disk brake conversion:

bulldogchesty

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I have my 68 Newport that I am converting to disk brakes, thanks to Mikebee, from his 73 Fury. It didn't come with the M/C or brake booster. Should I look for them for my 68 Newport with disk brakes or for the 73 Fury I got them from? Thanks all.:eek:ccasion14:
 
You need the dual diaphragm booster from a 66-68 c body. The master cylinder needs to be from a disc brake car. The reason for those years and not later is the boosters had grown, and with a column shift car you can't go into low gear with the later booster in an earlier car. I'd get a 73 disc brake master cylinder. It bolts up the same as your drum one but it's bigger to handle the demand of the disc brakes
 
Hey Bulldog, I just bought an Autozone Duralast NM1628 master, C508 & C509 calipers and D39 pads for $116.02 total shipped to my door.I am using a setup from a '72 Fury (2 pc rotors) that I got for $100 plus shipping. This is same basic master that is used on the drum booster when converting to disc/drum from all power drums 1 1/32" bore like Saylor used on his ECI kit. This is a new master with lifetime warrantee, not rebuilt. 20% off coupon plus free shipping plus lifetime beats Rockauto all to hell. The code is "SHINE"

NM1628 side.jpg


NM1628.jpg
 
Here is the quote from Saylor's thread......"I just talked to ralph @ eci - he said my existing drum power booster is good, and just bolt on a dual MC disc/drum model from a mid-late 70s chrysler that fits, with 1 1/32 bore, and rock on."...... After completed install........ "so it feels really different with new front discs and rebuilt drums. its not as hard/firm as it was,, the pedal effort is overall easier and maybe travels down a bit more than before. but it freaking stops. pedal may be different b/c the change from stock dual drum MC to disc/drum MC - I have no idea what the stock bore was, but the MC I have on is 1 1/32 bore." http://www.forcbodiesonly.com/mopar-forum/showthread.php?6702-ECI-c-body-brake-kit&highlight=brakes You don't need a new booster.
 
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I'm following this post because I'm planning to do the same to my 68 Fury. I want to convert it to four wheel disc brakes, replace the ugly master cylinder and booster, and also change out all the suspension bushings. The front end feels like a combination of well preserved original and standard service replacement parts. I want to make it all new again and get rid of the sloppy bounce and drift that it has.
 
I got the one I am using on my Challenger from rock auto and it was for a 71 Newport with a 1 1/32 bore.
 
I can't speak for eci on what can, and what can't be used. There kit is a hybrid. It uses gm components. The swap bulldogchesty is doing is a 73 Chrysler c body disc. In the factory disc brake application they require a dual diaphragm booster because in a panic stop instance the single diaphragm doesn't have enough power to fully push the calipers. Yes a single diaphragm will sorta work. And it may do fine for eci. Why do you think Chrysler Corp disc c bodys had a dual diaphragm booster. When it comes to brakes you want as much stopping power as possible.



Here is the quote from Saylor's thread......"I just talked to ralph @ eci - he said my existing drum power booster is good, and just bolt on a dual MC disc/drum model from a mid-late 70s chrysler that fits, with 1 1/32 bore, and rock on."...... After completed install........ "so it feels really different with new front discs and rebuilt drums. its not as hard/firm as it was,, the pedal effort is overall easier and maybe travels down a bit more than before. but it freaking stops. pedal may be different b/c the change from stock dual drum MC to disc/drum MC - I have no idea what the stock bore was, but the MC I have on is 1 1/32 bore." http://www.forcbodiesonly.com/mopar-forum/showthread.php?6702-ECI-c-body-brake-kit&highlight=brakes You don't need a new booster.
 
i wouldnt put the effort to change the rears to disc, unless you just want to.

and +1 to jason - if a mopar replacement part fits use that first before altering stuff.

- saylor
 
image.jpgThe dual master cylinder is really easy to plumb and a huge increase in safety. I agree on the front disc rear drum school of thought. Purchase a premium 11 x 2 1/2 shoe and make sure the drums are square and you should be good. The front disc conversion is easily done with all Mopar components. See the Disc-o Tech article every where on the internet for the complete how to. Also remember that you can decrease pedal pressure needed by reducing the bore of your rear wheel cylinders once you change out the MC. If you have clearance issues with a different booster use an "A" body 6 cyl spacer bracket to move the booster away from the fire wall, bolt pattern is the same.

image.jpg
 
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I can't speak for eci on what can, and what can't be used. There kit is a hybrid. It uses gm components. The swap bulldogchesty is doing is a 73 Chrysler c body disc. In the factory disc brake application they require a dual diaphragm booster because in a panic stop instance the single diaphragm doesn't have enough power to fully push the calipers. Yes a single diaphragm will sorta work. And it may do fine for eci. Why do you think Chrysler Corp disc c bodys had a dual diaphragm booster. When it comes to brakes you want as much stopping power as possible.
I tend to disagree with the premise that you need a dual diaphragm booster. ECI kit or OEM it's just hydraulics. As I recall, the caliper piston diameters are about equal. Going from a 1 1/8" bore to a 1 1/32" bore will compensate for the drum booster. Then you can tune the brakes with a Wilwood valve and playing with the size of the rear wheel cylinders. Just my opinion. I am doing this swap as I finally will have my Newport in the air by this weekend. If I could find a manual brake pedal cheap and it wasn't such a PITA to change I would have picked up a 15/16" MC and eliminate the booster altogether.
 
good luck with the change over......sounds like you're on the right track here with good info.

thanks again.

mike bee
 
I tend to disagree with the premise that you need a dual diaphragm booster. ECI kit or OEM it's just hydraulics. As I recall, the caliper piston diameters are about equal. Going from a 1 1/8" bore to a 1 1/32" bore will compensate for the drum booster. Then you can tune the brakes with a Wilwood valve and playing with the size of the rear wheel cylinders. Just my opinion. I am doing this swap as I finally will have my Newport in the air by this weekend. If I could find a manual brake pedal cheap and it wasn't such a PITA to change I would have picked up a 15/16" MC and eliminate the booster altogether.


The reason the ECI kit will work with the single booster is because the pistons in the GM calipers are larger than the Mopar ones. Don't quote me but I think they are about 20% larger. This means you get the same clamping force with less hydraulic pressure.

I met Ralph the owner at Carlisle years ago and was teasing him about his GM parts on a Mopar and he explained that he chose the GM calipers not only because they were cheap and plentiful but because of the hydraulic advantage, the kit was truly bolt on and didn't require any other changes like the booster etc.

Kevin
 
I believe they are both 2.75" bore not sure how that translates into a advantage.
I understood that they were about equal in area also. If this doesn't work, you guys will be the first to know. Finished my lift install tonight...car will be up in the air tomorrow, the good lord willin' and the crick don't rise.:eek:ccasion14:

maxjax install 001.jpg
 
I just looked up the "early" GM D52 caliper. 2 15/16".

Maybe a 2 15/16" piston with a 15/16" MC and single booster equals the hydraulic pressure of the tandem booster with 2.75" caliper piston and an 1 1/8" MC?

Kevin
 
So far I am hearing that I'll need a dual diaphragm booster, and that the Mopar part for disc equipped cars will interchange the same as the one for drums? Should I just ask (at the counter) for a standard replacement booster for a factory disc-optioned car? And ditto for the master cylinder?
 
Boosters are hard to get. Good luck finding one that fits at any auto parts. I lucked out and grabbed a new one (Bendix type) for my 65 Newport on rockauto for $70 (clearance). Usually, you must try somewhere like "Booster Dewey" and pay $300. I have not seen rebuild kits. If desperate, you could drill holes to fit another booster to your "booster plate". I had a Midland-Ross booster from a 74 Dart that looked just like the one (replaced once) on my 65 Newport, but the bolt pattern on firewall side was different. I drilled 3 holes and made it work, but one hole was in a rippled area. I later got the correct booster (above) and sold the Dart one. I also tried fixing my original M-R booster. I bought neoprene sheet (ebay) and made a new rubber diaphragm (mine had a hole right @ vac port, though I had used a fuel vapor filter). It works when tested off-car w/ vacuum, but not confident the rubber will last long (haven't installed). Another data point, the booster on a 95-99 Breeze or LH cars has bolts real close to a Dart, since I mounted one on Dart stand-off brackets (photo above) to use on my 65 Dart w/ just a little rat-tail filing. Indeed, they are closer together in width so might have fit better on my Newport's plate. If willing to use A-body stand-off brackets on your C, you can buy a booster w/ MC & brackets for ~$170 on ebay. It uses some GM parts. That would help insure you clear after-market parts (valve cover, headers).

Once you have a booster, the MC is easy. Any 4-bolt Mopar MC will bolt up. If you dont like rust and weight, use any 2-bolt MC w/ 2-4 bolt adapter ($30 ebay). Many use an 80's Dodge truck MC. I used a 95-99 Breeze w/ ABS MC on my 65 Newport's booster. Disk/drum MC's have a larger reservoir for the fronts (aft of MC) or later MC's have a shared reservoir. Bore size is preference. 1-1/8"D (above) sounds large, but depends on the caliper too. Most A-body guys use 15/16"D for an easier pedal (at expense of more travel). My C-body has a 7/8"D and the pedal barely travels. With the booster it stops "authoritatively" w/ drum brakes, but would be about right w/ front disks. Insure you install a proportioning valve in-line w/ rear drums or the rear will lock-up first and cause the car to spin out. Adjustable ones are just <$30 on ebay.
 
The dual diaphragm booster can be bought a few ways. One get a good core, and have booster Dewey rebuilt it. 2 get a core, and order one of booster dewey already built ones. You'd send him your core so you don't get charged the core fee. 3 find a good used one. That's a pig, or a poke there.
 
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