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CarFreak

Re: 56 Caribbean Convertible Rejuvenation

#91

Home away from home

Quote:

kevinpackard wrote:
Quote:

CarFreak wrote:
The pedal does not travel far to get resistance. pedal effort really isn't that bad until the brakes start to fade. I am able to pull about 10 inHg at idle. I could pull more, but that involves increasing the idle higher and that is counter productive at the moment.

10 inHg is very low. At idle you should be getting 18-20. If 10 is your actual number, then you have a vacuum problem somewhere.

Check the vacuum connections at the carbs. Not sure how it is on the duel carbs, but on the single carb the connection is at the back. Start with the check valve and make sure it is in good condition and the internals move freely. Then check the large vacuum hose from the check valve to the T fitting, then to the vacuum tank, and down to the brake booster. Replace the hoses if at all suspect. There's a good chance one of those connections is leaking. Also check the lines going up to the wiper motor.

If you get the vacuum up to 18-20 the brakes should work significantly better at that point. And the car will run better too.

In regards to your question about the wire gauge and carbs, the wire gauge is used to set the throttle plates correctly. Carbs have to be off to reach the throttle plates. Other adjustments can be done after the plates are set with the correct gap.

I could have a vacuum leak. But I am not sure everyone understands my issue, or if I didn't present it correctly:

On a flat surface, quickly braking down from 45-55mph at a traffic light that changes the car performs adequately with little effort on my part. It is a heavy car on very small brakes, it can only brake so good with a restored braking system. I do not smell them on those stops. However, it will not perform that stop more than twice without ample time for what I can assume the brakes to cool. Since I live on top of a mountain, there are hill grades that are 10 deg or more that end at either a traffic light, a blind curve into stopped traffic , or a stop sign. I take these very slowly because being 10 minutes outside of downtown Pittsburgh traffic congestion on these roads can change by the second and you need to drive defensively. By the time I get to the bottom I can smell the brakes and depending how they were applied on my way down there is more effort (when I say more effort does not mean I am pushing so hard the back of the seat may buckle) to get the car to stop. Now, I don't believe that is from a vacuum issue as much as it is a fading/lining issue, because that increase effort would show up in other braking situations.

From traveling these roads before I made the shoe change I did not have the smell nor the fading/increased effort to get the car to stop which leads me to believe its the lining.

I can still check for vacuum leaks.

Posted on: 6/30 17:59

kevinpackard

Re: 56 Caribbean Convertible Rejuvenation

#92

Home away from home

Certainly could be the lining. Easiest would be to change the shoes to another brand and see what that does. Napa should be able to get shoes that fit. But you may need to replace the adjusters since the shoe webbing might be thicker on modern shoes.

But definitely figure out the vacuum issue. That is definitely not helping your situation.

Posted on: 6/30 18:04

56Clippers

Re: 56 Caribbean Convertible Rejuvenation

#93

Home away from home

Quote:

CarFreak wrote:

On a flat surface, quickly braking down from 45-55mph at a traffic light that changes the car performs adequately with little effort on my part.

Motor Trend's test 60-0 was 151 feet, how does yours compare?

Can you lock the wheels?

Quote:

By the time I get to the bottom I can smell the brakes and depending how they were applied on my way down there is more effort (when I say more effort does not mean I am pushing so hard the back of the seat may buckle) to get the car to stop.

Does applying more force on the pedal near the bottom of the hill result in more braking and is it possible to add still more?

Quote:

From traveling these roads before I made the shoe change I did not have the smell nor the fading/increased effort to get the car to stop which leads me to believe it's the lining.

What brand and part number brake shoes are they?

Quote:

I can still check for vacuum leaks.

Definitely do as that determines the amount of force you have to apply to the pedal.

Posted on: 6/30 19:43

Pgh Ultramatic

Re: 56 Caribbean Convertible Rejuvenation

#94

Home away from home

Quote:

CarFreak wrote:
From traveling these roads before I made the shoe change I did not have the smell nor the fading/increased effort to get the car to stop which leads me to believe its the lining.

Ross Miller wisdom to the rescue...

Tweak the shoes as shown. Again just do the fronts for now and remove the wheel as a whole so you don't have to RNR the lug nuts.

packardinfo.com/xoops/html/modules/newbb ... 6086&post_id=279681#forumpost279681

Another option is to install a 54 12" backing plate on the fronts (rears N/A). Very cheap and easy mod that will allow you to center the shoes. Really I should do this on my Deluxe as well as for some reason the left front one is comically off center. I'll see how it drives first (probably not well).

packardinfo.com/xoops/html/modules/newbb ... 8059&post_id=287864#forumpost287864

Posted on: 6/30 20:39

CarFreak

Re: 56 Caribbean Convertible Rejuvenation

#95

Home away from home

151 feet from 60 mph... not sure I am brave enough to do that lol. Ill have to find an open road. I did not try to lock the wheels

Is adding more foot pressure add more braking power. A little, but not to much. Could I get more out of it? not entirely sure how to try and prove that out.

The brake shoes are new from kanter. I called them and they said the ones listed for the 54 seniors will work, which is what I installed.

Ill look into that braking thing from Ross.

So when I got the car back to my folks place and drove it around there the brakes are more than fine on those back roads. The brakes slowed it down fine, which is good because that is probably where the car will stay.

However, the idle issues are back. I did get them ironed out by resoldering the carb linkage back onto the throttle shaft. But that solder failed. So I parked the car in the hole at the folks garage and removed the front carb and brought my dads stash of part carbs out to pittsburgh to try and swap out a good throttle shaft from another carb.

Posted on: Yesterday 11:53

Pgh Ultramatic

Re: 56 Caribbean Convertible Rejuvenation

#96

Home away from home

I have a 55 Roch. carb already disassembled. I can get you the shaft off that.

Posted on: Yesterday 12:16

TxGoat

Re: 56 Caribbean Convertible Rejuvenation

#97

Home away from home

It is not abnormal for new brake shoes to emit an odor when used hard. I have seen a number of recommendations for breaking in new shoes or pads. You might want to look into that. With new shoes or pads, I'd avoid hard stops or a lot of braking on downhill runs so far as possible for at least a few dozen brake applications. Keep speeds down and use engine braking, and avoid steep, long descents if you can. A power brake system that is not getting adequate vacuum or that has booster issues will require substantial pedal effort.

Brakes work by turning kinetic energy into heat energy, so some heating is normal.

Posted on: Yesterday 12:27

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