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While looking at a '57 T-bird at a local museum this weekend, noticed that it is equipped with a remotely mounted brake booster unit. The single chamber master cylinder is mounted on the firewall and has a tubing connecting it to the booster unit which is mounted on the LF fender splash panel. Then, there is a tubing to a distribution 'T' in the brake lines to supply fluid to the wheel cylinders. This looked to be a factory original equipment. It looks like a good replacement for the BTV on Packards. Don't know how this unit would work with a dual chamber master cylinder.

This must have been discussed before and has been disregarded for reasons of its own. Just thought I would bring it to the attention of posters here.


(o{}o)

They were mentioned as was the Bendix Hydrovac that Stude and others used. The Hydrovac works on the same principle as the Tbird. Both use ordinary piston and cups. It's actuated by a standard master plus the vacuum setup to give the brake pressure instead of the ram that BTV's used. Nice thing about them is if the vacuum fails you still have standard brakes and no single seal failing problem like BTVs seem to have on occasion.

Problem for Packard is either needs a conventional master cylinder to work the booster. A case of modifying the pedal to make a modern aftermarket vacuum booster setup work as we've been doing or modifying the brake system completely to install a standard brake setup and then the booster.

Here is the available TBird unit. Believe the originals were made by Midland but not sure if this current offering is the same. Around $450 new plus all the plumbing and other needed items.

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Howard, thanks for the information. I can see using a Packard conventional master cylinder and pedal assembly with the HydroVac unit mounted remotely. Pedal would be high when compared to the usual low power brake pedal position. This could be worked around by shortening the pedal arm and turning the pedal on its side for a wider pedal. Seems this would be easier than trying to adopt a modern power brake unit. However, this solution would still be a single chamber master cylinder. The quest continues...

(o{}o)