my Florida dream garage project

[LutzTD]

merry Christmas , did finally get the booster in the mustang. the new one just wouldn't go into the mounting holes. ended up making a template from the old one and found the new one had a larger center diameter. looked the same, so didn't notice it. took a little drum sanding on the center hole in the firewall and the booster is in place. hopefully I can finally get some progress on that project

 

[don long]

Merry Christmas

 

[shortykorte]

Merry Christmas!!!

 

[LutzTD]

been slow progress but progress none the less on the Mustang. after getting the booster installed and the master installed I tried the power bleeder I bought a while back. of course the adapter kit is missing a part. I struggled with this for a while before I realized it. So I made a replacement for the missing piece out of wood and tried that. unfortunately the plastic adapter plate is bending and leaking, which defeats the whole purpose. I ordered an aluminum adapter from amazon. I did bleed the master though. next I decided to get the inside work done as that is the most stressful. I bought a new brake switch since I was there and also a bushing kit. spent about 2 hrs getting the brake switch installed (not consecutive) I had to get in and out several (multi several I think) to change tools and strategies but finally I got it. I hooked up the battery and the brake light is on. So I got it back off and looked at the old versus new a little closer, they are identical. so I think the new booster pushrod is a little different. I contacted the vender to see if they could recommend a switch that woks with the booster. no reply. So I took the new switch and started lengthening the hole so the switch would rest in the off position. the hole started at .565. I knew it needed a lot because I could feel it compressing when I install it so I started with removing about .025, then another .010, then another .005 or so. Each tme I had to install it to try it out, but after a few attempts i got it to function correctly. the aluminum bleeder adapter also showed up. I had to fool around with fittings but got it ready to bleed tomorrow.

 

[LutzTD]

one more pic

 

[Geoff289]

I had all sorts of trouble with that original style brake light switch in my '66. I ended up replacing it with a microswitch actuated by the pedal arm. It works great.

 

[Bob Heine]

@LutzTD, I started out with an olive jar and some hose to bleed the brakes in my cars. Bought a pressure bleeder in 1977 to do the brakes on my '69 Corvette. Tried the hand vacuum pump, followed by a Motive kit to take care of all the cars. I always had leakage at the adapter so I tried the Speedi Bleed pressure system (40 psi max!). It sealed fine while I was watching it up top but let loose when I cracked a bleeder on the front caliper.



Thank goodness I only filled that bottle half way. There was still a lot of Zep and water to get the brake fluid off the painted parts under the hood.

I ended up with the Four Uncles knockoff vacuum bleeder and I seem to spill less brake fluid. Not no brake fluid but less. It can **** all the fluid out of the master cylinder with the strainer hose to start then clamp the bottle of fresh brake fluid to the reservoir, open the valve and **** the fluid out at the calipers/cylinders with the hose for that job without having to worry about the reservoir going dry or blowing brake fluid everywhere. All the old brake fluid ends up in the big bucket

I kept all the miracle brake fluid gizmos except for that red metal pressure pot in the second photo. It was near impossible to empty and clean the aged-out brake fluid, especially the hose with the quick-connect.

 

[LutzTD]

thanx Bob, yeah, first I have to remind everyone I am hard headed and hate to admit defeat. but even with the aluminum adapter the pressure bleeder leaked. i also added a pressure hose fitting to an extra reservoir cap, but turns out they have a purposeful leak path so that also did not work. OK I'm done, had to try it, so back the old standby which was always the one man bleeder or vacuum. I have Griots garage vacuum, but I used it one time and it no longer pumps vacuum. this time I just bought a couple bottles and will make my own system with a mityvac, which I have had for 20-25 years and always works. I did also buy an auto fill gravity fill bottle which was always the danger for me of running the reservoir dry. I know this seems like an aweful lot of effort just to bleed brakes, but i really wanted the pressure bleed to work and in the end just as you say, even had it finally worked it is still by far the messiest solution. the pressure vessel is also as you say, very hard to clean and it also ruined my fluid (water absorbed) very quickly. I may gut it and make it a vacuum cannister.

 

[LutzTD]

good news, I dug out my Griot's garage fluid extractor and it is pulling a vacuum, it didn't work last time I checked but that may have been a case of operator error. so I hope tomorrow is the day I can finally wrap up the brake R&R

 

[LutzTD]

got everything set up, then worked about an hour trying to get the passenger side rear to bleed, no joy. Finally, to test the setup I tried the driver side rear and it worked as expected. I removed the bleed screw and it is open, so there is something blocking fluid on that side. since the line is brand new I am pretty sure it is the wheel cylinder. I have one already on hand that was ordered with some other parts, but did not have the time to tear down the drum and brake hardware to maybe find another issue.... still want to get it on the road this week.

 

[LutzTD]

pulled the passenger side apart and replaced the wheel cylinder. I pulled the line and sucked fluid through to make sure it is open. I had bought a set of wheel cylinders earlier expecting to use them, I even found the proper pass side one so the line is out of the back angled flat the old one was a driver side so the line was in front when mounted on the passenger side. the driver side are the cheapest and many no longer have the pass side. the self adjuster is seized, so I put all the hardware in the sonic cleaner. first pass did not free it up. I am likely just going to buy hardware kits and pads for both sides "now that i am in there" 2nd pass did free up the adjuster, but the new parts are fresh zinc coated so likely I will await those parts and new pads to reassemble.

 

[shortykorte]

Looks like way to much fun for me.

 

[gilr]

Any updates?? Hope all is ok.

 

[LutzTD]

wow, last post was Jan25. it has been over a year..... feeling better now, may see me a little more

 

[Chrisb62]

wow, last post was Jan25. it has been over a year..... feeling better now, may see me a little more

Wondered where you went!
Welcome back…

 

[LutzTD]

current project is to finish this old parallelogram lift. This is pretty heavy duty like most older machines. I got this quite a while ago and tore it apart and started stripping it with a sander.. then I was out for a while so it has been sitting in the way in my shop since last year. So this is first so i can get it either in a better storage place or sold. I dragged it outside to sandblast. i bought a midrise snap on to use where this one was originally meant to be used with my Mustang, so I just want to get it sandblasted, painted and functional then I can lean it up on a wall or sell it. I got this sandblast pot from marketplace at about 1/2 price of new. came with a couple bags of media and a soda blaster so not too bad.

 

[rixtrix1]

wow, last post was Jan25. it has been over a year..... feeling better now, may see me a little more

I know the feeling. Wishing you the best! Hoping to get back soon myself...