I am in the process of getting my truck going and stopping, have not succeeded in either yet... I bought all the stuff to do the brakes, but before I install the Brake Master, I'm wondering if I should do the Dual Master Conversion. And if so, do I need to decide now whether I am going to stay with drums up front, or switch to disc? What adapter and master is recommended? And finally, do I need a proportioning valve?

Thank you for your support. I looked at some of the brake threads, but they were kind of confusing or over my head. I need brake conversion for dummies.

 

I would go with the dual MC for sure, you can stay with drum/drum for starters and see how you like it. Then if you decide to upgrade to disks in front you can add the proportioning valve.

 

I would also go with the dual master. If you have the front or back go out you will have the other and not loose all your brakes. I was driving a 64 Falcon and was coming off a hill, cars in front of me a red light and no brakes. Lucky for me there was store on the left I made a dash to, but not before I hit the curb and had a flat tire. Better than an accident!! I had a pinch mark on the drivers seat, no big deal!

 

If im not mistaken, i thought i read a thread that you can use a late sixties mustang master cylinder because it had the same size bolt pattern to fit to the fire wall and have the safety of the separation between the front and rear reservoirs. When is it necessary to need a proportioning valve? Is it when you have the two separate reservoirs, or when you go to disks up front?

 

There is a lot of merit to the dual reservoir, but like Teddy said, you may want to try the OEM drum/drum (easiest route to brakes) and see how you like it. I have always been a proponent of brake maintenance which means frequent adjustment (usually during oil changes) and just as importantly, keeping the emergency brake in good working order. Consequently, my '58 with the original set up stops just fine and with a well adjusted emergency/park brake, I have no fear of a hydraulic brake failure.

 

If somebody wanted, couldn't they keep the drum / drum and switch to the late sixties mustang manual dual reservoir?

 

Up until the end of 1966, all domestic U.S vehicle manufacturers used single reservoir MCs. In 1967, federal regulations mandated that tandem MCs be installed. This is also when the brake pressure differential valve came into being. It sensed for an equal balance in brake system pressures between the primary (front) and secondary (rear) brake circuits. If there was a brake component failure where brake fluid/pressure were lost, a valve spool inside the valve assembly would shift to the circuit with the least pressure. This would close the contacts on the switch sticking out of the valve body and turn on a brake warning light on the dash.



'68 and later 2-wire brake warning light switch circuit (1967 only had a 1-wire pressure differential warning switch).





All '67-'72 F100s only came from the factory with 4-wheel drums (power [drum] brakes was optional). In 1968 ('68-'72), F250 and F350 trucks were optionally available with factory front discs (manual disc brakes standard, power disc brakes optional). These disc/drum trucks used the very same pressure differential valves as what was installed on the drum/drum trucks. The only difference with the optional front discs was the addition of a stand-alone metering (hold-off) valve plumbed inline to the front brake circuit.

In 1973, all F100 through F350 trucks came standard with factory installed front disc brakes (power brakes optional).

In 1973, Ford combined 3 functions into one brake valve assembly: Metering (hold-off) to the front discs, Pressure Differential sensing between the primary and secondary brake circuits and for the first time Proportioning to the rear drums (no truck with factory front discs prior to 1973 came with a proportioning function in the brake valve).

'73-'79 cast iron Kelsey-Hayes metering, pressure differential, proportioning valve for trucks under 6,800 GVW.



Weatherhead brass metering, pressure differential, proportioning valve for '73-'79 trucks over 6,800 GVW.



Proportioning is not used on a vehicle with all-wheel drums.


'67-'72 F100s also came with a 1.00" bore tandem MC. Whatever MC you use, you MAY have to swap your old pushrod over from your old MC.