John & Big Red,
My mechanic is positive he can swap my single MC for a dual MC. He also outlined the resulting modification that would be necessary to do this. His biggest concern is getting a dual MC that fits into the space of the original and also being able to mount it to the firewall. Was '67 was the first year Imperial had a dual MC? and What year dual MC is the optimum
one to put into a '61 Crown?
OK>>>>>>>>>>>> I assume that your 61 is all around
drums. This is important. You need to get an MC that matches the
car. If it has discs on the front and drums on the back, you need an MC
that matches that. There are different pressure or line pressure
maintenance requirements for discs and drums.
As I say, I assume the 61 is al
around drums. I just made this change to my 58. I used a dual
chamber MC from a 1969 Dodge Charger, which is all around drums. The
backing plate matched exactly, so it was a straight bolt on with no
modifications needed. Good old MOPAR! They had a standard fir for
this stuff. I am assuming your mechanic will be doing the plumbing so no
need to go into all that, but it is relatively simple.
You do not say why you are changing
to a dual MC. If it is just a piece of mind upgrade, I can find no fault
with that. If, however, your brakes have other issues, making the change
before you resolve them may make tracking down the real problem more
difficult. As Arran Foster said yesterday, very wisely, in my opinion,
moving away from original specs will not be a solution in and of itself to
solving any problems.
If your car has been stationary for
a long time, I highly recommend basically replacing all the lines, steel and
flexible, and replacing all your wheel cylinders as well. Brake line and
hoses are cheap, and while the wheel cylinders are not hanging off every parts
store shelf, they are out there and are cheaper, by several magnitudes, than
say, a stay in hospital.
Oops, there I go being overly
dramatic again.
I regret not having completely
replaced all the components on my car. It is what I wanted to do, but
that's a different story. Over time, I have replaced all the wheel
cylinders, all of the flexible hoses and maybe 30% of the lines. I
consider the brakes on my car to be its Achilles heel, and while they are
working now better than ever, I would just feel better if I had stuck to my guns
and gone for a total overhaul.
Allow your mechanic to advise about
what is best in your case. My friend, a former shop owner, who helped me
with my project, nickel and dimed me just about to death. He's a wonderful
man but cared a little too much about saving a penny here, a penny there, than
approaching my car's problems from a systemic point of view. He went
component by component, which just dragged the process out unmercilessly.
Now, I'm just as cheap as the next guy. In fact, having been educated in
Scotland, I have been known to stretch a dollar until the president screams, but
even I was willing to spring for a whole new set of stuff, just to be on the
safe side.
All the best.
Hugh
58 Imperial.
PS. In case you've already
forgotten, here is the one line, three word answer to your
question:
69 Dodge
Charger
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