OK, I think I know where the holes are. My car's in the shop now so I can't go check. What holds the rod in the holes?

BTW, the electroboost MC is only 3.25" high and 8.75" long. Think it will fit?

This is certainly a possibility, and not very expensive. I sent a note to Mike to ask if has the manual pedal assy. Of course, he's in Duluth, MN, it's winter, and they've already had snow. I'm thinking it could be May or June before Mike can get to his cars to see if has it.

Any idea what the Packard manual pedal assy attaches to under the car? The pictures in the parts book show a rod that the pedal fits on and pivots on but it doesn't show how the rod attaches to the car. Does it attach to brackets under the body or on the frame?

Maybe using the hanging pedal as is and finding a way to attach it to the manual pedal stem is a better solution. Wouldn't have to worry about stability. We'll have to figure it out once we have parts in hand so we can see what fits where and how things line up. Now to find the manual brake pedal parts.....

It might be easier to use just the lower part of my pedal with the 56 pad attached to the new pedal. That way, it would still look stock unless you looked closer and noticed no hanging pedal supporting it.

Would it be possible to just fabricate a plate that would bolt to the BTV nounting holes and then cut a hole for the manual brake pedal? That way I could use my current floor panel.

I also like your idea of using the 56 hanging pedal connected to the manual brake pedal. With a little bit of thought I bet we could figure out an arrangement that worked and still keeps the look of my original brake pedal.

Eric, HH56,
Thanks for the replies! You recall correctly I am planning on using the electroboost from ABS, in fact I have already ordered it from ABS. The difficult part is the brake pedal arrangement. I'm working with a restoration shop where the folks are mechanically gifted but the more they have to fabricate the more difficult (and expensive) the job will be. That's why the pictures in the parts book grabbed me.

I think I can find a parts car. Mike Dulinski in Duluth, MN has almost 100 55-6 parts cars and surely one must have manual brakes. We were planning on mounting the electroboost MC under the floor to the rear (under the seat). The booster we're planning on placing where the vacuum tank is currently located and the reservoir in the engine compartment. We've already replaced the carb with an Edelbrock 650 and the wipers with elctric so I don't need the vacuum tank with the electroboost. You guys were absolutely right, WHAT A DIFFERENCE! The carb has ended all the carb issues I had with the Rochester. It now runs and drives like it should.

I think your experience says to use the 54 floor panel as it's an exact fit and the 55-6 is similar but not the same. Would the 55-6 panel not fit the opening in the floor? If I can find the panel and hardware from a 55-6 would that be the way to go? Or is a 54 or earlier panel and a 55-6 pedal assy an easier fit? Thanks!

Eric,
I was looking through my parts book and found the attached pictures of the '56 manual brake setup. Can this brake pedal setup be installed in a '56 400? If so, then it looks like a small MC with remote booster and reservoir could be installed in the same location as the manual brake MC.

Having never seen a '56 manual brake setup I'm wondering if there's other issues with installing the manual brake pedal setup. Is there a similar panel where the BTV comes through the floor? Or does the manual brake pedal just go through a hole in the floor? Is there a component of the torsion level system mounted in this area of the frame that would preclude me from using this setup?

This looks too easy.

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Craig,
If I end up installing the electric bbst I'll document the process and problems.

Craig,
I think you summed it up pretty well! I don't want to run the risk of getting into an accident and killing myself, my family or anyone else so doing nothing is not an option.

I really enjoy driving my Packard but I want it to be safe and reliable. I'm willing to sacrifice some authenticity for safety and even for some comfort. That includes radial tires, electric wipers, the Olds oil pump conversion (thank you!), and even A/C that works. Reliable brakes is probably the most important safety upgrade someone can make and I should have done this a long time ago. I think this thread was the impetus to get me moving.

Craig, you're right, there's disadvantages to every alternative I've seen so far. While I don't want to spend a grand for a system like this I'm willing to pioneer this system on my Packard. I figure people spend a lot more than that on rebuilding the motor (I've done it twice) or on that great looking paint job, or even on new chrome for the bumpers.

So, do you see any potential problems with this setup?

HH56,
I talked to MPB today and they do not have a drop in replacement for the BTV. They do have a remote reservoir booster/MC that will fit in the space of the BTV. This is Craig's system. The brake pedal would have to be modified to get the ratio needed to operate the system as discussed earlier in this thread.

I also talked to ABS today and they have an electric powered booster and MC that looks like it will fit without modifying the brake pedal. I've attached the picture from their catalog and the link is:

http://abspowerbrake.com/ehpm.html

The only problem I see is that it does add complexity and it's pricey - $950 plus shipping. But it does look like a fix that would work. Anyone see any potential problems with this setup?

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