Re: ANOTHER #%*!:( BTV failure

Posted by 55PackardGuy On 2010/10/10 1:41:48

Eric,

Thanks for the feedback. When you say location of the Ease-A-Crashtic is a factor, though, how does the Packard setup differ that much? I thought the one-piece power-brake-disaster-in-a-drum setup would essentially be an underfloor unit on any vehicle, and subject to the same awful conditions? (However, I wouldn't count this as an excuse anyway, as most brake parts, lines, etc. have to put up with those same conditions and perform reliably.)

I'm no apologist for the setup, but I think it's a clever package in some ways, and gave the cars an excellent, sharp (and reassuring!) braking response and pedal feel, just too bad they gave a false sense of safety. A dual system (or at least a warning system, kind of like the excellent fluid-level idea), if it could fit the same space and be sealed off from the elements better, could be an incremental improvement, I guess.

Could an Allied-Signal or old Bendix parts catalog possibly list the various BTV units and the makes that they fit? It would sure be interesting to see what the differences (improvements?) might have been for different car makes and model years. In fact, I'll search around a bit if no one has looked at this angle before.

I just get a bad feeling thinking that a fellow V8 Packard fan's untimely demise could be traced to a failed BTV, or to a well-intentioned but unsuccessful retrofit.

Nothing's perfect, and accidents happen, but I just think taking reasonable steps for improving the odds is always a good idea. Unless the future of classic "motoring" is eventually to be trailer-queens only... not likely for the Packard bunch!