How rare is this part

[ncbird]

I know we have talked about the dealer a/c install with the kit to use the under hood booster but I didnt know how rare the bracket is. I was wondering how many of you have actually seen a bracket either the kit or on a car. Is this bracket set rare, really rare or an urban myth? I ask because i just obtained an NOS dealer kit with the bracket and "hockey stick. If there is something we need to know about the bracket ( measurements etc. this is the time) before I package it with my rebuilt booster and new master cyl as an upgrade package. I am interested in the groups reaction. I do have some other ideas/work I have done to add an OID booster/mc to our cars. I think I have a possible lower cost way to add it to a regular as well as a/c car. Not as elegant as Howards but functional. From under my shade tree. Grant

[DKheld]

I saw that one Grant - I would have paid what you did but I had already fabricated something that will work. I think the price was right - any higher would have just been too much for me and only good for the money no option restorations (of which I'll never be a part of). IMHO

As far as rarity - I have been looking for one for 7 years - even a picture to take measurements from but never had any luck and considered it to be made of 'unobtanium". The picture of the bracket and extended brake pedal rod are in the kit install instructions on the web site but not clear enough to take "real" measurements. That is what I used to fabricate my home brewed one. I think John Draxler finally went through all his boosters and has found one or two used ones now.

I have searched on the COSZ part prefix very often in various locations but have not seen one there either for about the past 3 years.

I would be VERY surprised if any more were ever found - maybe one or two - but that's it - and not a NOS unit like you found.

It's pretty easy to guess the width of the bracket - it's the same width as the booster bracket. What I was always looking for was the amount of rise between where the bracket bolts to the firewall and where the booster is moved up to in it's new location - turned out to be higher than the one I made. It would also be necessary to have a diagram of the pedal rod to match the height of the bracket rise so that the pedal height is unchanged and it all works correctly.

I modified a standard pedal rod to fit my bracket. All my home brewed bracket does is move the booster out 1" 3/4 so the pedal rod was extended by the same amount.



Firewall evap box not added yet in this picture - still finishing it - but have had it in place for measurement purposes.




Great post Grant - good to hear from you!
Sorry I'm so long winded......

Eric
registry 5347

[YellowRose]

How rare is this part

As has been pointed out, it is a pretty rare part, Grant. I only knew of one that was available and that might be it that you bought! I just sent you an email to your email address I have for you. Attached to that email is an article about this kit and how to install it on a Squarebird with AC. It is my understanding that kit will only work (without modifications) if you are going to install the OEM single MC/Single Booster and not the newer dual systems we want to install. I understand that the mounting bracket will not mate up right with the bolts on the end of the dual power booster of today. However, if you have a Squarebird with AC and want to stay with drum brakes, and mount the OEM single MC and booster, under the hood, it should do the trick. There are some modifications that could be made though, I hear, to make it work as a disc brake mounting bracket. It would be good to get the measurements from it though.

[Dakota Boy]

Somebody PLEASE document the dimensions on those parts here; so that other sorry devils here wont have to suffer.....

Seems to be the rarest "hockey-stick" on the globe....

[simplyconnected]

Slow down, Cowboys. The purpose of this kit was for the use with DRUM brakes. If you have visions of disk brakes in your Squarebird's future, this bracket is not for you.

But, if you want authenticity and power drum brakes, add this bracket along with the OEM booster and M/C.

So, without question, the part is rare (but it can be hand made). And the most important question is, who can use it?

We have seen a few disk conversions that work. They all require at least 800-lbs of boost (like modern cars). Since the OEM booster is already at 8" diameter, and it falls short of 800-lbs output, the only solution (using vacuum) is to use a two-stage 8" booster.

Howard Prout & I took on this challange because we couldn't find a vendor with a correct firewall bracket. Rather than working from someone else's mistakes, we took our own measurements and Howard fabricated a great bracket with correct mechanical links and an offset hockey stick. Howard has been running his for two years, now. The problem is, making more of the same with consistancy. Ours are hand bent, then drilled. These pieces need to be die-bent.

I understand John Draxler will make us brackets according to Howard's dimensions. Where he's at on this, I don't know. - Dave

[ncbird]

restoration part

I have no intention of using this part for for my disk brake setup. I bought it because after the discusion on here I wanted to insure we collectively gained as much usefull info as possible from it. My thought was to make templates of the hockey stick and bracket ends and document the verticle rise etc. I am then going to package it with an original rebuilt booster and original MC as a package for restoration. This has nothing whatsoever to do with my mounting my OID setup. My OID setup uses the original booster bracket and an MBM bracket and maintains all the stock hockey stick etc. My acquisition of the bracket was to try and give something back to this forum and future users. Grant

[YellowRose]

How rare is this part

Hi Grant, that is very commendable and very much appreciated! Did you receive the email that I sent you with the attachment regarding that brake booster mounting kit and the components that should have been with it? I gather those instructions on mounting it should have been in that box also.

[ncbird]

kit contents

I did get your email, thank you very much. The answer to your question is the article was correct. The kit has the bracket, the hockey stick and the 4 nuts and lock washers. The spring washers, pivot pins etc were common parts and sourced normally. My kit is missing the instructions but everything else is here. If you want pictures of it from another angle let me know. I was thinking about laying them out graph paper so people could see dimensions to build their own.

[YellowRose]

How rare is this part

Hi Grant, yes, it would be good to see more pictures and the idea you have about laying it out on graph paper is a good one. I could put that information and pictures in the TRL for future use by members. Thanks for confirming what was in the kit. I think the instructions that should have been in the box are probably the same as what I sent you.

[ncbird]

can do

I will get additional pictures and document dimensions and get back to for inclusion. Grant

[simplyconnected]

...My acquisition of the bracket was to try and give something back to this forum and future users. Grant

Hi Grant, that is very commendable and very much appreciated!...

I agree with both you guys. My intentions are not to disrespect your efforts, Grant. The part is VERY rare and they worked flawlessly. Now that you actually have one in hand, real measurements trump 'unobtanium'. Thanks for sharing with everyone.

Sometimes I think of obsolete tools like the slide rule. Keuffel & Esser sold very expensive models that architects used to design and construct skyscrapers in major cities (like the Empire State Bldg. and the Eiffel Tower).
Since the hand-held calculator became popular and cheap in the mid-1970's, no more slide rules and no more college courses on how to use them.

Still, those original tools and parts work just fine. - Dave