Custom Brake Booster

[jopizz]

That's what the shock towers look like when you remove the heavy domed brackets. I don't see anything unusual.

John

[simplyconnected]

Ahh, there they are... The shock looks like the nut on top is frozen to the threads and without the brackets the whole tower looks mighty weak. This holds up half the front end as the upper spring perch is just underneath the top of the tower.

[Yadkin]

You might consider welding a heavy plate on top, then buy new front shocks. Is the other shock tower the same?

I'm worried about the spring coming through... - Dave

That's all nice solid metal, painted with red primer. The other side has the bracket and cap installed. Those pieces hold the shock in place.

[simplyconnected]

Thanks Steve and John, you've taught me something I didn't know.

Now, I got it filed in the forefront of my brain cells. Gee, I hope I can remember this six months from now... Thanks again. - Dave

[jopizz]

Thanks Steve and John, you've taught me something I didn't know.

Now, I got it filed in the forefront of my brain cells. Gee, I hope I can remember this six months from now... Thanks again. - Dave

Six months? Six days is more like it with me.

John

[Yadkin]

Thanks Steve and John, you've taught me something I didn't know.

Now, I got it filed in the forefront of my brain cells. Gee, I hope I can remember this six months from now... Thanks again. - Dave

What year is your Bird? I thought 58-66 were the same chassis.

[Yadkin]

Here we are with final assembly. For the plumbing, I had to drive to King, NC to a hydraulic hose maker and get a special fitting made so my front brake distribution block would fit between the new "fattie" master cylinder and the hood hinge.

[Yadkin]

And an overall view.

[ramos291]

wow hey thanks for the reply back and great information.

[booalou]

toms classics

Did you use the original vacuum booster linkage for your installation?

[Yadkin]

Did you use the original vacuum booster linkage for your installation?

Yes. See post 10.

[Yadkin]

Not satisfied with the overall braking performance, I've decided to take Dave Dare's advice and install a combination valve. Summit racing has a nice one for the same year Chevy sedan; the weight bias is about the same. They also sell stainless steel line and a neat flare nut set that fits all the "odd" size ports in the setup.

Combination valve:

https://www.summitracing.com/parts/sum-760186

Flare nuts:

https://www.summitracing.com/parts/sum-220237

In order to fit the installation between the master and hood hinge I'm using two-inch diameter loops to go up then down into the top of the valve.

The stainless is not easy to double flare and bend as cunifer, but it looks terrific. Some patience and care, oiling the tool when flaring gives good results.

[simplyconnected]

Ever since OEMs came out with disk/drum brakes they have also included a proportioning valve (because it is necessary). I'd love to take credit for the idea but sadly, I can't.

I often reference Marcelo's brake job (because I don't have a Squarebird but he does):



Marcelo didn't use an expensive bending machine, he used nothing more than a pair of Harbor Freight brake pliers for all these bends. Notice how close the bend is to the nut on the brake switch block. Notice there are no loops and how 'clean' this job looks. Conventional bending tools cannot bend this tight so coils of tubing are required. Not any more. Simply slide the nut on tubing, flare the end, then position the pliers right up to the back of the nut and bend the tube. It's easier to do than to talk about it.

If space is an issue, use the right size nuts instead of buying expensive adapters. Coils produce much more resistance, they flex under pressure and they eat up more tubing. Think of one coil loop as being four ninety degree bends.

Carbon steel line, stainless line OR conifer brake line bend equally as well in bending pliers. I've never kinked a line using the pliers and it's the only bending tool needed for the whole job. For practice bending, I use one of the old lines I'm replacing. I also use old line for bench bleeding my new master cylinder; simply screw the nuts into the M/C ports and bend the old steel line up and over the reservoir but make sure the ends are below the surface of the brake fluid. Bending pliers make this silly-easy, even on steel line. HF wants about $12 for a pair of bending pliers.
- Dave

[Yadkin]

Dave, any thoughts on which ports on the master to feed which half of the car? I've noticed that old Fords that I've owned use the front bowl for the rear, and the rear bowl for the front. In a master with two large bowls I don't see why it would matter.

Also, it appears in your picture that the brake light switch is on a front port. Since the combination valve applies pressure to the rear brakes first, the switch should be on the rear half of the system.

[Deanj]

I'll say the rear reservoir is used for the front brakes on Ford and Mopar. GM uses the opposite assuming both reservoirs are the same size. This is according to a company named Stainless Steel Braking Corporation and found in one of their proportioning valve installation instructions.

Dean