Buying a NEW E21 brake booster?

[Drew325is]

I'm going to go the E21 booster route with my M52 swap, and I'm liking the idea of getting a brand new booster rather than a used one. Unfortunately, a new gen. BMW booster has been quoted to me as costing $500+. However, it looks like I can get ones made by "Prior" or "A1Cardone" for ~$140-200 from here: http://www.thepartsbin.com/catalog/p...ster&catalog=p

Does anyone have any experience with these brands? Is any one of them any better than the other? Can anyone vouch for a good supplier of these brands that will ship internationally?

Thanks in advance!

Edit - I have noticed they are remanufactured boosters, not brand new...but I'd still prefer that to a used unit.

[matt]

Boosters don't usually go bad... I would (did) just put a coat of paint on a used one.

[SWAPJUNKIE]

Try Autopartsworld .com, they sell mostly OEM parts at only 15% markup and good customer service

[mattdk318i]

Try Autopartsworld .com, they sell mostly OEM parts at only 15% markup and good customer service

What do i need to get for mine? or do you already have something at the shop?

[FredK]

I got an E21 booster remanufactured by A1 Cardone. Works great. When I did another swap, I chose to go to a pick and pull, where it's $25 for a booster.

As long as the booster isn't filled with brake fluid from a bad master, it should be good to go, unless the diaphragm has gone bad just from sitting like 20 years.

[Mr.SWISS]

E21's aren't the common car around here so I got a reman from Autozone for ~$160. I think there is a break in on them cuz my pedal has gotten lighter than it was the first few months.

[Drew325is]

Thanks for the responses.

I'm waiting to hear a local price for a used one...but often the used prices from dismantlers here in Australia is about the same as the new price buying from the USA! When it's like that, shipping in a new/reman'd part is a no brainer.

[Mike B.]

Don't limit yourself to E21 boosters... Take a look at the Ate boosters from Porsche 924/944's (8 and 9 inch dia.). They have the same firewall bolt pattern, M/C bolt pattern and shaft thread pitch.

Modifying them is also much easier. The shaft only needs to be cut down a few inches, then pop on the stock E30 clevis. Literally takes seconds with a cut off wheel / angle grinder and your done.

If the prices are close, the Ate Porsche boosters are the way to go.

[FredK]

Yeah, the 924 boosters are inexpensive--around $120 with core. The 944 boosters are a tad more money, around $150 or so with core IIRC.

I used a 944 booster on one of my swaps. The clearance is pretty tight with the manifold--I had to shave four fins down a lot to get the manifold to clear the booster. I'd see how good the vacuum assist is on the 924 booster first, before going with the 944 booster.

Installation is a breeze as Mike said. The 944 booster just needs around 3/4" of the rod threaded or so, and the rod trimmed down. Threading is easy because the rod is already 10mm in diameter, unlike the E21 booster, which is 12mm in diameter.

[Drew325is]

I like the idea of easier installation with the Porsche boosters...is the 924 booster the smaller of the two? My E30 has a 300mm BBK, and I think I can easily get away with less power assist...and the extra room would be handy for when the ITBs go on.

[Mike B.]

The 924 is the smaller of the two (8").

However, if your plans include Euro M3 ITB's you can forget about Porsche or BMW brake boosters, they won't fit with any booster/MC combination if you try and mount things in the stock locations. Combinations are either too wide or too long.

I am having some E30 dual master cylinder brackets made up that will incorporate the stock pedal cluster and dual Tilton M/C's that clear the Euro intake. They should be ready in about a week.

[Drew325is]

Thanks for the info!

[Drew325is]

Just another quick question for those in the know with porsche boosters...I found a thread comparing a 944 booster to a 320i...and the 944 is thicker than the 320i...does anyone know if the 924 booster is also thicker than the 320i?

[Mike B.]

The 924 booster is approx. 94mm deep.

[Drew325is]

This is apparently a 924/944 booster...what's with the wierd shroud thing on the firewall side? You guys come across that?