Just how bad are factory Drum brakes on '66?

[xgecko]

Ah! There is the answer. No, you cannot replace a single reservoir MC with dual Reservoir MC as there is no way to hook up the second 'channel'. In the end you would have no difference anyway, you would be using one of the two reservoirs and the other would be dummied somehow.

I also suggest that the thing worked pretty darn well for the better part of 45 or so years, you no doubt will be fine until Winter unless you have a very good reason to believe there is a problem with the current MC...

And as for your hour to replace the booster... my experience is that replacing the booster and MC takes more like several hours from start to finish including the need to bleed the brakes. Don't forget to bench-bleed the MC before installing it; you do this by routing the outputs back into the reservoir and pushing the piston in all the way repeatedly until no more bubbles appear. This is necessary because the Power Booster will never fully extend the MC piston.

[Twilight Fenrir]

Ah! There is the answer. No, you cannot replace a single reservoir MC with dual Reservoir MC as there is no way to hook up the second 'channel'. In the end you would have no difference anyway, you would be using one of the two reservoirs and the other would be dummied somehow.

I also suggest that the thing worked pretty darn well for the better part of 45 or so years, you no doubt will be fine until Winter unless you have a very good reason to believe there is a problem with the current MC...

And as for your hour to replace the booster... my experience is that replacing the booster and MC takes more like several hours from start to finish including the need to bleed the brakes. Don't forget to bench-bleed the MC before installing it; you do this by routing the outputs back into the reservoir and pushing the piston in all the way repeatedly until no more bubbles appear. This is necessary because the Power Booster will never fully extend the MC piston.

Well, on my drive home yesterday, I lost my brakes thankfully, I live in the country, so there were only two 'stops'. It's a breach in the lines, I think it's the distribution tee on the rear axle. Still, it was scarey.

I figured i'd just rout the front brakes to the front portion, and the rear to the rear portion. There shouldn't be any 'dummy' lines or systems... Good to know on the bleeding, didn't know that one..

[xgecko]

Now your motivations become clear!

Your plan would not work; that is not how these things are designed. You cannot use the front and rear chambers of a Master Cylinder from a Disk Brake system on a full Drum brake system and expect to have a properly balanced braking system. Perhaps there is some way to make it work if you assemble the right set of parts, but I think it not worthwhile in the short run.

I would simply go over the entire braking system looking for any issues. Of course, when you do the disk brake conversion you will pretty much do this as part of the process, so I am comfortable you will be fine until then your recent event notwithstanding.

Good luck, and drive safe!

[Twilight Fenrir]

Now your motivations become clear!

Your plan would not work; that is not how these things are designed. You cannot use the front and rear chambers of a Master Cylinder from a Disk Brake system on a full Drum brake system and expect to have a properly balanced braking system. Perhaps there is some way to make it work if you assemble the right set of parts, but I think it not worthwhile in the short run.

I would simply go over the entire braking system looking for any issues. Of course, when you do the disk brake conversion you will pretty much do this as part of the process, so I am comfortable you will be fine until then your recent event notwithstanding.

Good luck, and drive safe!

Well, it doesn't exactly have a balanced braking system as it is I was just hoping the dual system was just like having two single systems. And I could just hook one to the front, and one to the rear... But, oh well...

I plan on going over the system a bit later today. HOpefully it's a simple thing. I had gone over the system before I started driving it, and there didn't appear to be any, maybe the fitting just worked its way loose... Though, not likely in my luck

[Twilight Fenrir]

Ahhhh!

There was only one booster/MC on the '69s regardless of weather they had drums, or disc. So I /can/ perform my booster/MC swap for my peace of mind Neat!

Thanks for the word up on the bleeding of the MC though, that's a new one to me.

[xgecko]

Booster? Oh. Yes, there is only one booster on any car, had no idea you were confused on that point. The issue is with the use of a dual res MC on a single res MC brake system such as your drum brakes.

Keep in mind if you change the Booster you may have to use the matched MC that goes with it as they may have different length piston drive pins... I found this to be the case when I switched to Hydroboost.

[Twilight Fenrir]

Booster? Oh. Yes, there is only one booster on any car, had no idea you were confused on that point. The issue is with the use of a dual res MC on a single res MC brake system such as your drum brakes.

Keep in mind if you change the Booster you may have to use the matched MC that goes with it as they may have different length piston drive pins... I found this to be the case when I switched to Hydroboost.

That's what I've been saying... I'm going to swap out both parts, so I can have the dual res.

The '69 used the same booster and MC weather it had drum, or disc brakes. So it shouldn't matter weather I use them on my all drum system or not.

It will be easy to re-plumb it to take advantage of the safety feature, everything joins together like... a foot away, just have to tweak the setup a little bit.

[Twilight Fenrir]

To top off the fun... I can't find the leak >_>

There's only one wet-spot that I could find, right under the line directly to the MC. And it's not nearly enough to have lost my system.

I ran out and took it for a drive with several hard stops and came back, and there's just as much fluid as when I left.

So, either the leak is so slight it isn't an issue, or some of the dirt I cleaned out of my mc got in the line and plugged the hole...



The line that currently comes from my MC is a 1/4" tube with 1/2" flare fitting on both ends, to a distribution block. The distribution block has two small lines that each go to one front brake, and a 1/2" line to the rear.

So, I should just need a 9/16 to 1/2 line to run from the rear res, to the distribution block. A 1/2 " to 1/2", with a coupling at the end to run from the front res, to the rear line. and a 1/2" plug to plug off the old rear port on the block.

Easy.

[Twilight Fenrir]

Aaaand done!

It turned out really well. The pedal is way firmer than it used to be... kind of annoys me, actually, but the car seems to stop a bit better too. There's not nearly as much fish-tailing when I stomp on the brakes.

[xgecko]

Y'know that your car will dissolve if you remove that tag...

Good to hear it worked out for you. My Hydroboost has been working great too! Nothing like solid brakes to make you feel good.