Classic Mustangs List Archive

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Mail From: Bob Craven (email redacted)

I'm getting ready to replace my '66 manual brake single reservoir master
cylinder with a dual reservoir master cylinder for safety sake. I know
that a '67 Mustang piece will work, but wondered what other choice there
are. I'd like to find a used master cylinder with the distribution block
if I could. I imagine someone has done an upgrade and has an old one
sitting taking up space that they'll never use again. Want to sell it?
So what will work and what have any of you done?
Thanks,
Bob

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Mail From: (email redacted) (email redacted)

Bob, One more tip, Don't use a used Master Cylinder, If it's for safety's sake, Go with a rebuilt one from Raybestos from you local PEP BOYS... There are like $35.00 ... The seals in a used one could be bad, and you'd never know, Plus you have no idea how old the M/C. A Master Cylinder should be changed regularly once every 5 years... Because filled with fluid, It takes about 5 years for the inner seals to deteriorate.

Tony.

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Mail From: (email redacted) (email redacted)

Bob,
> I'm getting ready to replace my '66 manual brake single reservoir master
> cylinder with a dual reservoir master cylinder for safety sake. I know
> that a '67 Mustang piece will work, but wondered what other choice there
> are. I'd like to find a used master cylinder with the distribution block

Assuming you have front drum brakes...

A 71 F100 4 wheel drum master cylinder will bolt up but the push rod
is too long. If you can't find a 67 master cylinder, you might be able
to use the push rod out of your 66 but I haven't done it.

If you can't find a distribution block, a simple 'T' from the front reservoir
to the fronts hard lines and connect the rear line to the rear reservoir
will work.

If you have front discs, a Granada master cylinder will bolt in.

rick

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Mail From: Cliff Koch (email redacted)

(email redacted) wrote:

> Bob, One more tip, Don't use a used Master Cylinder, If it's for
> safety's sake, Go with a rebuilt one from Raybestos from you local
> PEP BOYS... There are like $35.00 ... The seals in a used one could
> be bad, and you'd never know, Plus you have no idea how old the M/C.
> A Master Cylinder should be changed regularly once every 5 years...
> Because filled with fluid, It takes about 5 years for the inner
> seals to deteriorate.

Wha??? I guess I'd better go change the master cylinder on every vehicle I
own, which is a lot of vehcles. Do you sell master cylinders, by chance?

I've had a lot of master cylinders apart. The biggest contributor to
problems in the brake system is moisture and other crud that builds up in the
system. Flushing the system once a year is your best preventative maintenance
on the braking system. I would think changing it out every 5 years would
_increase_ your chances of failure. While I agree that you should not use a
used MC, my experience with the quality of rebuilt parts is the rebuilt part
will probably not outlast a functioning original unless it's a known
weakpoint.

Cliff

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cliff Koch
(email redacted)

This read-only message was archived from a public mail list.
Mail From: (email redacted) (email redacted)

In a message dated 4/7/2001 10:06:54 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
(email redacted) writes:

<< I would think changing it out every 5 years would
_increase_ your chances of failure. While I agree that you should not use a
used MC, my experience with the quality of rebuilt parts is the rebuilt part
will probably not outlast a functioning original unless it's a known
weakpoint. >>


Wrong. You should change you Master Cylinder every 5 years or so.. That's
how long the lifetime of the seals last. Ask any good mechanic, and he will
tell you the same thing.. And just to let you know, Recycling fluid in your
reservoir is a waste of time.. To do any good, You have to flush your
entire system which should be done once every 2 1/2 years if you care about
your car... A rebuilt master cylinder by any decent manufacturer is just as
good as a brand new one...

Tony.

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Mail From: Keven Coates (email redacted)

I haven't been following this thread much, but I wanted to add my
experiences with rebuilt master cylinders.

I use my '68 coupe every day. I put about 12,000 miles on it/year, and I've
gone through at least 3 master cylinders in the time I've had it (about nine
years). I've also had a lot of experience with rebuilts on similar cars
('76 Merc Monarch).

I've found that the ones I've bought usually have problems quickly. I've
seen them rusty in the box before I get them out of the auto parts store (of
course, I didn't buy that one)! They usually are poorly remanufactured, and
they last a small fraction of what the originals did, and usually contribute
significantly to the large pedal travel that plagues these cars. A large
percentage of these master cylinders failed within two years, and the
failure mode was almost always internal master cylinder leakage.

This goes without saying, but my opinion is that people should only buy
remanufactured units from known good manufacturers like Bendix, Wagner, etc.
Don't buy whatever the auto parts store sells on the advice of someone
there. Companies that OEM braking systems probably rebuild to original
specs, but many others do not. I'd almost bet that most of the cheaper ones
just put in new seals regardless of bore condition.

If you order from a mail order parts place, ask them who makes their master
cylinders, and if it isn't a name you trust, look elsewhere. Hi-Lo used to
sell really cheesy ones, and not all the lifetime guaranteed ones are good
either (it's all in the name, not the guarantee!).

I finally found a good master cylinder (from Bendix I think), and when it
fails, I'm probably going to try to rebuild it myself. I don't want to lose
this one!

Keven Coates
'68 T-5 Mustang daily driver

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Mail From: Cliff Koch (email redacted)

> Wrong. You should change you Master Cylinder every 5 years or so.. That's
> how long the lifetime of the seals last.

Source of information, please? Anecdotes of "good" mechanics doesn't count.

> Ask any good mechanic, and he will
> tell you the same thing..

I've never met a good mechanic. I hear they're out there, but I've never
come across one. I've found mechanics to be a major sources of
mis-information about many things.

> And just to let you know, Recycling fluid in your
> reservoir is a waste of time.. To do any good, You have to flush your
> entire system which should be done once every 2 1/2 years if you care about
> your car...

I'll agree with you here. I flush my braking systems once a year. My
racing buddies do it before every race (the serious ones, at least). Too much
crap collects in the low points of the braking system that just replacing the
MC fluid won't get rid of.

> A rebuilt master cylinder by any decent manufacturer is just as
> good as a brand new one...

Not my experience. I've received two bad rebuilt master cylinders out of
the box. I believe one of them was Bendix (at least that's what the box said,
god knows what was actually in the box). I'm not sure I've ever seen any sort
of rebuilt item that I thought was back to OEM quality.

Cliff

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Mail From: (email redacted) (email redacted)

Take it from me, I've done this Dual Master conversion twice, and ready to do it a third time on a 64 1/2 convertable that I'm picking up. I suggest NOT to use the '67 Mustang Dual cylinder, and instead, Use the Dual Master from a 1969 Ford Falcon. The Falcon Dual Master is perfect because both reservoirs are equal, unlike the '67 Mustang, and the bore and rod length are exactly the same as 65-66 Mustang. The 1969 Ford Falcon Master is the wasy to go. Also, You will need a 1967-1970 Dual Master distribution Block.. They are availble from NPD, but for some reason NPD markets them as Disc Brake distribution blocks...Don't know why they do this, but they have them at $69.99 if you can't find one at a junkyard for $20 or so....
Your existing rear line is unbolted from the old distribution block and left alone, All you need to do is creat new front Brake lines.. And whallla...

Dual Master Conversion Complete..

You can e-mail me with any questions...

(email redacted)

Tony.