Brake Booster Replacement

[ThomasJ]

Hello all I have an 80 FI and I am trying to replace my brake booster (was stalling when I hit the brakes and hissing at the brake peddle), everything has been removed but my challenge is getting it out of the enging bay. Is it a matter of removing additional componets or is there a trick to getting it out?

Second question, a friend gave me a booster from a 74 other than the valve difference it appears to be the same, does anyone know if the booster from the 74 will indeed work in my 80 and is there any way of testing a used booster prior to installing?

Last question (for now) I have only had this car a few months and it has not been on the road as of yet, the PO thought that I would need to change a brake line due to missing fluid however no sign of leaking at any of the joints. I followed a thread where it was stated that brake fluid could leak into the booster, can this really happen and if so is there any way I can test the MC?

Ideally I would like to buy a new booster and MC however I am still recovering from my first spider of 8 months ago, which despite what I was told prior to purchase turned out to be junk that I sold for parts which decreased my car fund. (Wife wasn't too happy with two spiders in the garage and her parking outside in the winter so I had to sell it before determining everything that I needed from it.)

Update: I think the best direction is to get a replacement booster & MC so I'm now looking.

Any help will as always be greatly appreaciate,
Thomas
Ancaster, Ontario

[ThomasJ]

I didn't get a response so I will answer myself based on what I have learned since tplacing the original posting with the hopes that it might help others in the future.

1. Removing the old booster out of a FI.
It was a bit of a challenge not a lot of room to wiggle it out, it was binding on the FI rail. Ended up removing the clutch cable as I was planning to replace it any way and just kept wiggling it around. The replacement went back in the same way, no majic just kept wiggleing it around.

2. Will an older booster (one with an inline check valve) work in an 80 and how to test prior to installing.
It appears as if all boosters are inter-changeable - will answer difinatively when I install it in the next couple of days.
Testing: the problem with my car was that when you applied the brakes the car would stall and you would hear a sucking noise coming from the brake peddle area. To test the replacement I pushed the rod normally attached to the peddle in and secured it so that it was as if the peddle was depressed. I then connected the vaccum line hopefully creating the condition that was causing the car to stall with the original booster, happily the car did not stall. So now to install it.
Well the new-old one (from a 74) is in and appears to be working.

3. Don't know. - see next message in thread.

[scarlson]

Brake fluid can leak past the plunger and out between the master cylinder and booster or maybe into the booster. I don't remember if there is a seal at the end of the master cylinder. It should be apparent if this was happening by the residue left behind. When all is back together, hold your foot on the pedal and see if it slowly drops. If the pedal stays firm, I would top off the fluid and keep an eye on it.