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Riki Quote:

Yes, that would be the best. If the dual MC original application is disc/drum combo, then you probably won't need a proportioning valve.

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Not a good choice for many reasons.

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I don't think that's possible.

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Calipers & pads for something of equivalent weight (4,000-4,500) lbs would be correct. Also, the rotor should be at least 11IN diameter.

Craig

Hey Guys,

I don't know if this will help anyone but, I went out and weighed the parts to our disc brake conversion kit compared to the stock drum setup. The drum(composite 2 piece) and back plate fully dressed was roughly 31 lbs(one side) and the rotor, pads, caliper , and brackets were roughly 40lbs(one side). So if weight loss is what you are trying to achieve this is not going to help. But from a safety upgrade point of view it is a good one.

Our kit can be used with your original BTV but keep in mind that as disc pads wear, more fluid will have to be added to the system to make up for the increased volume of fluid displaced by the calipers. You may want to consider adding a remote reservoir to your system or upgrading to a tandem cylinder master cylinder.

Secondly if you stay with a BTV you may need to install a residual valve to the brake system.

I hope this information help. If not ask away and we will try to help.

Thanks
James From
Kanter Auto Products

I think this is a really fascinating topic. My car has lap belts (not original), a modern sealed battery (not original), and radial tires (not original). Those so-called purists at the poo-poo shows take off points for these; but as far as I am concerned, when I am driving my Clipper in modern Northern Virginia traffic or on an interstate with cars blowing around me at 80 mph, the thought of no seat belts and bias-ply tires is about as appealing as having to crank start my engine. My point is, if Packard had had the option of using radial tires, it would have done so. They are simply better in every way than bias ply and anyone who insists on those when they can use modern radial tires on their Packards is simply an idiot.

I am very interested to know more about the bolt-on disc brakes because like radials, no manufacturer I know of today still uses drum brakes. The Easmatic system may be an issue, but I am sure someone has thought about that in the design. The No. 1 issue for anyone who wants to actually drive his/her Packard on modern roads vs. trailering it from one show to another is safety -- both for the Packard driver and his passengers and for other drivers on the road.

Mr Bumble Quote:

I am doing a 4-wheel disc brake conversion right now on my 56 Panther (nee Clipper). This is a long awaited resurrected project. However, the front disc brake adapters are the same as on my 55 Pat and have been on that car for 10 years. I have almost all the parts in hand and have sent out the front suspension spindle and steering arm for machine work. With some luck, I should be putting it together in a trial assembly this weekend.

However, that being said, IMO, the BTV is still the unacceptable part of the whole braking package. I won't be using a BTV. I'm somewhat undecided about whether to duplicate what's on my 55 Pat or go with a engine-side Firewall dual MC & booster like Eric and Keith did some years ago. For my application (resto-rod and 4-speed with clutch pedal), the latter will probably be better.

Craig

Quote from post #12:

"Secondly if you stay with a BTV you may need to install a residual valve to the brake system."

Did u mean to say proportioning valve as opposed to residual (pressure) valve????? The BTV already has a residual (pressure) valve in it from the factory.

Quote from post #12:

"Secondly if you stay with a BTV you may need to install a residual valve to the brake system."

Did u mean to say proportioning valve as opposed to residual (pressure) valve????? The BTV already has a residual (pressure) valve in it from the factory.


I did mean residual valve


Residual Valves are used in both front and rear brake systems in the following ways

2 psi residual valves are used in the front of a disc brake conversion when the master cylinder is at or below the height of the calipers, the residual valve acts as an anti siphoning valve preventing fluid siphoning back to the master cylinders when the brake is released. But be aware in the case of a BTV unit, as they are equipped with a check valve. The check valve would then have to be removed as it would be redundant and caused the calipers to stick.

You would know that your system would need a front residual after converting if it takes more than two pumps of the pedal to get a good strong high pedal.

10 psi residual valves are used in a rear drum brake setup (when converting to front disc) to prevent air from being sucked in to the system when the pedal is released. Typical wheel cylinders seals will only seal when there is pressure behind them. In a system without a residual valves the rapid release of the pedal cause a vacuum inside the brake system which relaxes the seals and can cause either induction of air to the systems or leakage of fluid. By keep a 10 psi on the wheel cylinders this prevents this from happening. Depending on what master cylinder you are using it may already be equipped with an internal residual valve.

A proportioning valve goes in the rear in the case of a disc brake conversion and provides CONTROL of the rate at which pressure within that part of the system rises.


Thanks
James From
Kanter Auto Products