Is the original brake booster metal? If what they did is the same as the brake calipers then that brake booster will rust on the outside.

 

No, it is definitely a silver paint, I should know after scratching it to get it in.

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Junkyard booster is a BAD idea, the youngest booster is 10 years old, they can fail as early as year 12.

For reference a new ATE brake booster was around $175 last I checked.

For anyone that runs across this thread, here is what I put together a few years ago - http://forum.e46fanatics.com/showthread.php?t=1057387

The car I replaced the booster on 2 years ago was 2001, I see your car is a 2002. Not sure the build dates, but the 2001 I replaced the booster on spent most of its life in stop and go traffic and we get very hot here in the summer. So 12-14 years is looking like the typical lifespan of the power brake boosters depending on where the car resides and how it is typically used.

This problem is already out there, some people have identified the problem, some haven't and some of the boosters have not failed yet.

We will see these power brake booster failures more and more in the near future as these cars continue to age.

And to Jake's question, the booster is metal, I believe steel.

 

^ ok cool, because the calipers had some silver paint on it but pretty much instantly rusted on my friends car. I painted mine before installation and no issues. Just don't want the same to happen to the booster.

 

I would have painted the booster black so it did not look like a neon sign under the hood!

Anyway, you are back in business and you can change a booster in 1/2 the time it took you to do the first one.

 

Haha, I'm never doing this more than twice. I should also mention that there is warranty on the A-1 but it is voided if your Master Cylinder is leaking when you install it. If someone does end up ordering one all relevant info is on the box and packaging.

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Just ran across this forum, thank you for suffering through a junkyard one so that I don't have to. I'm not seeing the "A-1" booster on RockAuto, which one do you think is the best bang for the buck out of any of them?

 

I'm not seeing the "A-1" booster on RockAuto, which one do you think is the best bang for the buck out of any of them?

I stay away from RockAuto. Too many bad reviews of poor customer service.

Don’t bother with off-brand parts for anything important, like brakes. Stick to the quality ones. The OE booster is only $141 at fcpeuro with free shipping and a lifetime warranty.

BMW Brake Booster - ATE 34336779682

BMW Brake Booster - ATE 34336779682

www.fcpeuro.com

 

Purchased a Cardone 54-73141 brake booster. Had a professional mechanic install it. During the test drive, it was noted that the brakes were always applied. Could not get the vehicle over 60 MPH. The engine was racing at 4000 RPM. Brake pads started to burn. Got back to the garage and could not touch the wheel axles due to the heat. Purchased a different booster from a local source. (This one works just fine) Compared the original, the local sourced and the Cardone booster. The Cardone booster rod extended 1/4 of an inch further than the other two. (That explains the brakes always applied) I would avoid anything by Cardone in the future as it appears they have no Quality Control.