Disc brake, dropped uprights, and new master cylinder install. Tech Artical

[fstfish66]

Here is the Brake peddle mount and MC mount i made for the 50, it uses a 73 A body master.

this looks great,,,

[tankwilson]

Got most of my brake lines bent and routed last weekend. Waiting for a few fitting from Speedway. Hope to finish brake lines this weekend. Will post pics later.

Thanks

matt

[E.L Lane's 48]

Will you post some pics of the rear airbag setup?

[tankwilson]

No problem I know I havent been very good at taking pics. Will take a lot this weekend and get everyone up to date.

Thanks

[tankwilson]

Ok guys. Got all the brakes lines done today. Need to order 1 fitting and then ready.

Here is a link to all the pics of what i have done so far with this entire project.

http://community.webshots.com/album/575446914lnEDKv

Here are some pics of today.

Brake line routing

Nother

Residual valve welded to front crossmember.

This is probably best shot of what the entire project looks like when done.

Shock mount/brake line mount.

ECI Master cylinder

So looks like once i get my fitting I will be ready to bleed brakes and get her back on the road. Oh yea better fix that really big hole in my floor too.

Will probably be a few weeks till i get her done. Will keep ya posted and write up a big recap on what all i have done and what was involved.

Edited March 28, 2010 by tankwilson

[BloodyKnuckles]

Damn Tank! Things are looking really good! You should be very happy with the final outcome.

By the way, I also just picked up a '61 Econoline panel van. It's really amazing how easy it is to get sidetracked when you end up with one of these things.

Good luck. I look forward to the updates.

BloodyKnuckles

[greg g]

Niceshots. what shocks did you select for the relocated fronts? Good idea onthe brake line mounts.

[tankwilson]

If i remember correctly they are 87 Chevy Pickup front shocks. Keep in mind i needed a shock that would have enough travel for my air ride to go up and down. I marked the shock when they are fully collapsed and positioned my upper shock mounts so that the shock would be close to being collapsed when the air ride is down. This will give my air ride full travel and i shouldn't be bottoming out or over extending my shock. I have 8" of travel from fully up to all the way down.

Thanks

matt

Go to Autozone and jump on their computers and start looking up shocks. It will tell you the travel. Anymore when i go to autozone i just get on the computer, print out what i need and hand it to the guy behind the counter.

Edited March 28, 2010 by tankwilson

[tankwilson]

Well got to work on the plymouth a little bit yesterday. Got the right fitting in from speedway and got the brake lines done. Had a buddy come over and got them bleed too. Everything went very well. Had them bleed and no leaks in no time. Wish everything was that easy. I can truly say that brake lines are a piece of cake if you take your time and used good quailty tools.

Got a little bit of time to work on the floor too. I am cutting my floor pan off just as it starts to level off. I had half assed a few patches on it before but now want to do it right plus i don't need my old access hole for my stock master cylinder. Got a few pieces bent up and tack on. Started tig welding them tonight. Will go to a buddies later in the week and roll some beads so that what i added will look close to stock. If everything goes well i may be able to drive her home this weekend. She is at a buddies shop for the winter.

Will post floor pics later.

Thanks

[Mustang6147]

Looks like nice work there tank. I took mine out for a ride sunday, and hit a chuck hole and tore the exhaust off...LOL I am a little lower then I expected. Looks like headers will be on order now.

[PatS....]

Well done...thanks for taking us along on the build.

[fstfish66]

nice looking job,,did you make a bracket for the lower shock mount?? some of fat mans dropped uprights i think have a spot on the up right for the shock,,yours looks like its on the lower control arm ?? thanks

[tankwilson]

Yea I made the lower mounts on the lower A arm. The uprights i have are for a mopar a few years newer than mine. Same thing just no lower mount. I figured the lower A arm would work just as well.

Thanks

matt

[fstfish66]

thanks i figured you mounted the shock to the lower A arm,,,

[tankwilson]

Well got the car done and drove her home from the shop ive been working in all winter. Everything went well.

I do have a question for you guys with disc brakes. I went with the ECI master cylinder kit and put in all the residual and metering valves. I have a very firm brake pedal but it doesnt stop as good as i think it should. Almost seems like the fronts aren't kicking in to there full potential. Any ideas? Shouldn't i be able to lock them up especially with bias plys?

Thanks

matt

[james curl]

Matt, at present I have old daddys kit installed with the original master cylinder and I cannot lock up the front or rear wheels but they will haul it down real fast, stand the old car on her nose.

[tankwilson]

Yea I can stop but not as fast as i think i should. Doesn't nose dive or anything. Just comes to a slow stop. I have a 2psi valve in the front and the MC from ECI has a 10psi for the rear built in. Then i put the metering valve up front in the middle just like ECI told me. Not sure if its adjustable. Just seems like the front dics are not getting enough pressure. I could be full of hot air too.

UPDATE. I think i may know what i missed. Looks like i need to hold open the metering valve when bleeding brakes. I did not know this. Will try and let you know.

Thanks

matt

Edited April 12, 2010 by tankwilson

[tankwilson]

Hey guys Do i have my lines right. I have the front brakes running off the larger part of the MC and the rear brakes off the smaller. Is that right. I thought that is what ECI said to do? Can someone look and let me know.

Thanks

[moose]

Yeah, you've got it right. I've got two different two-pot masters, on two different cars, and they both run the bigger pot to the fronts. One is on firewall, the other is bellhouse mounted. They are both have the bigger pot toward the rear of the car. Yours is opposite, I think. Mine are Mopar masters and also have "F" and "R" cast into them right above the port. They also have different sized ports 7/16 and 3/8 maybe, with the bigger one going to the fronts.

Hope this helps. My '55 with front disks will really stop the car quick. You should be able to get that too, with a little bit lighter car.

[tankwilson]

Well I called ECI and they confirmed that i have everything right. They tried to tell me that my calipers and rotors are too small and that with there kit they use 13" rotors and a caliper with a 3" bore.

I went out and drove around tonight and i think i am fine. I am so used to driving slow and braking slow that i was probably driving and stoping the same way. I think it would probably work better with calipers with a larger piston and maybe remove the metering valve. I have a hot rod building friend that told me that he doesn't use any type of proporting or metering valve.

I did crawl under the car and watch the pin pull out when the brake are applied. Not sure if i can adjust this but i think the car would be more responsive without the metering valve especially since i am still running manual brakes.

Not sure.

[fstfish66]

mayb i can offer you some info,,,,on my 40 dodge i have master power brake set up manual disc 11 inch chevelle rotors and GM calipers,,it had a master that wasnt mounted properly,,,now it is,, but the car is down for other reasons,,,manual, no porp valve,, under floor mounted with residual valves,,,car will nose dive when i hit the brakes,,and it has an adjustable valve for the rear,,some put it on the front and none on back,,,

as for my 66 barracuda,,it stops GREAT,,manual front disc rear drum,, fronts are stock 1976 dart/duster 11 inch rotors,single piston calipers,,rears are 11 x 2 1/2 drum,, manual master cylinder 15/16 bore, same as a 1987 dodge dakota, no prop valve only and adjustable on the rear,,,car has 33 inch tall tires,,,need to be able to turn up the pressure pedal pressure is real nice and car stops GREAT, most of the time conversions have the wrong size bore on the master cylinder,, the smaller the bore the easier the pedal is the bigger the bore the harder the pedal feels,,all depends how much brake fluid you need to flow,,,

[tankwilson]

Well guys had the car on the road for about a 1000 miles now. Everything seems to be fine. The only thing i am thinking about is removing the hold off valve up front and see if the fronts will stop better. I do notice i don't have the turning radius i use to have but not bad. Overall good setup and very happy.

Thanks

matt

[Mustang6147]

does anyone know what shocks used with the kit?

[tankwilson]

Look a little further up the page...

If i remember correctly they are 87 Chevy Pickup front shocks. Keep in mind i needed a shock that would have enough travel for my air ride to go up and down. I marked the shock when they are fully collapsed and positioned my upper shock mounts so that the shock would be close to being collapsed when the air ride is down. This will give my air ride full travel and i shouldn't be bottoming out or over extending my shock. I have 8" of travel from fully up to all the way down.

Thanks

matt

Go to Autozone and jump on their computers and start looking up shocks. It will tell you the travel. Anymore when i go to autozone i just get on the computer, print out what i need and hand it to the guy behind the counter.

[dezeldoc]

Tank, take out the metering valve and leave the 2# RPV, it will keep the fluid from flowing back to the master. I always put an adjustable proportioning valve on the rear brakes so i can balance them out. Never had a problem getting the fronts to lock, not that you would want them to.