all vacuum, and the pump can't keep up.

So what all is involved with the vacuum pump? Could it be the drive housing that powers the pump, or typically just the pump itself? and who knows how to isolate it down?

I don't think my steering is tied into the vacuum on my 97, Retmotor

[Chop]

I would think with the belt off you can check vacuum pump for play and rough bearings,engine running you can pull hose to the booster and see or feel for some vacuum.When you replace pump,one bolt remains because of pulley.Once pump is off,use a puller to remove the pulley"you need to transfer the pulley"When the pulley is removed make sure you transfer this " bolt " before installing pulley to new pump.The Super duty uses the power steering pump for power brakes