1971 GMCe Lexus GS450H BMW 530e Tesla Model S Electruck

[Gregski]

They all have brake line screw connections, also in metric
https://www.inlinetube.com/

wow, thanks, that's some brake line porn right there, I'll be sure to check it out

[Gregski]

so first thing I done did was bench test this Tesla Model S BOSCH iBooster gittie up since the seller offered it at nearly 50% discount since he never tested it and could assure me it was in working order, s fingers crossed I wired it up using my Honda CRV iBooster wiring harness of the same generation

and she roared to life

[Gregski]

so something that has been bothering me during this entire brake setup ordeal is this silly Chevrolet original brake bracket that offsets the booster and master cylinder like 10" further away from the firewall and uses a leaver effect to multiply the pressure applied by the pedal, in other words the push rod from the brake pedal does not go straight directly into the booster but it sorta forms a Z if you can picture it

the rod from the actual brake pedal pushes on the bottom of this bracket which then transfers that force to the rod above it and that's the rod that applies pressure on the actual brake booster, my buddy Patrick who is way smarter than me, figured out how much it multiplies the force by measuring stuff and pressing buttons on a calculator and such

[Gregski]

so we don't want that offset bracket we want to mount this iBooster flat against the firewall like Elon intended like so

but since she don't wanna sit flush just the way it comes out of the box, we had to moch it up with some spacers

just to see how and if we can mate the Tesla booster push rod the the GM pedal pushrod like so

[Gregski]

did I mention the Tesla Model S BOSCH iBooster comes with this secy aluminiuniunium round super duper bracket adapter thingie

using the Mighty Vac brake pump jug as a pilot hole centererer tool

[Gregski]

I absolutely have no luck with these Milwaukee hole saws, them and I don't get along, here I demonstrate how a 2 1/2" hole saw does not fit into a 2 1/2" hole

[Gregski]

this gave me the opportunity to hone my skills with my fairly newly acquired toy: The Grindinator

[Gregski]

then it was time to make a new brake pedal push rod

The AnyWhere ViceRator 3000 TM (patent pending)

but only after completely running out of welding wire first !!! wouldn't have it any other way, holler are me if you can relate

[mjc506]

Ahhh, so you're going with 1 brake pedal for each wheel? (You're missing a master cylinder)

[Gregski]

Ahhh, so you're going with 1 brake pedal for each wheel? (You're missing a master cylinder)

ha ha, right? headed in that direction, I'mma gonna need a passenger at all times just to drive the truck

fred braking.jpg (64.25 KiB) Viewed 4117 times

[mjc506]

Well, it works for motorbikes, so...

Planning to reinforce the firewall there? May already be stiff enough of course.

[Gregski]

Well, it works for motorbikes, so...

Planning to reinforce the firewall there? May already be stiff enough of course.

very interesting point I do see it flex when the pedal is depressed, however there is a backing OEM Chevy bracket already on the cabin side but I think it may need some reinforcing

view from the pedal side, head at floor level looking up under the dash on the driver's side, the hole is where the rod from the pedal runs to the Tesla Model S iBooster

[mjc506]

Least invasive might be spot welding/riveting a couple strips of angle on the 'engine' side, just to spread the load a little. But you're no worse than stock currently, so...

[MattsAwesomeStuff]

so something that has been bothering me during this entire brake setup ordeal is this silly Chevrolet original brake bracket that offsets the booster and master cylinder

Remy was losing his shit over you posting that a few months ago. Something about a slight amount of flex microscopically affecting your stopping time. I'm sure he will be thrilled to know he can move onto new things to be concerned about.

I do see it flex when the pedal is depressed, however there is a backing OEM Chevy bracket already on the cabin side but I think it may need some reinforcing

I'm in an even worse boat. My car has a, perhaps unique solution to "there's not quite enough room for the brake booster on the firewall". And that was, to put the booster at the front of the engine bay instead. With a 2 foot long bracket and pushrod running all the way through the engine bay to the headlights, ahead of the radiator support beam.





I've removed this of course, (as Remy contributed: "That OEM booster relocation setup is merely Germans efficiently euthanizing drivers that survive being impaled on the steering shaft. "), but now if I want to mount my brake booster to the firewall... it's just sheet metal there. There's no pillar being braced off other parts of the car ahead. It's not awful, there's some frame nearby, but, enough? Once again you serve as a guinea pig to the rest of us.

[Gregski]

So a quick slow update:

1. What the hell happened to the progress on this project?

Well towards the end of last year 2022 a real good friend of mine and the man who sold me this truck, decided to retire and move out of California. OK, what does that have to do with the price of tea in China? As he was moving out of his super awesome car guys dream house, think detached garage\workshop with a bunch of lean tos aka baby sheds, a big metal storage container full of car parts, and six car ports, and parts all over the backyard and side yard, he texted me and asked: hey do you want all these extra truck parts, and I being knee deep in my own car parts I said YEAH, SURE. Then I decided I would sell them for him on Craigslist and PayPal or VenPal him the money, what followed were Craigslist escapes like no other, have you ever listed anything on CL for FREE, it's a zombie magnet that's for sure, and the cheaper the price the crazier the transactions ($20 bucks for a part I spent 4 hours listening to a guy tell me how I should fix the dents in my truck bed sides after I told him I plan on replacing them with brand new aftermarket ones anyway). Anywho if I couldn't sell a car door I thought if I strip it to bare metal it would show the OEM quality of it and sell faster, so I spent hours, days, and many wire wheels, and sand discs on a door I later would sell for $120 bucks and move on to the next door, or listing an item for 6 weeks, getting no inquiries, then after it sells, telling a bazilion people NO I don't have anther exact car part like that one from 1967 in that excellent condition (where were you six weeks ago? ) long story longer I think I sold all of his suff now (and even sent him some of the money, hee hee, shhh don't tell)

II. Every car project I ever take on comes to a standstill during American Football Season pronounced "Winter" same goes for Honey To Do lists [ I'm looking at you my lovely wife of 10, 15, what? 23 years? ] Winters are for fireplace fires, cheap wine drinkin', and putting on weight, not laying on your back on a freezing California cold concrete cement floor with the brake fluid running down your arm whilst you attempt to bleed your DIY brakes for the upteenth time.

C. I had a little EXPENSIVE mishap with one of my battery packs which deflated me a little bit, but I'll be ok (may explain that later)

and FOUR, it's still raining so I will be resuming March Madness II in April this year, stay tuned

[Gregski]

yay, last day of Winter [today] I am downgrading my level of inactivity guilt from a 7 to a 2 (on a scale of 1 through 5)

[MattsAwesomeStuff]

being knee deep in my own car parts I said YEAH, SURE.

Here is me, last night"



Do I need any hybrid batteries? No. Do I have a garage or space to put them? No. Did I say "no"? No.

Two more pallets coming.

have you ever listed anything on CL for FREE,

That's the secret, never sell it for free. People will treat you like you have no value.

What you do instead is put it up for a low price, and then say in the comments "You get an $x discount for asking me ZERO questions and wasting ZERO of my time. That's right, it's completely free if the only thing I have to say is what time to pick it up, and 'there it is' when you get here to load it. Otherwise the price is $x. No second chances, no exceptions, choose wisely."

[robertwa]

Glad to see you come out of hibernation Gregski

[Gregski]

is he back from the dead?

[Gregski]

I think I need a friggen list to remember where I left off and what WE need to do moving forward, this is not in any order:

UPDATED: June 28th, 2023

• 1. get one of the iBooster brake system to work finally (I now own three of 'em)
  • this has been downgraded to just get the damn brakes working ✔

• 2. reassembly the Prius steering assist (I got this working but ripped it all apart to get to work on the brakes see #1 above) ✔

• 3. hire a specialist (as you call them across the pond) to install a windshield [ahem] windscreen? ✔

• 4. Plumb the Inverter, Gear box, and Charger for cooling ✔

• 5. Install an aftermarket B&M floor shifter, that's been sitting on my garage shelf collecting dust ✔

• 6. mount the BMW E46 throttle pedal

• 7. Figure out Damien's Arduino code to control the BMW safety box aka contactor box / pre charge circuit

• 8. Wiretize all the low voltage wiring

• 9. Wiretize all the high voltage orange wiring

• 10. Install some digital gauges (I am having our good forum friend Artur fandangle for me)

I think that plus a million small things and a dozen things I forgot should do it

[Gregski]

so since I first converted from factory GM stock drum in the front / drum in the rear brakes to factory GM stock disc in the front / drum in the rear brakes I decided to simply finish that conversion in stock fashion, so I yanked the Tesla master cylinder / iBooster in favor of the OEM GM disc/drum master cylinder, but wait it gets worse, I had to go with the manual one since we no longer have vacuum, but that's ok that was an actual factory option in 1971

so why did I do this, well we need a baseline a foundation, I need to install and plumb the brakes in this stock OEM fashion and see if I can bleed them and get a nice firm brake pedal feel, then and only then will I consider going back to the iBooster, and I think if I do I will look into adopting it to the OEM GM master cylinder as I think it needs a bigger bore and more flow piston/cylinder

so last night's efforts in taking the necessary two steps backwards:

[Gregski]

"If at first you don't succeed, try again, if you still fail, try again, if it still doesn't work, quit, give up, go do something else"
~ The Good Enuff Garage

[Gregski]

parts are trickling in

New brake line [ahem] ... installed !

[Gregski]

I swear I can now make brake lines in my sleep, sometimes I even put both fittings on them!

[Gregski]

happy to report brakes are done and all working, son helped me bleed 'em! thank you Michael you won't hear me talk about them ever again, sheesh enuff of that, we have an electric truck to build!