So I accidentally jumped threads, and posted in another, that I would be grateful if you would elaborate on the fender mounted brake booster in your '63. I have seen a '66 work truck with a slightly different configuration Bendix unit mounted low on the drivers side inner fender, and also seen something like it in a photo from under the cab of a truck I was looking at online, but have to admit, I don't know anything more than that.

 

This is my only vintage vehicle with power brakes, ever, so I am far from an expert. Power brake boosters started as separate units for boosting the stock brakes. I remember reading about the restoration of a booster for a late 20s American luxury car that used a chain to provide the extra pull for the brake cross shaft. There were several odd and/or complicated booster designs before the modern booster design became commonplace. One of the common setups is what is commonly known as hydrovac. These are vacuum powered boosters plumbed in between the regular master cylinder and the wheel cylinders. They have internal valving that controls vacuum to the booster based on internal brake fluid pressure. In the case of a dual master cylinder then two boosters can be used, one for each line coming out of the master cylinder. These have internal bypass valves so if the booster doesn't activate to make more line pressure then the brakes work just like if they were not boosted.

The booster on my truck was installed by the original owner, who was a resourceful type of guy. I don't know if he bought a kit, or put the system together himself. The booster is the same model unit that was used in the mid fifties on Fords when power brakes were optioned. If you look under enough hoods from of 55-56-57 Thunderbirds then sooner or later you will see one. The unit on my truck was deteriorated and I pondered getting rid of it and returning to regular drum brakes on the truck. I decided to keep the booster since the original owner decided he needed it for trailer towing and general truck use. There is only one video on youtube, this one, where one of these units is refurbished using a kit from Harmon Classic Brakes:
The video is a nice step by step walk through that showed no need for exotic tools or measuring equipment. I got a kit and proceeded to disassemble my brake booster, only to find pitting in the bores. I got a second opinion from a friend of mine with a lot of mechanical experience and he also thought it was too pitted for good results. As the British say, in for a penny in for a pound, so I had the bores sleeved. I repainted just the cast iron body, and just cleaned up the rest. Here are a few pictures of the process on my unit. I wouldn't recommend doing this to a truck that lacks power brakes, but I am happy with the result on my truck to keep it functional.

 

Very cool refurbishment, thanks for sharing. What caught my attention was the original master, and then what looks similar to a dual mater attached to the booster (probably not a dual, but similar in length and overall look to my old BMW dual master cylinders with separate brake fluid reservoir). I have been intrigued, because I have from time to time read about folks having clearance problems with their big blocks, and close proximity with upgraded break boosters mounted on the firewall. In a few weeks, when I am back in the States, I will be on the search for parts to upgrade my '66 to disk brakes, and while I don't think I specifically need power brakes, I suspect it would be foolish to not just go ahead and complete the upgrade, as the original master cylinder, I suspect won't work with the the extra fluid need front calibers will require.

Anyway, thanks for explaining the system and great job on keeping the old system going. I like how you are keeping it more or less the way the PO set things up. In my humble opinion, it adds to the heritage and providence your truck has, since you also have a complete history of ownership.

 

Fred, what is the double spring thingy near your booster?

 

I'll take a guess that's a rheostat for trailer brakes.

 

Exactly, it is a rheostat for trailer brakes. The old brake controller had a line from the master cylinder output to the controller. I don't trust the 50+ year old seals in the controller, so I removed the old controller. I haven't removed the rheostat yet, it is one of many old added electrical devices I will slowly delete from the truck.

 

Shifter repair question: has anyone replaced the shift tube inside the steering column without removing the column and steering box from the truck?
I have a NOS shift tube I need to install and I would like to know how big a project I have ahead of me.

 

A small amount of progress has been made on the truck.
On the radiator I swapped the overflow nipple out for one with a smaller diameter hose size that matches the overflow bottle I installed.
I installed a new bearing in the idler pulley for the A/C belt. While installing the new bearing I confirmed that the brackets and pulleys are not Ford parts, but are aftermarket copies of the factory A/C setup. There are no Ford markings in the idler pulley or bracket.
A new A/C compressor got the oil swapped to be compatible with R134, and with a bit trial and error an orientation was found that lines up the compressor with the crank and idler pulleys. I have a belt on order, interesting it is the size listed on RockAuto as an A/C belt for 1963 F-100 with 292. I don't know why RockAuto has an A/C belt listed for my truck, but it is convenient that the size listed matches my setup.



Question, has anyone seen a factory A/C setup on one of these trucks? The parts catalogs and sales literature have images of the setup, but I don't remember ever seeing one of these, even in pictures.

 

Wow, I have also never seen something like that on a smaller light duty truck. On the big trucks, yes, not quite what is in your brochure photo, but roof mounted for sure.