Max,
Since the site is down, I can't pop the virtual hood
to look at a 62's brake setup.
Instead, I'll try to describe what I did with my '64.
Hope I don't omit anything because the work was
performed a while back.
Chapter One (1995):
For openers, the job was done in conjunction with a 4
wheel cylinder (from NAPA) replacement. Didn't want
to have to deal with them later.
The initial replacement master cylinder was a dual
designed for the NYB's from Pep Boys. I used a
junkyard pull (Valiant, I believe) brake proportioner
to replace the simple splitter fed directly from the
master cylinder.
The original splitter is about 8 inches in front of
and below the mc and is bracketed to the frame. The
replacement proportioner must be installed as it came
out of the donor, one line goes to the rear wheels,
the other to the front. This work was pretty simple,
I think the tubes were already positioned correctly
for the new piece. Haven't got around yet to
bracketing the new proportioner to the frame yet, but
now that I own a Dremel in the land of scrap stainless
steel, I'll get around to making one some weekend.
After hooking up the proportioner, I made two new
lines to the master cylinder out of a couple of 36'
steel lines from NAPA. I coiled the lines at the mc
end, routed them from there down to the frame, they
the run along the top of the frame 'til I angled them
to join the proportioner. You absolutely must have a
tubing bender to do this part of the job right!
Don't remember the diameter of the tubing right now,
but it was the same as the lines to the brakes. Bring
the new mc to NAPA when you buy the lines so you can
purchase the correct adapters/reducers at the same
time.
The NYB master cylinder swap itself turned out to be
the simplest part of the job. It bolted right in with
just a minor adjustment for the pushrod.
Cosmetically, this is probably the most "original"
solution.
Remember that at some time during a Master Cylinder
swap, you have to bleed the MC itself internally, you
can't bleed it through the car's lines. Most mc kits
include a couple of cheap lines for this purpose.
Don't do it and you won't have any brakes!
Chapter Two (1999):
After a couple of years driving with this setup the
brakes started feeling spongy without any external
leakage or fluid loss. The Pep Boys MC was giving up
the ghost! Fine, except now I was in Korea and I
didn't feel good pumping my brakes like a madman while
driving my girlfriend around in downtown ChonJu! No
Pep Boys store being in sight, I decided it was time
to take this fix to the next level and put the problem
to bed!
I ordered a Mopar Performance large bore (they sell
two sizes) Master Cylinder and adapter plate. Best I
can tell, this is basically the same mc Mopar used on
the Fifth Avenue. The plate is necessary to get the
two hole mc to fit the four bolt brake booster.
Okay, off with the NYB mc and on with the plate and
the MP mc. Good thing I brought that assortment of
brake line adapters with me to Korea. The Mopar
Performance master cylinder has even larger outlet
lines than the NYB's.
I get it all together and the brakes are locked up!
Turns out, even with the additional thickness of the
plate, the booster's pushrod is 1/4" too long for the
MP master cylinder.
Out with the Dremel and off with the metal! After a
little cutting, shaping and smoothing I put it all
back together. Brakes have worked fine ever since.
A drawback with this setup for some IMLers is that the
MP mc reservoir is plastic and could conceivably
deteriorate in hot, dry climates such as Phoenix or
Las Vegas. The cast iron NYB mc wouldn't have this
problem.
Footnotes: If you're wanting to avoid the adapter
plate/pushrod gaggle, a Fifth Avenue booster won't
work because it has a much larger diameter and won't
it under the hood. On the other hand the "K" cars
have a booster that looks just right. However, there
are probably hidden fit issues with the K car booster
to firewall holes and the pushrod to brake pedal.
Thus, some brave soul could try a K-car booster with a
Fifth Avenue master cylinder on their parts car.
This could be ideal for you '59 guys because it's
probably easier to make this conversion than to check
your brake fluid level :-)
Chapter Three (2002) and a question!:
Last time I had the car in the air, I noticed that the
rubber wheel cylinder hose lines I replaced in 1995
are starting to deteriorate, probably climatic damage.
I'm gonna go with braided stainless steel/teflon,
race car style. Anyone on the list done this?
At least I shouldn't have to mess with the rest of it,
the silicon fluid seems to have been kind to the
system, except for the Pep Boys mc (It's a doorstop
now) which was probably a POS to start with!
Hope this helps
Steve in Korea
a long way from Pep Boys, or anything else!
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