1. Attachments are working again! Check out this thread for more details and to report any other bugs.

Can I Replace Just the "bomb" actuator on the brake actuator?

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Technical Discussion' started by ebikeman, Mar 14, 2024.

  1. ebikeman

    ebikeman Junior Member

    Joined:
    Sep 23, 2023
    62
    8
    0
    Location:
    Northwest
    Vehicle:
    2007 Prius
    Model:
    Touring
    I had a maniac hook up his computer to my car to check the brake actuator. We could see the pressure drop in the actuator. It was like, 4.0, 3.7, 3.2, 2.9, 2..7, 2.4.......

    He told me the part that holds the pressure they nick-named it, the bomb. I think it's the black thing on the brake actuator.

    It has a nut shaped thing on top to take it off. I was wondering, is there a way to replace just the black part?

    If you have a leak in a tire, you don't have to replace the rim, the lug nuts, the drum, so why change the whole thing just because the pressure chamber leaks?

    I guess if this was an option, everyone would do it. Can we? If not, how come?

    Thank you,
    ebm
     
  2. PriusCamper

    PriusCamper Senior Member

    Joined:
    Mar 3, 2012
    11,028
    4,483
    0
    Location:
    Pacific Northwest, USA
    Vehicle:
    2007 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    Never once read of someone trying this...

    Basically, you're asking about how to rebuild / repair the existing part rather than replacing it.

    First step would be to diagnose what's failing, then the second step would be finding out if repair and perhaps recalibration is possible. With the price of used booster pumps at $1400 and in short supply it would make sense that an entrepreneur could make good money rebuilding old pumps if it was possible. So I encourage you to dive down the rabbit hole on this and see what's possible and report back to us!

    I also encourage you to stay away from a "maniac" who hooks your car up to a computer and refers to a part of your braking system as a "bomb."
     
  3. ChapmanF

    ChapmanF Senior Member

    Joined:
    Mar 30, 2008
    23,597
    15,299
    0
    Location:
    Indiana, USA
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    IV
    That cylindrical part is called the 'accumulator', and there is a thread around here somewhere where somebody found a source of similar accumulators and replaced just that part.

    However, the odds aren't great of solving a problem that way, because even though the accumulator is where the pressurized fluid is held, when you are watching the pressure drop like that, the leakage can easily be elsewhere in the actuator assembly. The assembly contains a bunch of electromechanical valves and one of those is more likely to be the culprit.

    The usual approach with a gen 2 would just be to replace the whole assembly.
     
    PriusCamper likes this.
  4. PriusCamper

    PriusCamper Senior Member

    Joined:
    Mar 3, 2012
    11,028
    4,483
    0
    Location:
    Pacific Northwest, USA
    Vehicle:
    2007 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    Yes, but with used ones in short supply for $1400 for Gen2, it seems like somebody could make some serious money learning how to repair these? I suspect if it was easy it'd be done by now? I keep thinking of how I gave up on trying to repair a throttle position sensor because there was no easy way to calibrate it after the repair, for example...