Well, the saga continues...
I replaced the booster, which meant disconnecting the brake lines from the master cylinder thus requiring yet another bleeding of the system, something I've not had the best success with thus far. This time was no exception, I pumped yet another quart of fluid through the lines, but the pedal was softer than Dairy Queen ice cream. I went to a nearby gravel parking lot and locked up the brakes many times to activate the ABS and did more bleeding...still worse than before. So I did something I dread doing...I took it to a shop.
I live in a fairly large city with a lot of car repair options, everything from dealerships to chain shops to local garages, but because I never need one I had no idea where to go. I asked some friends for advice and did some online research to finally narrow it down to one place. They've been around for a long time and have a good reputation, so I bit the bullet and left my little truck in their hands. The service rep was knowledgeable enough and inspired confidence, so I left feeling pretty good. I did tell them that I did all my own work (a mistake I learned after the fact) and even printed out a sheet of everything I've done so far with the brakes, including the recent new booster. Well after a couple of days I get a call saying that the booster's internal pushrod was improperly adjusted, which was nonsense because I used my depth micrometer to set the pushrod to within a tenth a millimeter of the stock measurement. Then they said the seal between the master cylinder and booster was missing, also BS because I remember having to hold it in place with my fingertips as I reinstalled the master cylinder. I was told they couldn't use the existing booster because of the "misadjustment" for warranty reasons, so it would have to be replaced and the system re-bled...at the tune of about $1000.
I was not happy but wasn't in the mood to argue, so I said whatever just fix my ****ed truck. The only reason I took it there in the first place was because I didn't have the bidirectional diagnostic scanner needed for a proper ABS bleed. So after hearing nothing for two days I called them for an update, only to be told they were having problems getting the system to bleed properly. Part of me felt validated for knowing even the so-called "pros" couldn't get it to work right, but that was tempered by the fact that my truck still wasn't fixed. The next day I get a text saying my truck was ready to be picked up. Hallelujah, it was about time. Much to my pleasant surprise the pedal felt pretty solid so I was happy about that, but was still miffed about the earlier accusations. I plied the service rep for more information about the alleged missing seal behind the master cylinder, he claimed that now two mechanics told him it was missing. I brought up the fact that if that were the case then it wouldn't hold a vacuum for very long after the engine was turned off, to which he agreed. I then reminded him that he felt the brakes himself, engine off, when I first brought the truck in and it still held a vacuum even after sitting for some time. He just stared blankly. I also noticed the new booster wasn't OEM, something I expected considering the price markup, and gave the guy some grief telling them I don't ever install bottom-shelf aftermarket garbage on my truck. Another blank stare, I just shook my head and drove away. I didn't care as my truck was finally braking properly, or so I thought...
After only a couple days of driving, my wife and I were running errands when I thought there was a problem with the transmission as it wasn't upshifting properly. I soon noticed the brake pedal was much harder than usual, and I truck wouldn't leave from a stop without applying extra power. Obviously the transmission was fine, the brakes were dragging. Fortunately we were almost home, and all four discs were smoking hot when I finally parked. I wasn't happy to say the least, and called the shop immediately to let them know. They sent a tow truck the next morning after getting an earful, I guess the guy finally realized I wasn't the average shadetree as he was exceedingly accommodating. Regardless, I heard nothing back for three days, once again they were having problems and had to call in some sort of specialist. Finally after another day it was ready, once again I went to pick it up and gave everything a once-over before leaving (a career in aviation quality assurance makes this a requirement). Right away I noticed the clip that secures the pin that attaches the booster pushrod to the brake pedal arm wasn't installed, meaning that pin would have fallen out over time making the brake pedal useless. That made me blow my top, getting rather vocal about how my wife drives this truck. The service rep was panicking and called for the guy who did the work right way. To his credit he seemed remorseful and would take care of it immediately, but I had already found the clip on the floor mat and told everyone to get the h*ll away from my truck. I put the clip in myself and tore out of there with no lack of drama.
The only good part was that the brakes finally felt proper again and much to my surprise they installed a genuine Nissan brake booster. I took a little solace in the fact they the learned the "buy once - cry once" lesson of cheap aftermarket parts the hard way, and they went way over book time and likely lost money overall. Serves them right for assuming I didn't know what I was doing even after I told the guy about my background. Needless to say if I ever need to use a shop again it won't be them.
Wow, I had no idea this was going to be so long, I guess I needed to vent my frustration on you fine folks. Sorry about that, and thank you to those who managed to stick around to the end. Hopefully this will be the end of my brake issues once and for all.
