...and there were brakes. The '93 Cobra M/C came today, so I installed it. Job went so-so, except I broke a brake line off (left front, at brake hose fitting) when I gave it a little too much English trying to bend it into my home-made 2-into-3 adapter.
I used a trick learned in the model car thread to make one short section (that goes from the prop valve to the splitter - it was too short to fit into my tubing bender) - I filled the 2" section of brake line with sand from my sandblaster, mounted it in the bench vice with one end threaded into an old prop valve, grabbed the other end with pliers, then bent it. No kinks :D
I also learned that the non-TC prop valve is completely different from the TC one. You may recall my other thread with the diagrams illustrating that the front brake portion of the prop valve is just an empty cavity. Not so the non-TC one - it had a spring and plunger in it just like the rear brake portion, and there was a passage between the front & rear sections. I removed the V8 prop valve and used the TC one for now, until I decide to get an adjustable one. I also ended up having to put a new flared nut on the rear brake line that goes from the M/C to the prop valve. The TC prop valve requires a bigger nut (but still uses 3/16 line for the input). Glad I saved it off the ol' TC...
Wish I'd known about that salt trick back when i was doing the brake conversion on my car. I needed some tighter bends than my tubing bender would do.
All drum-brake prop valves have that :hick:
There's a very good article in the newest Car Craft about just that. A blown Buick was going slow at the strip and he ate the rear discs (converted obliviously) in 1500 miles. They figured out he still had the stock (front disc/rear drum) prop valve and the spring bleeder was keeping the rear discs "on". Changed out the rear rotors and pads, aftermarket prop valve, and voila'! No more problems and faster ET's. :D Imagine if it had been a 4-wheel-drum car :hick:
I'm having a real rough time with this part.
Much of my problem is due to lack of time to get to it and stay on it to completion. I spend some time on it one day then don't get a chance to look at it again for a week.
Anyway.. I found a diagram that shows what you’re talking about on the non-TC valve. I’m Going to post it in the other thread with the rest of the diagrams.
I think I have a way of matching everything up to the cobra master except the driver’s side line where I think if I replace the entire line I may be able to match it up.
Problem I have been running accost is finding adaptors t-fittings, etc for threads and flares to get everything to fit… it’s been a nightmare! Right now the only “T” I could find screws into the master and has one flare and one bubble outlet Line I found to adapt that to the passenger brake uses the bubble outlet and that leaves the flare outlet for the drivers side. Everything I find is a Bubble end. I looked at Napa, Car Quest, Baxter, Shucks, and even True value hardware (actually found this to be a good source) and can’t find a simple bubble to flare adaptor.
I need flare on both ends, so going back to True Value and seeing if they have a whole pipe flare on both ends that I can bend to fit.
What a PITA!!
About ready to gut the whole thing and run new lines everywhere. Only thing stopping me is where the hell would I find time for that??
Jim, they have unions to adapt a male bubble flare to a male standard flare. I found one at Advance Auto Parts after some digging through their adapter drawer.
Uh, I think he said
sand. I wouldnt use salt.
vinny used salt in the model car thread
Ok tried got the Prop valve off the parts TC, that put me in worse shape than I was as nothing I had would screw into it, Sped the whole Prop Valve Idea as rumor has it with all disk there little if any need for a prop valve (going to prove it to myself under controlled cirspoogestances first, no worries!! See further down this message) Managed to get a complete 20” ready made line that connected my drivers side front to the T fitting I got for the master from True Value Hardware (told ya they were great) only to find out the coupler I had for the passenger side front was bubble to bubble and one end was Flare so it wouldn’t work. We don’t have any “Advance Auto Parts” stores around here but we do have an Autozone. They were able to adapt one side of the coupler to flare (nope couldn’t replace it with a bubble to flare coupler). And that put passenger side together.
A Chain of like 3 adapter pieces put’s the rear together and it’s all sealed up I believe. Used 2 of those new fangled one man bleed valves (those ROCK!) and got most of the air out but found a few leaks that caused some air to get through so have a bit more bleeding to do (ran out of fluid)
It DOES have some brakes now anyway. Not enough to be driving it to work but enough to putt it around the driveway. And to the car wash 3 blocks away.
Tested the “No Prop” theory by trying to lock up the back brakes at about 25mph on wet pavement, Front lock up but no rear. This COULD be due to still needing some more bleeding so hopping to be able to get to that tomorrow (Monday) after work, until then I’m still not going to trust it. Going to pick up 2 more bleeders and some more fluid tonight.
But I also have a list of things the builders need to that is higher priority so not sure when I’ll get a chance to finish it up.
Get these brakes worked out then it’s into the shop for an alignment.