1962 T-bird single to dual master cylinder

[lj37]

I'm new to this web site.

My 1962 T-bird had a brake melt down. The single stage master cylinder stuck on and all the drum brakes locked up.

Now that I have to do a complete brake job I want to change the single stage master to a dual system.

The car has the stock drum brakes with power booster. What Ford dual master cylinder should I use? I'm thinking a '67 Gaxlie with drum and power booster should work. Looking at other posts it looks like someone used a '69 Mustang.

Thanks for any help. I'm not interested is converting to disc

Lyle

[bubbastbird]

Hey,
There is alot of info on this here if you look under the recent post for 61-63 thunderbirds and 61-63 modified thunderbirds. Unless you are going for complete originality the single master was all that was avalailable. Since the original brake boosters are so expensive, when you add in that you'll have to return your core w/shipping it's well over $200.00 bucks just for the booster. I opted for a complete dual master & booster swap from E-bay. It was very easy swap and fit perfectly. The only thing extra I had to buy was a pair of adapters to mate my brake lines to the new master And a 12" steel brake line. Which is needed with the original "Brass T Fitting" that is on your master cylinder So the brake light switch can be retained. It's all assembled with the linkages and mounting hardware. It took about an hour to do and looks great. Including shipping and the parts I got from my local parts store totaled was less than $300.00. I Was very satisfied and if you would like some pics, just shoot me your e-mail address. Steve

[TsNStangs]

^ Ditto - and welcome aboard!

[Beach Bum]

I opted for a complete dual master & booster swap from E-bay. It was very easy swap and fit perfectly. The only thing extra I had to buy was a pair of adapters to mate my brake lines to the new master And a 12" steel brake line. Which is needed with the original "Brass T Fitting" that is on your master cylinder So the brake light switch can be retained. It's all assembled with the linkages and mounting hardware. It took about an hour to do and looks great. Including shipping and the parts I got from my local parts store totaled was less than $300.00. I Was very satisfied and if you would like some pics, just shoot me your e-mail address. Steve

Steve, I'm going to have to do this on my '63 as well... what year and model car did the dual master & booster you got on eBay come from? Probably others could use the info and pictures as well-- if not now, then later when they come across this thread. So maybe the best thing to do would be post the pictures here for all to see?

I'll also send you a private e-mail so you can send them to me direct if you'd rather. Thanks!

[jidi]

Welcome, Lyle!
I did my 63 a couple of years ago, went with a 69 Mustang drum/drum master cyl. You'll need a couple of brass T fittings to run your lines to it, and Speedway Motors sells a stop light switch with the flare style threads that will go right into the T fitting. Otherwise, the original stop light switch has pipe threads and you'll need an adapter or bushing to thread the switch into the T fitting. (Remember to hook the rear lines up closest to the booster and the front lines toward the front on the m/c .)
Also, if your booster happens to be bad, Booster Dewey (Google him) did my rebuild 3 years ago for 140.00-all repainted and ready to go. Took about a week with shipping.

Jim

[novanutcase]

If your are mechanically inclined you may want to look into doing a late model hydroboost mod rather than go with the double.

You can find them in pretty much any junkyard as they were used for late model mustangs, vans and trucks. They offer more clamping power along with a small power reserve that will allow you to at least brake to a point that you can get over to the side of the road safely.

It'll take some fabrication but it can be done.....

John

[lj37]

Steve, I would like to see your pictures. My system has dot 5 in it now. I've been told that some master cylinders can't use dot 5.

Lyle
jacobson_lyle@hotmail.com

[novanutcase]

Steve, I would like to see your pictures. My system has dot 5 in it now. I've been told that some master cylinders can't use dot 5.

Lyle
jacobson_lyle@hotmail.com

As far as I know, DOT 5 is a silicon based fluid that can damage certain plastic parts in your system but besides that, why are you running DOT 5 in your braking system? Are you running in any events that could potentially bring your brake fluid to that high a boiling point?

If you want to run that high a designation in your brake system you're going to want to use DOT 5.1 which is a glycol based fluid.

John

[bubbastbird]

Hey Guys,
I e-mailed ya'll some pics of the installation. The place I bought mine from also has a complete conversion kit for 4 wheel disc or front or rear at a great price. If the booster/master was any indication as of ease of installation they should fit like a champ. I plan on getting the disc conversion kit later on. I would post the pics here, but I'm an idiot when it come to computers. I will figure it out sooner or later. Someone mentioned adapting in the brake light switch. I used a short piece of steel brake line and the original braas "T" and a 1/8" npt brass female coupler for that. The weather has been absolutely beautiful here the last couple of days so I got to enjoy the bird some. A few more minor bugs to work out this winter and I'm taking her down to the gulf next year.

hope this helps,
Steve

[tbird]

The reason for running Dot 5 is that it does not attack paint and it does not collect moisture in it corroding the brake system. It is also a inert material that does not attack anything but if you are changing over to dot 5 the system must be flushed thoroughly with denatured alcohol to remove all traces of the Dot 3 best time is if you are doing a complete brake overhaul. I have had some rubber react in the master when the system was used with Dot three then changed to Dot 5 and some one added Dot 3 to the system. I use Dot 5 in my cars except for my 2002 Thunderbird.

[lj37]

John,

I use dot 5 for the reason Jim Mills gave. I have friends with old cars that use dot 5 with no problems.

Lyle

[edpol]

If you're not switching to disc brakes, there's no real need to go to a dual master. Even with a dual master, if a brake line goes, you'll still have no hydraulics, just the mechanical Ebrake. It happened to me a couple of times.

[Steverino]

Hey Steve,

Unless I missed it, I don't think you named the place where you got your setup. Inquiring minds want to know! Also, could you forward me your pics as well? I am up for brakes this winter & am beginning to plot & plan.

Thanks!

[Beach Bum]

Here is the link to the shop Steve mentioned that sells the complete change over kit for a dual master cylinder and new booster for $265:

http://stores.ebay.com/abs-power-brake/ ... =831929848

They also have a complete disc brake conversion kit for a little over $700 bucks.

[Beach Bum]

Darn, I hate to be in disagreement with edpol again, but I always thought the whole point of a dual master cylinder (by that I mean one with a dual fluid reservoir) was so that one reservoir fed the front brakes and the other fed the rear. If you lose pressure in the front brake circuit (the one most likely to go since it does the most work) and lose the fluid in the front reservoir, then your rear brakes would still work because you'd still have fluid and pressure in the rear reservoir.

In fact, I had a personal experience with this in 1977 while driving my '68 Mustang fastback over a very steep and twisty mountain road in California. Under the constant heavy braking, the right front brake line popped out of an almost-stripped thread on the line fitting at the caliper and I immediately lost all fluid in the front reservoir of the master cylinder. The tread on the line fitting was shot and it could not be reattached. But I still had fluid and pressure in the rear reservoir of the master cylinder and my rear brakes still worked. Although those rear drums were nothing compared to my front discs, the dual master cylinder setup enabled me to limp down the mountain in one piece.

As for the DOT 3 vs DOT 5 issue. Both work fine to provide hydraulic pressure to your brakes. But I've used DOT 3 in my sixties Mustangs and all my other cars for over 40 years and never once had enough moisture absorb into the DOT 3 fluid to cause brake system corrosion. Not once.

DOT 5 was originally developed to be a specialty product for use in systems operating under higher than usual temperatures. To me, seems an awful lot of work to do a total dry purge of the DOT 3 to put in DOT 5 -- and then have to be vigilant that it gets never gets accidentally contaminated with DOT 3 -- just to use a fluid that doesn't perform any better under street conditions and costs more. Yes, DOT 3 spilled on paint will hurt it, but I'm careful not to do that or to wash it off quickly if I do, and so suffer no paint damage. Besides, if someone spills DOT 5 on their paint are they really going to walk away thinking "Heck, I won't bother to wash it off, it won't hurt anything..." ?

For anyone considering changing over to DOT 5, there a couple of issues people need to be aware of. According to the wikipedia:

"DOT 5 brake fluid is not compatible with anti-lock brake systems. DOT 5 brake fluid absorbs a small amount of air requiring care when bleeding the system of air."

Seems to me to be more trouble than it's worth for a street car.