Re: CAUTION ON THE USE OF SILICONE BKAKE FLUID IN ESAMATIC BRAKE SYSTEMS

Posted by BH On 2007/11/1 15:42:23

Gauss -

Sorry I didn't have a chance to revisit this thread sooner, but welcome and thanks for the additional insights (saving me an expedition to my offsite storage).

I can only conclude that Bendix supplied the kits in some sort of tiered/modular fashion so the customer only had to pay for as deep as they had to go. Except for the potential issue of the compensator ports valve spring and pitted hydraulic plunger, I bet repro'd minor kit adresses the overwheming majority of needs.

Personally, I've never needed to overhaul the vacuum section in any of the TreadleVacs in my Packards, but dismantled and cleaned one - mainly out of curiosity. Yet, the seals were in good enough shape that I was able to carefully dismantle and inspect. I massaged the rubber parts with a bit of silicone grease prior to reusing them, and the power-assist worked fine following installation.

IIRC, Craig advised (long ago, in another forum past) that he had the T-V unit from his '55 Pat rebuilt by someone else and shipped it back after the first failure. He experienced a second failure, but I don't know if he sent it back to find out what went wrong. He installed a dual-chambered power brake unit with remote reservoir. Last I heard, Craig claimed that he would destroy TreadleVac cores from any parts cars he laid his hands on. Thankfully, Packard wasn't the only automaker using the T-V unit.

Now, I don't deny anyone the right to do with their property as they please, but in turn, they have no right "dis" on me for what I choose to do with my cars. I'm the kind of person who likes to find out what went wrong, how things were intended to work, and fix 'em myself. Though I'll never make flat-rate time, I've found that my work tends to hold up a lot better than what I've seen from many (so-called) professionals.

Thanks again for the details on the T-V kits.