1989 Regal 22 Foot with454 Chevy, it has the hydroboost brakes. Can you bleed the brakes the old fashioned way, or do you have to get the front wheels off the ground and turn the steering wheel very slowly from stop to stop, and a bunch of other steps to go through. It seems I have to use a lot of force on the pedal to stop. Front discs are good, rear drums are good too. I'm NOT low on power steering fluid and the brake reservoir is brand new.
T IA for any help.

They Bleed like any brake. Power steering pump supplies the power brake force to the Master cylinder.

Both of my Barths have that system, both take a bit of force to stop, so not unusual.

Well maybe I'm just so used to the brakes in my 1/2 ton Silverado and a light Lexus SUV that the Barth just seems to be a lot of effort. I guess I'll just get used to it. I do have a friend who is a great mechanic, and he thinks my brakes are normal but he says we can change the accumulator and the PS pump and it "might" work better.
Thanks for your answer.
P.S. What is a ' plain Jane ' interior ? Mine is not fancy I guess...what makes a plain JANE in a Barth?

You may have a hatch behind the gas peddle for easy access to the master cylinder, some do, some don't. I have found bleeding is a lot easier with the engine running. Even with 4 wheel discs and everything right, it takes a lot more foot to whoa down an old coach than a new Lexus. I find one pump and release then apply pressure makes stopping a lot easier.

Our 1982 22’ Euro has the same system and the booster was weak. They are available from any parts store that sells Cardone replacements. If they do not show your model you can send it directly to Cardone and they will rebuild it. See their website.

quote:

Originally posted by Jeff S.:

P.S. What is a ' plain Jane ' interior ? Mine is not fancy I guess...what makes a plain JANE in a Barth?

Plain Jane interior, nothing power, no leather or wood flooring. the couches were just side out carpet covered plywood with folding 2 inch padding.

Now the Regal has some wood floors. power seats, pretty fancy upscale stuff and chairs from Kevin.

Strange, with the Regal being 6 years newer, both chassis suspensions are P30 and set up the same, except the Regal has rear air bags. My personal choice to drive is Ole Nose.

quote:

Originally posted by Duane88:

... chairs from Kevin.

you mean Genuine Barth REGENCY Chairs?

~~~~~~~~~Thread drift~~~~~~~~~

Ours has leather Flex Steel power seats, and a nice overstuffed couch/bed, 2 swivel cloth chairs, and I think it's the original matching carpet that seems to have nice quality carpet padding underneath.
I guess it's not a plain jane. Thanks for the response sets from everyone. I'll have to check for a hatch by the brake pedal area.
Yeah I do that too, pump the brake once first, it does seem to help.

quote:

Originally posted by Jeff S.:
....Yeah I do that too, pump the brake once first, it does seem to help.

The need to pump the brakes is probably your first sign that something is not up to specification. On your Barth Jeff S., I would check the adjustment on the rear drums. Self-adjusters if any not adjusting as the shoes wear. If they are manual adjusters, adjust for a slight drag while spinning the wheel by hand.

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The rubber hydraulic lines may also be expanding and need replacing.

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Another problem is the master cylinder may need replaced.

quote:

Originally posted by Jeff S.:
1989 Regal 22 Foot with454 Chevy, it has the hydroboost brakes. Can you bleed the brakes the old fashioned way, or do you have to get the front wheels off the ground and turn the steering wheel very slowly from stop to stop, and a bunch of other steps to go through. It seems I have to use a lot of force on the pedal to stop. Front discs are good, rear drums are good too. I'm NOT low on power steering fluid and the brake reservoir is brand new.
T IA for any help.

I have done the steering lock to lock for pwer steering problem but not for brakes. Had steering problem on 96 Impala and did the lock to lock procedure. Ended up with new Pump. Actualy 2 pumps and was told that I was lucky it was only 2. Guess getting good rebuilds are getting rare.

You may wanna check the PROPORTIONING VALVE as they sometimes get stuck, sealing either the front brake line or rear brake line so it won't pass brake fluid to front or back. There is an indicator lamp on the dash that shows when this valve is tripped but it's best to pull the connector plug from it and ohm it out to see if it's tripped. It's a pain in the arse to get to. Mine was located on that cross beam in front of the engine on the drivers side. Here are a few pictures of it.

Before bleeding the brakes, you're supposed to remove the switch and insert a stop plug to hold the plunger in the center otherwise the plunger will slide to the side you're trying to bleed. I'm sure most of these old units are stuck with gunk and won't move but it won't hurt to check.

The purpose of the proportioning valve is to preserve some braking if one of the two brake circuits leaks/fails. The valve will block off the failing circuit thereby preserving fluid pressure to the functioning circuit. You can gravity bleed or lightly vacuum bleed the lines but do not pedal bleed without screwing in the stop plug, Otherwise, likely you will be replacing the proportioning valve - very difficult to reset once tripped to one of the two brake circuits.

As said, your weak braking may be due to the proportioning valve having been tripped and therefore only one of the two circuits functioning. Go to a gravel road and brake hard. You should see displaced gravel behind all four wheels.