Packard Forum Index » V-8 (1955-56)

Mat, I take it you haven't found a rubber hydraulic line broken when you were working on the front end?? Don't dismiss that as the possible cause of failure.

No, it doesn't sound familiar to me, but then I know that this Packard did not have the Bendix Treadlevac that has been so maligned here. If it had, there would have been a hue and cry and pictures of people on their knees at the wailing wall screaming "Disc brakes, disc brakes" - "my kingdom for disc brakes". Since there was none of this, we must assume that a hose or line broke with the resultant loss of stopping ability. Lack of maintenance and inspection are probably to blame. In any case I'm glad the little curmudgeon was not severely injured.

Randy Berger wrote: Quote:

WRONG! The BTV issue is NOT that the drum brakes should be replaced with disc brakes, but rather that the BTV is failure prone and is a single master cylinder beast which should be replaced with a modern dual master cylinder of some kind.

Disc brakes are better than drum brakes of course but this has essentially nothing to do with the BTV. As a matter of fact, I had disc front brakes on my 55 Pat before I had replaced the BTV for the last time. When the fourth different BTV from four different manufacturers failed on my Pat is when I replaced the BTV with the MP dual master.

Craig

I think the point Randy is trying to make that the BTV was not offered on a 1951 Packard. So the car in the story had just regular single-circuit manual brakes. So this failure was not caused by the BTV as the car didn't have one.

The phrase "Never assume" comes to mind.

While I know nothing of this particular Packard as to whether it does or does not, Service Counselor Vol 26 #5, May 1952 devotes almost the entire issue to instructions on how to install newly made available Easamatic Power Brake kits into 1951 and 52 cars for those originally without and whose owners were inclined to want.

Howard and Gerd - most of my post was done tongue-in-cheek. Don't take it to heart. We owned a 52 Mayfair which did not have power brakes. I know that Packard offered to place BTV in pre-52 cars. I doubt that many did that. I never heard my parents talk about it or consider it.
In any case if you have a brake hose failure, as I did in my 57 Buick, you are outta luck - you have no brakes except the emergency. Luckily I always kept that adjusted. It did get me stopped, but with some deference to the drivers who heard my horn and saw my lights blinking.
By the way, Craig's post just illustrated my point.

G'day all, I still have the BTV in my 56 Patrician and intend to keep it. However, I do not trust any single cylinder brake system and neither did Packard or any other US manufacturer. They fitted an emergency braking system to the rear wheel brake linings, and if rear wheel brakes alone are good enough to pull up a pre 1927 Packard ( including Twin Sixes) then we should at least have some faith in the Packard handbrake design and make sure that the rear cable brake system works efficiently. The handbrake on a Packard should be able to lock up the rear wheels if correctly adjusted, whereas the handbrake on a modern car is called a parking brake and is almost useless in stopping a vehicle. My advice is to get your Packard emergency brakes working properly. best regards Peter Toet.

Gerd - I too need knee replacement surgery due to a worn out lateral meniscus... so is your obviously well qualified rehabilitation instructor available for therapy in the NY area? Or, perhaps you can refer me to an equally skilled specialist in my area? many thanks...

Randy Berger wrote: Quote:

Randy, one does not make "jokes" about things that will kill or maim you or friends/family. As soon as one of those BTVs fails in traffic or at speed, that will put the fear of God into you. If is not a matter of IF.

Craig

So Craig, did you hear the one about the killer whale...