We are in Burlington, VT and discovered water in battery plenum - which we drained by takin battery out and cleaning ages of debris out of drain holes. However, some damage must have been done to engine or something - bake pedal hard to push, clacking noise in engine, and steam coming out of exhaust pipes.

Any suggestions?

 

There is a vac line for the brake booster that runs over by the battery/brake fluid resevoir. I think it runs directly off enginevaccum. If it was disconnected or manhandled, it might cause those symptoms.Check the other side of firewall too (opposite the battery), there are lots of little vacconncections that could get fucked up depending on what year/engine you have and how sloppy you were r&r ing the battery.