Power Booster Delay Causes me to hit dog on highway.

2000 windstar, 3.8

You can apply 500lbs of brake pedal pressure and NOTHING HAPPENS for about 1/2 second. (I had a Chevy G20 van where the delay was like 1 second.)

It is a shame because with the excellent ABS, there is a potential to stop the vehicle in short notice but that delay can cost someone their life.

I have heard that some boosters have an orifice that can be drilled out to get near instant response.

I need to make that mod.

Anyone ever do this?

Regards
Tom

That is dangerous. You should always have instant response without any modification neccesary. It does sound like a brake booster issue, but I don't have much experience with them, per say. I would have someone take a look at that ASAP.

I do remember a few posts, awhile back, about slow-speed stopping being hampered by out-of-alignment ABS sensors. Something along the lines of the ABS system seeing one wheel move and the other not, so it would work against you trying to stop the car. But that doesn't sound like the problem here.

No, there is nothing wrong. I took the chevy van to the dealer and they said it was just fine.

The problem is that poor drivers would put passengers thru the windshield with max performance brakes.

I checked with a friend of mine and on some boosters, the vent on the atmospheric side of the diaphragm is the limiting orifice.

Enlarge that orifice and the brakes respond instantaneously.

Of course, this is true for some boosters - not all.