<7er>Hydraulic Assist Sys Problems (long)

["Tony Adams" <tony@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

First my disclaimer.  I'm new to the list, so I don't have much knowledge of
recent discussions.  I did search those archives that were searchable in
hopes of finding the answer to my question before posting.  I hope that I'm
not asking a really repetitive question.

Here we go.  I've got a 1984 733i.  First question, does anyone have a line
on a good, trustworthy mechanic for these cars in the Central Florida area?
I'm talking about the kind of guy that will seek out and find the problem,
not just throw parts at it until it's fixed.

There is a problem in the hydraulic assist system.  I get intermittent power
steering and power assist in the brakes.  The brakes are usually hard at
first, then soften after a few moments(as power assist kicks in).  This
alone would lead me to believe that the hydraulic accumulator (brake bomb?)
is at fault and that I should have that replaced (how?).

The part that concerns me is the intermittent power steering that goes along
with this.  Is this an indicator of insufficient pressure from the power
steering pump?  If so what is the proper pressure?  How do I test that?

The output line from the power steering pump goes into a part that for lack
of knowledge I call a hydraulic distribution block (the thing that the brake
bomb screws on to).  Is there any way to test this part for proper
functioning?  I have removed it and am unable to find any obvious blockages.
It has however leaked a lot of ATF that seems like it must be coming from
the brake bomb that is still attached to it.  How does one go about removing
the brake bomb from this assembly, or should I bother?

As I am sure that you are all painfully aware, parts for these cars can be
difficult to find and expensive once found, thus my interest in finding and
replacing only the culprit(s) in this problem.  Thanks in advance for any
insight into this problem.  It will be appreciated more than you could know.

- -----
Tony Adams
1984 BMW 733i
1970 VW Type III Squareback
1997 Plymouth Breeze (yuck)

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