Power brakes feel stiff like manual

sounds like your power assist vacuum unit is dead. i.e. your power brakes. pump your brake pedal 3 times and hold it. turn on engine-if the pedal sinks to floor its the brake master cylinder, if it pulses and comes up with your foot on it its its neither but if it stays right where it is>? BINGO-power assist! good luck.

Check The Hose Leading To The Brake Booster For A Leak. If Good Check The Check Valve To Make Sure It Working (Sucking In Air) If Good The Brake Booster Needs Replacement.

I wouldn't install a used brake booster,but you could

You don't need instructions & a list of tools

If you & your friend together need that,you shouldn't
be doing that job

You will find 4 nuts in plain site, on the firewall holding it on.
You know enough to remove the brake tubing on the master
& can unbolt it ,to swap to different booster. Not sure
you can leave the brake lines in place until you try removing
the booster.

Before you do all that ,remove & check out the vacuum
check valve on the booster with the hose going to it

They are a somewhat common replaced item. You may
only get a couple in your life time,but they do fail somewhere
every day.

If the power steering was ok before the brake job, I would suspect something went amiss while the mechanics were working on the car. And why, when you returned to the shop, would they clean out your power steering fluid? I don't think I've ever heard of anyone doing that before. Unless they knew there was something wrong with the power steering fluid. This may sound crazy, but I'm thinking they topped your power steering reservoir off with hydraulic brake fluid when they were working on your brakes. If, in fact, they did put brake fluid in the power steering, changing the fluid would only remove the brake fluid from the reservoir. The rack and pinion assembly would still have the contaminant inside it, which could cause the steering problem you described.

HI this sounds like the vacuum booster has a leak in the diaphragm. That is why you hear that sound when you push on the brake pedal. With out the vacuum to help this leaves you with a very stiff brake pedal. You will need to replace the Booster which is located behind the brake master cylinder and on the firewall. Good luck

well, you don't really hear air when you press the brake pedal. You might hear hydraulic fluid going through the valves in the master cylinder, that sounds like air flowing through a vent. But, I assure you, it is not air.

One can press and pump on the pedal when the car is off and hear the 'rush' of fluid which sounds kind of like air rushing out of an inner tube.

It's a common mistake to believe a rush of air is being heard when pushing on the brake pedal.

it sounds like the brake booster is gone , it vacuum operated,
so it makes a hissing sound when leaking .

yeah you mostlikey have a abs pressure switch problem. which helps in the power assist , and or the seal in the brake booster is going bad

Start by checking the fluid level

There is a vacuum check valve to the brake booster. This will be the likely fault.