'66 Mustang drum -> power front disc conversion

I'm planning to convert my '66 Mustang to power-assist front disc brakes. Here's the link to the parts for the mod, from Mustang Depot of Las Vegas:

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Is this a good mod? Is the price ($1029) reasonable? Is Mustang Depot reputable? (Their tech guy I talked to seemed very straightforward and helpful.) How much time should a competent mechanic (not me) require?

Reply to
rw
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I have a 14 yr-old SSBC non-power front disc conversion ($795 back then) and it's been great. The braking difference between drums is amazing, especially the (comparative) lack of fade. The pistons looked brand new on an inspection two years ago ... it was in partial storage, driven just a few times a year. I put the kit went together in an afternoon with only hand tools and a floor jack. A professional shop should get the calipers and rotors on in an hour. The conversion from single reservoir master cylinder to dual reservoir could add some hours depending on the state of your existing lines and if any new lines need to be fabricated. Also, adding a power booster AND dual reservoir master cylinder is not the simplest thing in a '65-'66. There are a few conversions I've seen that could take the better part of a day just for the master cylinder. I haven't seen the exact kit you're contemplating so that might not be a big deal if it has been designed well.

In fact, I'd like to do a power brake conversion, so, if you get the kit, I'd be interested in your opinion of its fitment... some pics of it installed would be nice too. (Don't post them here)

Something to be prepared for are rusted fittings and stripped nuts. Those could be expensive labor-wise.

Check out the hard lines from the master cylinder to the wheels. If they're dented or badly rusted look into getting repro, pre-bent lines before you have the disc brake kit installed. Actually, if the brakes haven't been serviced in a really long time they might be corroded on the inside and new lines might be a good call anyway.

Hope that helps

DP

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Reply to
Dinsdale

SSBC is good... so is Baer, which you might want to check out before deciding. There are one or two more companies with conversions that are in the same ballpark. Front disc is very much worth the conversion. The rear less so. You can actually do the fronts now, and later on do the rear.

I think it's Baer who has an essentially bold in dual reservoir, power assist which requires no pedal alteration.

Price is well in the general ball park for the conversion.

You might, just for the heck of it, call some>I'm planning to convert my '66 Mustang to power-assist front disc

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1965 Ford Mustang fastback 2+2 A Code 289 C4 Trac-Lok Vintage Burgundy w/Black Standard Interior Vintage 40 Wheels 16X8" w/BF Goodrich Comp T/A Radial 225/50ZR16
Reply to
Spike

The kit comes with a dual master cylinder and, supposedly, all the necessary hardware.

Will do.

I've checked those lines out. It looks like they're in good condition, and probably have been replaced.

It does.

BTW, my wife bought this car off a used car lot, and the owner said he bought it at an auction. It's in really cherry pure-stock condition. I found a garage door opener in the glove compartment, so I figure it was a repo. :-)

Poor guy. This must have been his baby.

Reply to
rw

Funny you should ask. I called Mustangs Plus this afternoon and ordered the kit. This week there's an unadvertised special, $50 off each order over $200. That makes it just a little cheaper than Mustang Depot, by about $20. Anyway, the SSBC kit is probably one of the best values around for a street car. Baer Brakes makes a pretty good kit, but you can't use the stock 14" wheels, and they are a little more expensive. Baer is more for racing than simple street driving. It comes with a dual MC, so you have to do a little plumbing. If you look on the inner fender, just a little behind the booster, you'll see the '66 distribution block. I can see that's going to be a problem. There's one line going in, and three lines going out. I'm not really sure how I'm going to work that. But I'm thinking of a T connection for the front lines, placing the adjustable valve there for the rear, and fabricating new lines between there and the MC. The MC is supposed to just drop in to place where the original one is now. We'll see. I think that will be the hardest part of the whole job.

I'm also installing the Flaming River R&P steering kit at the same time. So I spent tonight ripping out all that nasty P/S gear from underneath. What a mess. Tomorrow I'll take out the P/S pump, gear box and column. That should make the MC job a little easier.

Now repeat after me: "There's no such thing as bolt on. There's no such thing as bolt on. There's no such thing......."

Reply to
boB

Hey! Spikey Likes IT!

1965 Ford Mustang fastback 2+2 A Code 289 C4 Trac-Lok Vintage Burgundy w/Black Standard Interior Vintage 40 Wheels 16X8" w/BF Goodrich Comp T/A Radial 225/50ZR16
Reply to
Spike

boB wrote

I put a Trans Am Racing conversion kit on my kids' '65 Mustang a couple years back. Back then it was the only kit a dual reservoir MC and a power booster for a '65-'66. The problem is the distance between the firewall and the shock tower. Now there seem to be many kits with boosters that will fit.

I started with 4-wheel drums and an unassisted single reservoir MC. What I did was use the existing distribution block for the front brakes, putting a pipe plug into the hole for the rears. The rears then go through a proportioning valve, then back into the existing line. I mounted the prop valve on the fender apron, but it's kind of hard to reach. I used at least one of the pre-bent lines that came with the kit, and had to bend at least one line that I got from Kragen's. (Buy three, then take back the ones you don't screw up.)

One other tip you won't be sorry to have done: while you have all this stuff out of the way, fabricate a brace to run from the firewall just beneath the MC to the shock tower. My kids' car has a very noticeable firewall flex when braking, a quarter to a half inch of movement. This causes a very mushy pedal. What I have in mind is a hairpin with two legs attached to the firewall and one leg attached to the shocktower.

The booster's mounting studs may or may not match the holes in your pedal assembly. I had to run a drill through the captured nuts on mine. You will also need several extensions and a U-joint to get a socket on the nuts under the dash.

Good luck. And also don't forget to break in the new brakes properly. They work very poorly when they're brand new. The advice I've seen is a 30/30/30 rule: run up to 30 miles per hour, brake to a stop, wait 30 seconds, do it again, 30 times.

180 Out TS 28
Reply to
180 Out

Reply to
John Smith

Hey guys, I'd like to do this to my '66 also, but why is there no power kit for a manual trans? What part of the stick tranny is in the way, the clutch cable maybe?

Reply to
MajCrash

A stock '66 clutch doesn't have a cable. It's got rods and levers and equalizer bars

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is whatI think gets in the way of the power booster for those discconversions.

But, I believe if you do convert to cable (maybe someone has done that already) or hydraulic clutch those power disc conversion will work. Don't take my word...check with the manufacturer(s)

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DP Pics of the cars:
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Reply to
Dinsdale

I think it's the clutch.

Reply to
rw

I had this very same experience. I converted my 67 with a 4-piston SSB kit in ... 1995 I think. No power booster is needed; the tow-truck-sized pads on the big 4-piston calipers creates enough efficiency that the pedal is a little stiff, but the difference in sheer braking power and modulation (very important, how usable and controllable is that "braking power" throughout the range) was amazing.

Be -sure- to put the proportioning valve in line to the rear drums. The stock 4-wheel-drum distribution block allocates too much pressure to the rears, and can cause early rear lockup under hard braking. Needless to say, this is a safety concern. You can swap ends in a hurry. The adjustable proportioning valve that comes with the kit is a quality unit. Start with where it's set, then change the settings a little bit at a time to your liking.

Once I got comfortable with the system, and had replaced all lines, hoses, did a full rebuild of the rear drums, drove it around a while and checked for leaks, I put it to the test. 80 mph to zero @ impending lockup produced a very strong, sure (and straight) stop with almost no fade, except a little at the end. The rotors in this kit are also big and meaty. That kit was the best $800 I ever spent to increase the performance of my car. If it's $1100 now, it's still worth it. These were OEM Shelby GT parts.

Dinsdale alluded to this, and while you're at it, do the hoses and all the lines, rear drums, shoes, rear adjusters, springs, and everything else you need while you're at it. It makes a world of difference. In two days it will feel like a new car.

So many people spend 5 grand on the motor and don't upgrade the brakes. In top form, the 4 wheel drums are merely adequate for most stock SB Fords of the era, which typically put out a modest 125-175 RWHP. (!)

IMO, you won't go wrong with the SSB kit. Install time for me was about

4 hours with hand tools and jackstands, including putting in new, re-packed bearings with Marine grease. Everything just dropped in.

My idiocy... the bleeder valves go on the top. The 4-piston calipers WILL interchange side to side (found out the hard way).

(SNIPPED CONTENT)

Best of luck

Reply to
Wound Up

I'm leaning toward a non-power-assist conversion. The very experienced mechanic who's doing the work told me he's had trouble with them.

Reply to
rw

He's absolutely right. There will be fewer things to consider, less fuss and less money spent. And trust me, you simply won't need it!

Reply to
Wound Up

That's a pretty good price. I just bought this same kit from Mustangs Plus for just a tad more. This can be a tough conversion. I spent all day yesterday fighting with the MC. The four bolts that attach it to the firewall are a real bear to get to. I had to make a special wrench to get back there. Plan on buying or making new brake lines. Trying to get the old fittings inscrewed without damage was impossible; even after soaking in PB blaster for a week. I ended up cutting the lines. I'll be making new ones today. Bolting the spindle assemblies together was a piece of cake. Both sides took all of 30 minutes. The 4 piston calipers look good.

I'm also installing the Flaming River R&P kit at the same time. So the car won't be road ready for another week, the way things are going.

Reply to
boB

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