Convert from single to dual master cylinder

[scumdog]

Wow, who would have thought so many owners of classic Thunderbirds would also be bikers!?

And so far off topic...lol!

[byersmtrco]

We had a Sprint. A 73. He bought that the year before the 74 SuperGlide. 1st MC I ever rode on the street. W/O a licence. I was 12. Ah, the good ol days.

'MY' first Harley was a 250 cc Sprint. Second one was a 1958 Sportster. (I was the 3rd owner, bought it around 1968). And it was the first Sportster sold new in my hometown. Current bike is, guess what. A Sportster. 2009 XR 1200. Great brakes. Runs awesome. Putting out just shy of 90 hp, with no internal mods. Put together my own exhaust system. 883 R headers, Ti-Force muffler. Used a coat hanger to make a template for connecter pipe then had a exhaust shop bend up the pipe. Runs great with this setup, and nice rumble sound. Really quite to. SEST tuner. Handles great. It, and I, love curves.

[Guest]

Great thread, even with all the Harley talk. Ok, reading through this, I've decided I'm going with front discs and I think a dual reservoir MC. I've been looking up suppliers and such, and one supplier for front disc conversion says I would need to go with 15" rims to accomodate the calipers---bye bye original hubcaps. My '60 is bone stock---a/c with the bellows booster under the dash. My question: is there a full kit or a complete parts list that will take you from the brake pedal through everything needed to make this complete swap? I realize there are several options in the various componants (MC, booster, pedal rod, proportioning valve, etc.) but I'm reaching the point where I'd like to buy everything I need and get started on the conversion. Thanks.

[sidewalkman]

if you do a search there are a few separate threads just on converting to front disk brakes and dual master cylinder. It's been done and you keep the original 14" hubcaps but have to get a 14" rim off a Granada or something that came with disk brakes. I've got a 60 so the bellows etc is under the hood, I'm doing the dual MC but waiting for the disk conversion, the main reason is I like drum brakes and if you keep them adjusted they work fine, the problem is most people don't. I have an adjusting spoon in the car at all times. Takes less than 2 minutes to do.

[YellowRose]

Convert from single to dual master cylinder

Joe, you are a Paid Member, so look down in the Members Conference Forum. Then into the Members Only thread. You will find alot of information there for doing this conversion. You should find the Excel spread sheet on what parts to buy and where. There is a lof information there for you. Call me if you have questions also if you need to. I can help.

[simplyconnected]

Two important questions:
Did your Squarebird come with power brakes?
How much of this work will you do yourself?

Brake work is not hard. Bending, cutting and flaring tube isn't either, provided you have the right tools and materials. But if you're the type that sets your house on fire from changing your oil, you need to buy a mechanic's time.

I've done Scarebird bracket and Granada spindle conversions on several cars. They both produce the same result with FAR greater performance than drum brakes. I'll say it this way, I don't know of one SB owner that went back to drums. Original drum brakes on a SB are dangerously under-powered. Disks will put you through the windshield like a modern car.

We are here to help. I suggest you amass all your parts FIRST. Time is on your side so you can save some money by shopping the sales. Get your list going and if you have questions, ask. We're here to help you.

BTW, several of our members who did the conversion still use 14" rims. Summitracing.com sells new ones, too. Once you put your full wheelcover on, nobody will see the brake or the wheel. - Dave

[jopizz]

Some of our members are also using 14" rims off an early 90's Ford Ranger. They are relatively easy to find.

John

[Anders]

Can someone please recommend a dual system for my ´58 and where I can buy it from? With the proportional valve and return valve as Dave recommend. I also like to take out the power steering inside the car next to the pedals. I hade a leak there in the past and it just created a mess under the carpet...I will keep the drums at the moment but want dual du to safety if it fails. I have brand new callipers and brake lines.

[Anders]

I need to bump this article

[YellowRose]

Hi Anders! Glad to see you back on the Forum and I hope you and family are doing well. This thread goes back a number of years and some of the people who posted are no longer with us. If you want to improve the OEM brakes some without going the whole route of doing a disc brake setup, you might want to consider this. You could add a Mustang dual master cylinder with proportioning valve. At least it would be an improvement over the single MC that came on these old Birds of ours back then. If you decide to go to disk brakes down the road, once you do, you will probably never want to go back. You only need disks on the front brakes. To put them on all four, is probably overkill. Perhaps others here will have additional suggestions..

[jopizz]

I would do exactly as Nyles ~Tbird1044 did in post #4. Use a dual drum/drum master cylinder from a Mustang and add a drum/drum proportioning valve. That's the simplest setup you will find. Of course you will have to replumb the brake lines as he did. There is no over the counter kit you can buy. Anything you use will require fabrication since it is not designed for Squarebirds.

John

[bygrace]

Master Power Brakes has a nice, easy bolt-up booster and drum/drum dual master cyl setup. Unless you want originality, since the booster differs. No prop valve is needed. You can plumb-in a brake switch anywhere. Actually, I went with a mechanical switch on the linkage because I've had some wet switches fail.
I didn't feel like chasing for compatible parts, so this kit had it all together.

[Anders]

THANKS! Any specific Mustang model I shall look for? Year? Yes, It GREAT to be back here again. I have missed you big times. But I have mail painted the car ( two times as the first attempt wasn't good enough. Then other things in life takes its time. Children, Grandchildren etc. I also like to grow ( and eat ) chili. But I retired a year ago, so I have more time for my dear Ruth now.

[Anders]

What do you guys think of this one? Shall I order that? From Master Power Brakes.

[YellowRose]

Something to be aware of IF you have AC on your '58, and I do not recall if you do, or not, Anders.. IF you have OEM AC you may run into a problem of clearing that AC box on the firewall with an under the hood dual MC/Dual 8" power booster. The other problem is, with OEM AC is that mounting bracket going to the firewall, has to be long enough to move that round power booster PAST the side of the AC Plenum box. Most of the companies who market this kind of dual setup do not take into account whether or not the Tbird has AC or not. There is only ONE company that I know of that markets that kind of set up for Squarebirds that does market that setup WITH the correct mounting bracket that clears that box, if you tell them your Bird has OEM AC. That is ABS, and they will NOT sell you just the mounting bracket. So, should you decide to purchase that setup in the picture, IF you have OEM AC, you need to ask them if that mounting bracket will clear the AC Plenum box or not. You are a Paid Member, so you may want to look in the Members Conference Section, Members Only thread at the parts list there. You should be able to find a dual MC/dual 8" power booster with the mounting bracket at a cheaper price. IF you have no OEM AC on Ruth... Also, be aware of this. I used a MBM combination system on Tweety Bird, with the bubble top cover on the MC. Which promptly hit the inside of my newly painted Tbird, and scratched the new paint job. I had to lower the MC slightly to clear that problem. You may want to see about getting a dual MC with the FLAT top on it.