'59 Plymouth Forum

I visited with Ed Ober today. Ed's power brake bellows has a split in it, and Ed has a NOS replacement.

There are four bolts that hold the bellows to the plate that bolts to the firewall, with the nuts behind the plate. The master cylinder also bolts to this plate, but unlike the bellows, the nuts are exposed, and the master cylinder can easily be removed.

Ed thought that perhaps, the nuts on the bellows bolts could be removed from under the dash - but, no such luck. I think I could perhaps feel the top nut, but it was inaccessible - and the other three are hidden between the plate and the firewall:

So it would seem that the only way to remove the bellows, is to first remove the plate from the firewall. However, that sucker is glued on there! Perhaps to keep water from leaking into the passenger compartment? Ed removed the plate bolts and tried to pry the plate off, to no avail.

I'm thinking, we're going to have to put a little heat on the plate, and try to wedge shims between it and the the firewall when the caulk softens up. But before we go there...

What about disassembling the bellows unit? What seals the rubber to the rear plate, is it possible to reassemble in place?

Wow, no comments?

No way to remove the bellows in place? What about the idea of heating the plate to soften the seal?

I was a bit busy

No way you can get the booster out with the plate still on the car. Heat it up with a hair dryer, that might work!