Replaced brake booster - now pedal is super firm

I replaced the brake booster in my ‘97 4Runner , as my old one had a leak and couldn’t hold pressure . After installing the new one ( by new I mean one I got for $50 at a salvage yard out of a 2000 yr. ) I have to use all of my strength to actually stop the vehicle . Is the part just bad ? Do I need to bleed the system or adjust the pushrod ? I re-connected all of the vacuum hoses correctly . I’m not sure what I did wrong - thank you !

 

If it were a new part I'd say installation was wrong, but it being a used part makes that hard to rule out.

A bleeding issue will cause spongy pedal since air is compressible. From my experience with the clutch master cylinder, when you get the pushrod wrong all it does is mess up the engagement point, but it doesn't change the overall feel.

Does the feel of the pedal feel similar to what happens when you try stopping the vehicle without power assist? It sounds similar to what happens when you stall the vehicle while moving and try stopping.

 

Stupid question, I know, but did you verify you reconnected the vacuum line to the booster, and that this line has vacuum with the engine is running? I can't do its thing without that.