Silent Drive Vacuum Pump

High performance classic car enthusiasts know the pitfall of having an engine with a lopey idle and makes lots of power also means there is a lack of engine vacuum. This is caused by the narrow lobe separation on the camshaft. While low vacuum pressure alone is not an overwhelming concern, it does make operation of vacuum operated power brakes far less reliable and a safety hazard.

For years the only solutions were to add an often very noisy vacuum pump or a hydroboost conversion where the power brake booster is now operated by hydraulic lines from the power steering pump. For our project 1968 Chevelle, braking had always been an issue, which often meant anticipating your stops well before it was time to start braking, and nearly no brakes in some panic braking situations.

To solve these braking issues we contacted our friends at Master Power Brakes (mpbrakes.com), their trained support team reviewed all of the components in our system and recommended upgrading our master cylinder and booster, then adding their new “Silent Drive Vacuum Pump”. This whisper quiet pump is easily one of the best on the market and only runs when vacuum is needed to operate the brake booster.

Follow along as Ross Kiehl and Mark Simpson upgrade the braking system on our ’68 Chevelle with the easy to install Silent Drive Vacuum Pump from Master Power Brakes. This system worked so well Ross exclaimed “If you’re not careful these brakes will throw you thru the windshield”. Considering where we started, I’d call that a success!