I prefer to keep the brake feel of the E30 the way it came from the factory. You may want to do the same. I found that the:
Slotting the booster, without modification didn't work for me. since the shaft is angled, there is too much side load on the pin/bracket, and the pedal won't return after you depress it. this modified clevis solves that, and is easy.
Read on to see how to modify the clevis so that it connects to the pedal in stock-like fashion, is safe, uses the stock pin, and doesn't bind. Be ready - this post says "Clevis" so many times that if you are even a LITTLE BIT high, you will not be able to stop laughing. It's a funny word. Clevis. Clehhh-visssss... Okay. Let's begin.
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Drill new holes in the FW EXACTLY .5 inches to the driver's side. Don't slot it. Measure and drill.
Drill the holes for both bottom studs, and the driver's side top stud. You don't have to drill for the other top stud, as it will interfere with the accelerator pedal bracket assembly. Three nuts will hole the booster on. If you don't like that, you can stop here and choose one of the other boosters above.
With the booster removed, unscrew the clevis from the end of the booster shaft.
Go to the junkyard and get a second clevis. That's right. You will need two. (Yeah... You probably should have done this first. Hey, don't look at me - you are the clown that didn't read the directions before you started.) I found one from an E32. It worked fine, once I cut it to length.
Cut the second clevis as shown below. The goal is to cut it so that it will mate up with the other clevis with the correct amount of room for the pedal bracket in between. You basically want to cut exactly one "tang" of the clevis off. Measure, mark and cut straight! (I used a hacksaw, and it took 45 seconds. Man up and get busy. Or use an angle grinder... But BE CAREFUL. This cut needs to be precise.)
You have to cut carefully, because you are making this:
Clamp that up, and be sure that the pin slides easily through the holes in the "extended" section. Then weld it. Takes 30 seconds. And you will see, I make the worlds worst looking welds. Fully functional, fully ugly.
Note: you may wanna tape over the threaded section, to keep slag and bits from falling in and botching the threads.
Now paint it, since your welding likely ruined some of the fancy plating that kept it from rusting for 25 years.
You have now made a "W" out of 2 clevises. If you did it right, the W will fit perfectly - one "U" will thread on to the booster rod, the other U will go around the pedal bracket, and the pin will lock it in place just like stock. (Okay, sure, maybe it is an "M." Fine. Make your own thread if you like "M." Who asked you!? Smartass.)
The bonus? If you do it this way, should your weld ever fail (which it won't), the pin is STILL through one half of the original clevis, and you have the proverbial "belt and suspenders" approach to making sure your car stops!
Installed. Note toothpaste-y, horrible looking welds:
Another angle (upside down). Still ugly. Still works great:
To make this EVEN EASIER:
Install the clevis when you have the booster out of the car. It's not impossible when the booster is installed, but it is much harder.
Take the driver's seat out. Unless you are a tiny monkey, there is no room to work under the pedals. I took the driver's seat out, and laid on my back, with my head beneath the dash, and my feet on the back seat. Comfy.
All in all, if you can even KIND OF weld, this costs 2 bucks, and takes probably 2 hours from end to end, including removal and installation of the booster. it's safe, it's simple, it's cheap, and it keeps your stock brake feel.
That's all. Long-ass post. Hope this is useful.
- e21 booster sucks, and has too little boost.
- 325ix/E32 booster has plenty of boost, but needs a new master, and a remote reservoir, and the master requires re-bending the hard lines, and even then it interferes with the intake elbow if you use the spacer bracket. If you choose not to use the spacer bracket, it's more work.
- Porsche boosters seem easiest, but many are thin, and most require rethreading the rod. Not impossible, but costs a little money and takes some work.
- Stock booster totally fits, costs nothing, works like stock (because it is) and only takes a slight mod to the clevis (using a second clevis) for factory-like connection and safety.
Slotting the booster, without modification didn't work for me. since the shaft is angled, there is too much side load on the pin/bracket, and the pedal won't return after you depress it. this modified clevis solves that, and is easy.
Read on to see how to modify the clevis so that it connects to the pedal in stock-like fashion, is safe, uses the stock pin, and doesn't bind. Be ready - this post says "Clevis" so many times that if you are even a LITTLE BIT high, you will not be able to stop laughing. It's a funny word. Clevis. Clehhh-visssss... Okay. Let's begin.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Drill new holes in the FW EXACTLY .5 inches to the driver's side. Don't slot it. Measure and drill.
Drill the holes for both bottom studs, and the driver's side top stud. You don't have to drill for the other top stud, as it will interfere with the accelerator pedal bracket assembly. Three nuts will hole the booster on. If you don't like that, you can stop here and choose one of the other boosters above.
With the booster removed, unscrew the clevis from the end of the booster shaft.
Go to the junkyard and get a second clevis. That's right. You will need two. (Yeah... You probably should have done this first. Hey, don't look at me - you are the clown that didn't read the directions before you started.) I found one from an E32. It worked fine, once I cut it to length.
Cut the second clevis as shown below. The goal is to cut it so that it will mate up with the other clevis with the correct amount of room for the pedal bracket in between. You basically want to cut exactly one "tang" of the clevis off. Measure, mark and cut straight! (I used a hacksaw, and it took 45 seconds. Man up and get busy. Or use an angle grinder... But BE CAREFUL. This cut needs to be precise.)
You have to cut carefully, because you are making this:
Clamp that up, and be sure that the pin slides easily through the holes in the "extended" section. Then weld it. Takes 30 seconds. And you will see, I make the worlds worst looking welds. Fully functional, fully ugly.
Note: you may wanna tape over the threaded section, to keep slag and bits from falling in and botching the threads.
Now paint it, since your welding likely ruined some of the fancy plating that kept it from rusting for 25 years.
You have now made a "W" out of 2 clevises. If you did it right, the W will fit perfectly - one "U" will thread on to the booster rod, the other U will go around the pedal bracket, and the pin will lock it in place just like stock. (Okay, sure, maybe it is an "M." Fine. Make your own thread if you like "M." Who asked you!? Smartass.)
The bonus? If you do it this way, should your weld ever fail (which it won't), the pin is STILL through one half of the original clevis, and you have the proverbial "belt and suspenders" approach to making sure your car stops!
Installed. Note toothpaste-y, horrible looking welds:
Another angle (upside down). Still ugly. Still works great:
To make this EVEN EASIER:
Install the clevis when you have the booster out of the car. It's not impossible when the booster is installed, but it is much harder.
Take the driver's seat out. Unless you are a tiny monkey, there is no room to work under the pedals. I took the driver's seat out, and laid on my back, with my head beneath the dash, and my feet on the back seat. Comfy.
All in all, if you can even KIND OF weld, this costs 2 bucks, and takes probably 2 hours from end to end, including removal and installation of the booster. it's safe, it's simple, it's cheap, and it keeps your stock brake feel.
That's all. Long-ass post. Hope this is useful.
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