Re: Treadle vac brakes

Posted by Owen_Dyneto On 2012/2/8 10:16:20

Like Al, my BTV was rebuilt by Ed Strain some 12 years ago and no problems. I've also been involved in quite a few other installations of Strain units, no problems with them either. And I'm sure Kanter uses a reputable rebuilder. I use DOT-4 and every 3 or 4 years do a thorough bleed to replace most (but not all) of the fluid.

The Bendix Treadle-Vac was used on about a dozen makes of cars between 1953 and 1963, including Mercedes Benz, Nash, Hudson, Packard and most of the GM makes, probably millions and millions were in service with apparently no unusual problems in that era. There is no doubt that there have been some instances of failure in current times. Whether that was due to poor quality rebuilds, poor quality or overage rebuild components, floating "sludge" in the fluid that lodged itself under the compensator valve, or whatever, remains pretty much unknown as to facts, but theories and speculation abound.

There also is no doubt that dual-master cylinders provide an extra level of safety over single-cylinder systems. If that's of a major concern to you, go with a conversion. If not, have your unit rebuilt by someone who knows what they are doing, and make sure that the fluid in your system is clean and remains that way.