How Power Brakes Work

The vacuum booster is a very simple, elegant design. The device needs avacuum sourceto operate. Ingasoline-poweredcars, the engine provides a vacuum suitable for the boosters. In fact, if you hook a hose to a certain part of an engine, you can suck some of the air out of the container, producing a partial vacuum. Becausediesel enginesdon't produce a vacuum, diesel-powered vehicles must use a separate vacuum pump.

On cars with a vacuum booster, the brake pedal pushes a rod that passes through the booster into the master cylinder, actuating the master-cylinder piston. The engine creates apartial vacuuminside the vacuum booster on both sides of the diaphragm. When you hit the brake pedal, the rod cracks open a valve, allowing air to enter the booster on one side of the diaphragm while sealing off the vacuum. This increases pressure on that side of the diaphragm so that it helps to push the rod, which in turn pushes the piston in the master cylinder.

As the brake pedal is released, the valve seals off the outside air supply while reopening the vacuum valve. This restores vacuum to both sides of the diaphragm, allowing everything to return to its original position.

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