Vacuum Booster

[YellowRose]

Vacuum Booster

Someone step in and tell me if I am wrong here... Bob, you do NOT have to pick up used Granada spindles... You can use the spindles presently on your Squarebird and most other parts... Members who have gone the Granada spindle route have had problems with front end alignment as you will read in these posts. Get disk brake ready Granada rims off late 1970's Granada's with the mounting nubs on them in case you ever want to mount dog dish hubcaps. We went the Mustang rotor route because pretty much everything between a Squarebird and a Mustang brake system is interchangeable. Before you go looking for Granada spindles, talk with Howard Prout or simplyconnected. I don't have time to go into further detail now. Keep in mind the original Squarebird rims where not made to work with disk brakes. That is why you have to find rims that will. Granada's with disc brakes on them, for one and there are others, have rims on them that will work on the Squarebird.

[DKheld]

That's right Ray - I said earlier - "Granada spindles were the only option back then but now are not the way to go unless you have access to a really good alignment shop". If I were doing mine all over today I would use the Scarebird brackets.

Guess it's his car though - hate to see him go through the same junk I did w/Granada stuff is the only reason I have posted. I got lucky with the first alignment and took it back 4-5 times before they got it right without being charged again and again. As soon as I get the motor changed I'll get to another alignment shop and get the settings to post.

75ish 14 inch LTD wheels are what I am running to clear the calipers and rotor hub.

Probably have someone tell you one of the replacement Galaxie or full size Ford brackets should work too. It doesn't fit directly but might be made to work by drilling new holes in the firewall - went through that with Master Power Brakes in Mooresvile, NC. I didn't want to dril new holes in my firewall when I tried the Galaxie bracket - but again it's not tested and may be money wasted.

Eric

[Traxxas]

Alright alright, I'll do it the proper way. Scarebird it is.

The fuel tank came in today to thats todays project.

[Traxxas]

Anyway, pictures as promised (sorry its pretty dirty at the moment) Ive been working my way back to forward in the interior. I'm on the dashboard restoration, I think I'm going to have to foam it then sculpt it. But don't know yet. Need to grab some new felt too.

The exterior has a lot of cancer on it, and what I may do is increase it and get a lot of rust on there and see if I can put a clear coat over it to give it the old rust bucket look (which I am a fan of)

By the way, thanks a lot guys. I am learning a ton as I go along!


By traxxas119 at 2010-04-28


By traxxas119 at 2010-04-28



By traxxas119 at 2010-04-28

Just thought the fuel tank box was funny, a tad small.

By traxxas119 at 2010-04-28

[DKheld]

Looks niiiiiicccccceeeee.......Great pics - thanks!

Like that interior. Cool 60's rest-o-mod. Dash sounds like a hard project with the sculpting and all but from your description you have it already worked out. I have a roll of black grain vinyl that I picked up at a car show (not quite as slick as what is on your seats) - could send you enough to do the dash if you want to go with vinyl. Not 100% sure it would cover from top to bottom without a seam somewhere because it is only about 2 ft wide but would be long enough for no seam in width - pretty sure I could put enough in a flat rate box for around $10 - just let me know.

Glad your going with the scarebird stuff when you do the brakes - hope I didn't give you too much grief.

Take some pics of the tank swap. Got a box in the garage just like yours - going to have to do the same thing. Plan on coating the outside of mine with rust preventative paint then undercoating.

Keep the pics coming.......

Eric
registry 5347

[Traxxas]

Well, I haven't ordered the parts yet, I did get the gas tank in and went in really easy. The sending unit is awesome to put in since you can do it through the trunk. The old sending unit was still good except for the float, had a hold in it and I don't know how that happened so I put one from a outboard motor tank with a gas gage but still floats. Easy installation for the most part.

I did rebuild the booster and it was full of rust and crap but it works pretty good now, spotless I might add (inside). For the master, I noticed you kept the same booster DKheld, but put a dual master on it. What was it from? Because I'd like to get the same since my booster is in pretty good shape after all.

Oh, you can see the air shocks I put in too.


By traxxas119 at 2010-05-04


By traxxas119 at 2010-05-04


By traxxas119 at 2010-05-04


By traxxas119 at 2010-05-04


By traxxas119 at 2010-05-04


By traxxas119 at 2010-05-04

[YellowRose]

Vacuum Booster

Hey, Bob, she is coming along! My gas gauge float also had a hole in it, which was one reason why it was not reading right. It was full of gas! So I replaced it with a new float and a new sensor because it was not working right either. That solved my gas gauge problem, after running a good ground to is also. Rose also has air shocks on her. The previous owner in Mississippi used to tow his boat with her. I see yours also has a trailer hitch on it. It is probably an original one. I know that if you do not want to keep it, that Anders is looking for one. I took mine off and had it chromed. It came out looking great! It went to one of the guys Down Under. He spoke for it before Anders did. They were made by Draw-Tite Co. who are still in business, but do not make them anymore. Mine had 1958-59-60 Thunderbird engraved into it. Here are a couple of pix, before and after chroming.

[Traxxas]

Most likely I'll take it off, if I get rid of it I'll make sure Anders has first dibs.

[DKheld]

Glad to hear the tank isn't much of an issue to replace - be doing mine soon - thanks for the pics (I knew Ray would spot that hitch)

Air shocks look like a good idea.

On the dual master I used...... it is from a 75ish Lincoln Mark IV. You can only use it if you have the booster face changed to the 2 stud style from the original 4 stud style that you have. I actually ordered a whole converted booster and pedal bracket from Power Brake Booster Exchange and kept my original so that if I wanted to go back to drums for a show car I could (will never happen - well maybe if I win the lottery - naaaa - probably not even then). It was around $300 6-7 years ago. That was the only option I could find to keep the pedal bracket the same and get a 2 stud original style booster. There are replacement options now - check the disc brake thread. The new booster face may be from the same year car (75ish Lincoln) but Power Brake Booster Exchange wouldn't say exactly. If you can find a 75ish Lincoln booster you may be able to change it yourself. From what I remember there is a crimped style and the screwed on style like on the Tbird.

Friend of mine is a manager at a local NAPA - we looked for quite some time for a 4 bolt style dual (disc/drum) master cyl without any luck. Never really tried to look for a dual drum 4 bolt style master cyl because I was converting to discs but I doubt one is out there.

I did notice your check valve is missing on your vac line going to the booster. It should be on the end of the shorter hose going to the hard vac line from the engine junction block. You can see mine in the pic of my booster (little gray round thingy). With that missing your reserve tank for the booster won't work very well if the engine stops - not a big deal but something you may want to add (or see if it is laying around somewhere and reinstall). That reserve tank will give you 2 or 3 stops with vac power if the engine quits but without the check valve I doubt you would have any power assisted stops. If you can 't find yours you can just buy an aftermarket plastic one. Your reserve tank in the fender well will also need to be without leaks. Not trying to be picky - just pointing out something I saw - tell me to shut up if you want - not going to bother me.

Eric (DKHeld)

[orwin]

Re: Rebuilt Power Booster

I have been studying the disc brake conversion threads for some time and have decided to go with discs on my 60 430HT. After consulting the excellent technical article by Gary Hamm, I bought the conversion kit from Hotrods & Brakes - it will let me use my original spindles.

I knew that my original 14x5.5 rims won't work, so I bought a set of 4 Ford Ranger 14x6 rims. Once the hubcaps are on, they won't show. I should have looked into this more closely as the nose on the rotors was too large to fit in the hole in the rims. The rotor nose is 2.75" dia., while the opening in the Ford rims is 2.50". I had the rotor nose turned down so now we're OK there.

There has been a lot of discussion on what booster to use and what master cylinder. The 4/27 post by Eric (DKheld) in this thread convinced me that the way to go is have the original booster rebuilt and converted for 2-bolt flange by Power Brake Booster Exchange http://boosterdeweyexchange.com
I'll be contacting him soon.

Would there be any interference problems on my non-air 430?

Eric mentioned he used a M/C from 75 Lincoln Mark IV. RockAuto shows 6 different M/Cs fro 75 MKIV. Is there any reason to prefer one over the other?

He also used a combo valve from Master Power Brakes in SC ($140). According to the description, it provides "Proportioning and Metering in one unit". I know this has been discussed at length, but doesn't the dual master provide at least part of these functions? I'm trying to keep the appearance as stock as possible and this combo valve seems pretty large.

Any and all comments are welcome. I'm learning as I go and hate to buy stuff and find that it doesn't work or fit right.

[simplyconnected]

...I should have looked into this more closely as the nose on the rotors was too large to fit in the hole in the rims...

This is a moot issue now, because you've already machined your Granada rotor snouts. 1968 Mustang rotors need no machining, your original Thunderbird bearings and seals fit with a straight spacer (not stepped), and your new calipers and pads fit right over them. Scarebirds uses this setup with their brackets (and your spindles).

...Eric mentioned he used a M/C from 75 Lincoln Mark IV. RockAuto shows 6 different M/Cs fro 75 MKIV. Is there any reason to prefer one over the other?
...doesn't the dual master provide at least part of these functions? ...

Buy a M/C with a 1" bore, and one that will fit your 'newly modified' booster. So, let Dewey know your intentions before he drills holes. Don't forget to ask Dewey if your booster provides enough force. A new two-stage 8" booster puts out 1,200 pounds. This booster & dual M/C (chromed) is only $200 plus shipping.

The combination (proportioning) valve is very necessary, but the brand makes little difference since all the OEM's buy them. Mount your combination valve with the idea that your Brake Light Switch needs to be accessible. Then plumb your whole car. Here in the Rust Belt, we use brass IFF (Inverted Flare Fittings), and 3/16" CUNIFER (copper, nickel, ferrous steel) rustproof brake line. I use a modern style, 1" dual M/C that offers no other functions.

I suggest you buy self-adjusters for your rear brake shoes. If you don't, then install a residual valve in your rear line, and keep your brake adjustments on a regular schedule.

A word about originality: All those thoughts will quickly disappear the first time you step on your new power disk brakes. This setup will NOT look original, ever. So, what... The trade-off is well worth it, especially if you ever drive your family on interstates or get caught in rush hour traffic. I hope this helps. - Dave