I know this is VERY debatable. I wanted to convert our original non power, drum car to power disc. I already have the spindles and calipers from an A body. I know have to decide whether to go power or not. Some people say that a larger bore manual master cyl will feel just like power. I do not have a radical cam that would not support vacuum also by the way. I want a stock looking setup as well. So manual discs or power??
Secondly when doing the conversion the hang up I'm having is in the plumbing. As I understand it the distribution block is the same. The rear proportioning valve and hold off valves are whats throwing me. Do I just plumb in an adjustable valve to the rear line and I'm done or do I also need a hold off valve as well? I wish I could see a picture of a layout someone did on a car just like ours! Simplify this for me!!!
All else being equal, a larger diameter master cylinder will move more fluid per pedal stroke but the effort will be HIGHER than a small diameter master cylinder which moves less fluid. Converting to powere brakes is a reverseable mod. I say go for it.
Can you get the prop valve from the donor car the discs came from?
I plumbed the adjustable one on mine on the frame rail
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wildwood master works well with manual disc brakes, car stops quick and has nice road feel
R/T XTC Wrote:wildwood master works well with manual disc brakes, car stops quick and has nice road feel
To put it on record, I DESPISE Wilwood. Bunch of low life scum. I have their stuff on my race car. Good equipment but the people are &*^%%(*&^!. I went with Aerospace on the new build.
Not a power brake guy so I really can't comment on that too much. What I can comment on is my 73 A Body conversion on my 67 Coronet 500.
Brakes always sucked real bad on this car. Original 383 HP car. I rebuilt the rear brakes (10 x 2 1/2) with new hardware and new drums but did not replace the wheel cylinders. Replaced the rear rubber line.
Had a set of 73 Duster front brakes from a car I parted out decades ago. Had new rotors and bought rebuilt calipers. Advance pads. Added an adjustable proportioning valve in the rear line. Obviously new front flex rubber lines (be very careful as the passenger side steel part of the flex hose was hitting the bottom ball joint stud and almost wore through - fortunately found it before failure and replaced it but had to bend the tube down some for clearance). Not sure on the size of the master cylinder bore that I used (was an E Body front disc brake MC) but I believe it was around 1 1/32".
Brake pedal was quite hard and brakes still were not great.
So I bought a Doctor Diff 15/16 MC. That made the pedal a bit better but results still not great.
Never really set the adjustable proportioning valve very well. After a 96 mph run my daughter spun the car out 180 degrees at the end of the track because the rear brakes locked up before the fronts (not good!).
So I replaced the the calipers with 76 Volare calipers (larger bore than the 73 A body). Doctor Diff also told me to replace the distribution block with one off of a 73 Duster. He sold me one and told me to dump the adjustable proportioning valve.
Around 5 mph when my daughter hit the brakes in a parking lot the rear brakes still locked up first. I had left the adjustable one in so I adjusted it and and the rear brakes no longer lock up first.
So now brakes are better (decent) with a reasonable pedal but I would not call the brakes fantastic. Perhaps the pads leave some to be desired. I have to say that this whole experience has left me confused as far as how the factory distribution and proportioning valve block function. With the new build Aerospace says don't use any block and if you do gut it. They want no restrictions.
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look like nice rotors I used the stainless braided hoses they don't seem to "balloon" when you step on the pedal
I bought a booster from Pirate Jack. I have a question regarding mounting the master to the booster. The bolts heads on the master base are preventing it from sitting flush against the booster. Am I missing something here? I don't think the bolts should be removed from there prior to installing it?
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A power brake master will have a small tab screwed in place on one hole to hold piston in and will clear booster. Make sure piston rod depth is correct for power booster also .
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