The Great Pumpkin - '71 Duster
Started on the brakes this weekend and so far things are going pretty well. I'm a nut when it comes to plumbing. I like the lines straight and sanitary. Keeping the exposed parts of the lines out of harms way is tough since there is lots of stuff in the way and the bends can get pretty complex over longer runs. Takes planning, patience and a lot of do-overs.
This time around I started with a Wilwood combination distribution block/prop valve thing. Last year I purchased a new set of (regular steel) OE lines to re-do the brakes again but I didn't get too far with them before I threw in the towel and decided to do it myself. I should have known but trying to make the OE brake line routing work with the Wilwood valve is an exercise in futility.
Last time I did the brake lines (2014 I think) I used pre-made OE-style lines with stainless fittings for 'ease of installation' but wound up altering half of them for one reason or another - frame connectors, headers, etc. I was never happy with the cobbled together result. BTW, based on my experiences with crazy leaks, I will never use stainless brake fittings again.
The main reason I used the Wilwood valve is that it gets the OE brass distribution block off the frame rail. I hated dealing with that thing, just seemed like it was in the worst place possible. Routing lines any other way except factory original was nearly impossible. Using the valve creates more room and makes successful, cleaner routing easier.
Here's the valve with the lines running off the outlets. Again, it's difficult to adapt factory-style lines to this valve.
Here's the left front line, no longer running under the frame. The existing hole in the inner fender seemed like it was there for this exact purpose.
As an aside, last summer a friend and I went to Detroit and we went to a buddy's house who also happens to be a pretty good racer. He's been doing it for a long time and has a really clean and fast car. I got to look at it up close and noticed that he ran his RF brake line around the front of the engine bay instead of across the firewall like normal. The reasoning behind that method is it keeps the line from being cut if there's a trans explosion. Additionally, a track tech guy once told me I needed to get the OE line off the firewall as well so I thought I should look into doing mine that way.
I hemmed and hawed about running it in front for months. After I got the left front line done the other day it helped me envision how the rest of the front lines should be and I went for it. Yeah, it's unusual to do it like this in a street application for sure. Now that I'm aware of it though, I see more race cars with the RF lines across the front so it's not that out of left field. It's way more work but it will be sanitary and safer in the end. I am about halfway done with it right now, have some fittings on order to complete the job.
The car is on the lift so I'm able to stand in the engine bay and take these shots.
The initial idea was to run the line under the radiator but I didn't feel comfortable with that. It will go through the firewall and run along the bottom of the radiator support opening and over to the right side. Yes, there will be more connection points and more holes in the rad support but I'm using AN fittings with 37ยบ flares so the chances of leaks are slim to none. There will be clips to hold the lines to the sheet metal.
Started fleshing out the rear lines as well. As you may have noticed in the first pic, I put a 10lb residual pressure valve inline just off the master cylinder rear outlet. After the r.p.v. a Line Lock will be plumbed into the rear brakes. Now before anyone's head explodes, yes, a Line Lock can be be used in the rear brakes. The solenoid is plumbed in reverse so it "blocks" the rear brakes from applying as opposed to "holding" the fronts like normal. Doing it this way allows the rears to spin free while holding the car with the front brakes during a burnout. Once you finish your burnout, you release the solenoid and you have full 4 wheel brakes. The fronts do 80% of the braking in disc brake systems anyway so you have much more control. I read somewhere that Bob Mazzolini does his this way. Makes sense to me.
Here's the rear line coming off the master cylinder. It will attach to a through-frame bulkhead fitting at the cross member. I will put spring guard on it before it gets flared.
Here's the Roll Control. I made a bracket that bolts to the OE line clip tab. The switch wiring will run up through the floor.
One small concern is the proximity of the rear flex hose to the exhaust. It's a couple inches away but it's closer than I'd like. I'd like to get a heat sleeve or wrap around it. Ultimately it may be easier to use a braided line here.
More to come.
Started on the brakes this weekend and so far things are going pretty well. I'm a nut when it comes to plumbing. I like the lines straight and sanitary. Keeping the exposed parts of the lines out of harms way is tough since there is lots of stuff in the way and the bends can get pretty complex over longer runs. Takes planning, patience and a lot of do-overs.
This time around I started with a Wilwood combination distribution block/prop valve thing. Last year I purchased a new set of (regular steel) OE lines to re-do the brakes again but I didn't get too far with them before I threw in the towel and decided to do it myself. I should have known but trying to make the OE brake line routing work with the Wilwood valve is an exercise in futility.
Last time I did the brake lines (2014 I think) I used pre-made OE-style lines with stainless fittings for 'ease of installation' but wound up altering half of them for one reason or another - frame connectors, headers, etc. I was never happy with the cobbled together result. BTW, based on my experiences with crazy leaks, I will never use stainless brake fittings again.
The main reason I used the Wilwood valve is that it gets the OE brass distribution block off the frame rail. I hated dealing with that thing, just seemed like it was in the worst place possible. Routing lines any other way except factory original was nearly impossible. Using the valve creates more room and makes successful, cleaner routing easier.
Here's the valve with the lines running off the outlets. Again, it's difficult to adapt factory-style lines to this valve.
Here's the left front line, no longer running under the frame. The existing hole in the inner fender seemed like it was there for this exact purpose.
As an aside, last summer a friend and I went to Detroit and we went to a buddy's house who also happens to be a pretty good racer. He's been doing it for a long time and has a really clean and fast car. I got to look at it up close and noticed that he ran his RF brake line around the front of the engine bay instead of across the firewall like normal. The reasoning behind that method is it keeps the line from being cut if there's a trans explosion. Additionally, a track tech guy once told me I needed to get the OE line off the firewall as well so I thought I should look into doing mine that way.
I hemmed and hawed about running it in front for months. After I got the left front line done the other day it helped me envision how the rest of the front lines should be and I went for it. Yeah, it's unusual to do it like this in a street application for sure. Now that I'm aware of it though, I see more race cars with the RF lines across the front so it's not that out of left field. It's way more work but it will be sanitary and safer in the end. I am about halfway done with it right now, have some fittings on order to complete the job.
The car is on the lift so I'm able to stand in the engine bay and take these shots.
The initial idea was to run the line under the radiator but I didn't feel comfortable with that. It will go through the firewall and run along the bottom of the radiator support opening and over to the right side. Yes, there will be more connection points and more holes in the rad support but I'm using AN fittings with 37ยบ flares so the chances of leaks are slim to none. There will be clips to hold the lines to the sheet metal.
Started fleshing out the rear lines as well. As you may have noticed in the first pic, I put a 10lb residual pressure valve inline just off the master cylinder rear outlet. After the r.p.v. a Line Lock will be plumbed into the rear brakes. Now before anyone's head explodes, yes, a Line Lock can be be used in the rear brakes. The solenoid is plumbed in reverse so it "blocks" the rear brakes from applying as opposed to "holding" the fronts like normal. Doing it this way allows the rears to spin free while holding the car with the front brakes during a burnout. Once you finish your burnout, you release the solenoid and you have full 4 wheel brakes. The fronts do 80% of the braking in disc brake systems anyway so you have much more control. I read somewhere that Bob Mazzolini does his this way. Makes sense to me.
Here's the rear line coming off the master cylinder. It will attach to a through-frame bulkhead fitting at the cross member. I will put spring guard on it before it gets flared.
Here's the Roll Control. I made a bracket that bolts to the OE line clip tab. The switch wiring will run up through the floor.
One small concern is the proximity of the rear flex hose to the exhaust. It's a couple inches away but it's closer than I'd like. I'd like to get a heat sleeve or wrap around it. Ultimately it may be easier to use a braided line here.
More to come.