ef civic...brake master cyl. and booster upgrade

[imported_woodzpekr]

yea...so whats up ladies and germs...
here we go again w/ another diy....

this time, we will be installing a da (90-93) integra brake master cylinder and brake booster onto an ef (88-91) civic hatch or... sedan for that matter.

a fairly simple upgrade for stock civic brakes. especially to those who have also upgraded to 90-93 disc brakes already.

first, you will need to locate a donor car...any junkyard is bound to have one...
get the parts and then you are going to need a coupla tools to get the job done.

-this install is kinda tuff for your average person...it is only 6 bolts to remove and re-install, not including the brake lines to the m/cyl...and having access to the right tools can make it go a lot easier.

--first you will want a good light.
locate the 4 mounting nuts that mount the booster to the firewall. you will find these under the dash on the driver's side ..duh
these nuts require a 12mm shallow socket.
personnally...i used a 1/4" drive 12mm swivel socket w/ a footlong extension, and a 1/4" ratchet. be careful not to drop the nuts because you might lose them.

--once these have been removed, you will then need to remove the cotter pin that connects the brake pedal to the booster. a good pair of " dykes"...(yea yea, haha)
will work just fine.

--next, you can move to under the hood. use a 12mm wrench, or socket and ratchet for the nuts that mount the m/cyl to the booster. before you do this it is a good idea to loosen the 2, count it...1...2... 2 brake lines from the m/cyl. a 10mm wrench is the best for the job...+ be careful not to strip the fittings on the lines...
once this had been done, set the old aside and now try and remove the booster.
make sure all vacuum lines have been removed and remove the old booster.

++++NOTE: there will be a little rubber gasket that is in between the cyl. and the booster. MAKE SURE that you dont lose this bcuz it will not seal properly and you will have a world class vacuum leak on your hands.

--ok, so...now install the integra booster onto your civic...you will have to move some shit and kinda twist things around to get it into the firewall, but it will fit. reverse the removal process using the same tools mentioned above, dont forget to hook up the vacuum hoses too. you will also want to use a new cotter pin for the brake pedal link. now that the booster is on and tight...now u gotta bleed the master cylinder.

--bleeding the master cylinder is very important prior to installation. this removes all the air that is trapped inside, the last thing that you want is spongy brake pedals...to do this, you will have to cycle brake fluid through the master cylinder.
you can buy a bench bleeding kit from most auto parts stores im sure, so maybe that would be a cheap investment to make this go smoother. (its pretty hard to get all the air out if you do not use a bench bleed kit)
basically all you need is to run hoses from the fittings on the master cylinder into the cylinder itself and cycle the fluid, eliminating all the air from the system.

--now, install the master cylinder onto the booster. reverse the removal process again. and make sure that you dont strip the fittings on thse lines!!!

--check the fluid level...(it should be full)
--check the pedal...(it should be firm. if it is spongy, there is air still in the system. also, start the car as to feel the pedal. )
--check all mounting points and make sure that everything is tight.
--make sure that any spilled brake fluid is wiped off paint !!!immediatley!!! (brake fluid likes to eat paint like a fat kid likes to eat cake n shit)
-- make sure that you DONT LOSE THE LITTLE RUBBER GASKET that i mentioned above
--and MOST IMPORTANT!!!
MAKE SURE THAT YOU REALIZE THIS WILL INCREASE YOUR STOPPING POWER PRETTY GOOD. IT IS A LOT EASIER THAN YOU THINK TO LOCK UP YOUR BRAKES IN A HURRY NOW THAT YOU HAVE THIS ON YOUR CAR, SO...BE CAREFUL WHEN HITTING THE BRAKES HARD. IF USED PROPERLY...AND WITH SOME DRIVING ABILITY, THESE WILL MAKE YOUR CAR STOP LIKE A MOTHA. ALONG WITH INTEGRA DISCS AS WELL, THIS IS A GREAT AND FAIRLY CHEAP BRAKE UPGRADE FOR THE OLD SCHOOL. I GOT THIS ON MY CAR, ILL VOUGE FOR THE IMPROVEMENT

now you can go and test it out...im sure that you will be satisfied.

always remember to carefully...and GOOD LUCK!

sorry about that novel guys...

im out like a fat girl in dodgeball

[imported_woodzpekr]

ooooo yea....
and 1 more thing... if you do perform this upgrade...you will not be able to use a front upper strut bar...
the new master cylinder is significantly bigger then the old one.
any front upper strut bar designed to fit the 88-91 chassis will no longer fit.

this is the only downside to this upgrade...you can however,
get a strut bar made for the front by an experienced fabricator. it is very simple to do...

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