Well, this turned out to be an exercise in "what is it?" and "where can I find it?"  Since its relatively easy to remove and install a MC and booster. First, a little history - This RHD (right hand drive) FJ-61 was originally used to inspect the rails at Japan Rail West. I have surmised that the men performing this task would have to move slowly along the rails all day long making heavy use of the clutch because (as far as I know) it was only for the utility truck market (and only then in Japan and Austrailia) that Toyota equipt the 60 series Land Cruiser with a clutch booster . This makes it both unique, and a pain in the ass to find parts.

The MC was leaking, I could see fluid seeping out behind it and down the booster. I started looking around for a rebuilt MC. A trip to the local autozone had the parts guy saying "you got a what?" Amazingly they had a MC for a FJ-60 in stock but the MC for the power assist booster is quite different, So I kept looking, and looking, and looking. The booster started whining and squeeking when the pedal was depressed. Sounded like a sick dog or something. When the fluid started disappearing from the master cylinder far faster than it was leaking onto the ground I started to get really concerned. My search went on and on and eventually led me to Charles F. Pariano the North American Aftermarket Sales Manager of AISIN World Corp. of America. (aisinaftermarket.com).  This person was amazingly helpful and went above and beyond the call of duty to help me identify the right part - turns out it was a Aisin Seki CMT-016. He also led me to the only two places that had a prayer of having this part in the US . (I hope they dont get mad for snagging their logos)

Specter Off Road in Chatsworth, CA (818) 882-1238

Safari Ltd. Grand Junction, CO (970) 245-5898

The MC is in and working perfectly. Then the pedal started getting harder to push. Another email to Charles brought disappointing news. The booster was nowhere to be found. Charles said that I would have to get it rebuilt. I took a chance on a place close to home but seemed to have favorable press on the net. Karps Power Brakes in upland, CA (909) 985-0800. I pulled the booster and packed the crap out of it (cut MIL spec foam to fit the box and booster. Lined the box with 1/2 foam insulation and filled all cavities with packing peanuts), took a deep breath and mailed it to upland. Karps website is (http://www.resleeve.com) WARNING:  When I went to this website the home page was infected with a virus so make sure your antivirus is up-to-date. But hey, they are great mechanics they cannot be expected to be that great with computers. Still you can always call, their number is (909) 985-0800. They seemed very sure that they could rebuild this but when they received it they said they were having trouble because the diaphram was very small. First days, then weeks went by I was getting really worried but these guys really came through. They magically found a bendix booster that seemed to have the same bolt patterns. It arrived for around $200 including shipping. Needless to say I was amazed and thrilled. I was expecting this to end badly. It was a little larger and slightly off here and there. I had to change the throw setting on the pedal but it was still within the adjustment range of the screw. I had to bend the MC line slightly but all other lines fit. I had to reroute the vaccum line from the storage can to the booster a bit but did not have to cut it. Of course this is largely because I put the booster on upside down to route the vaccum port in the right direction. Hopefully this will not cause any other issues. Maybe I will call Karps and ask them. A larger problem was the MC push rod. It stuck out farther on the Bendix booster than the Aisin. The MC preloaded slightly when it was bolted down and I could not get the damn shaft on the pushrod to turn. Even vice grips and a great deal of force yielded only about 1/2 turn and the push rod was attached inside the booster and could not be removed. I called Karps - the guy on the other end of the phone line seemed to immediately grasp the situation dispite the fact it was me trying to explain it. (I am really starting to like these guys). He suggested that I grind it down. I put washers on the studs to determine the amount to remove; two washers, a little more than 1/16 of an inch total did the trick. Since the rubber seal still engaged the booster, I just left it like that for now. Someday soon I will go out with the dremel and remove the 1/16"+ from the end of the pushrod as the seal will last longer if not exposed to weather and the engine compartment by the gap between the MC and the booster.

When I first tested the original booster after initial assembly and before the MC leaked and trashed it, I could push the pedal down with just my thumb. After installing the larger bendix booster I was able to push the pedal down with just my right pinky. I was not able, however, to push it down with the left one.  I excitedly had my wife come out and test it since she is the one that is usually driving it - I told her to test "how hard the pedal is to push now". She told me it was not working because there was "no resistance" so I pulled the vaccum line off and she said " thats what I am used to". We had been driving it so long with an inoperative booster that it seemed that was the norm. OMG what a difference - its like its not even there. O crap, maybe its not - I just remembered that I forgot to put the return spring back on - o yeah thats what that grove is for on the end of the pin. O well, works anyway.