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| This is my wife's bus. That is at least as we know it as it belongs to the retirement community she works at and is in charge of doing the trips it takes. It has not been used since covid and has sat outside for most of this year at least. They are wanting to get it back on the road and take trips, so they sent it out to be serviced and inspected.
The tag axle has an independent brake system similar to a Hydro-Vac system on an old grain truck and just as reliable. This system has a vacuum booster like a hydro-vac but does not use a slave cylinder plumbed to the master cylinder on the firewall. It uses a control valve of some nature to control the vacuum sourced from an electric vacuum pump (inop) near the axle. Apparently, the brake fluid pressure causes the valve to open and vacuum pulls on the diaphragm in the booster to apply the hydro-vac master cylinder. The booster housing is rusted out on the bottom, vacuum pump inop and the brake shoes are completely gone.
Through my research, the company that made the system (Master Brake Inc.) went out of business shortly after this bus was built and there have been no parts available since the early 2000's. I was directed to Precision Rebuilders in Missouri who I told what I was working with and they promptly saisd" We got nothing for that".
I called my brake guy at Brake Material and Parts in Ft. Wayne Indiana and told him what I had, sent him some pics and he said after a long pause "maybe". Now this guy has performed many miracles for me and is a brake genius who has never said anything but "Sure I can rebuild that". He said, "I can probably build a booster, and the master cylinder is no problem, but I have never seen a control valve like that."
Now I know some here are going to say that I should adapt a hydro-vac to work or build something but anything I do makes me liable if this was to have an accident. Being used for passengers opens me up to a lot of liability and I cannot certify it as is.
INDY
Edited by Indianajones 12/16/2024 13:14
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The current bane of my existence
