Packard Forum Index » Post-War (1946-54)

Owen -

You wrote:

Quote:
That might help explain some people who have attempted to villify the BTV by citing Nader's Book, Unsafe at Any Speed. Itwas actaully the Moraine unit that sucked brake fluid right out of the reservoir. I won't bore you with the full details, but someone cut one corner to many in designing that Moraine unit.

Quote:

That was my feeling too because the piston is the only moving part thru the seal.. One of the GM? vendors on his ebay store has new pistons for around $30.

I have seen the casting get pretty bad around the outer seal circumference area which might be machined and sleeved. Don't know if new castings very available so maybe that's what he does.

Owen -

I believe the AACA thread was started by the same poster as this one - just using a different screen name here.

I must admit that I misread the other thread, at first, and focused on the hydraulic failure. Yet, after a second reading, it looks like his hydraulic issue was transient and now has a pedal return problem. He could be dealing with two separate issues, each with thier own, separate underlying cause.

he also mention a problem of having to top off the fluid. I've had to do that with each of my Packards using glycol-based fluid, but not in the one using silicone (though I haven't checked any of them in years). What a lot of people don't understand is that these old hydraulic systems were NOT sealed from atmosphere. Glycol fluids seem to condense overtime; anyone who has taken the cover off of on out in the field will find sludge (at best) or a crystallized substance.

It could be that he topped of the fluid in the reservoir, but there was air trapped in the chamber below (with the compensator valve closed) - until he worked the pedal and burped it.

ok. Wait a minute. Lets take Owens queue for a minute. Maybe i've misunderstood the problem due to lack of info from complaints.


When the pedal fails to return does that mean that the brakes REMAIN APPLIED????? OR does it mean that the brakes release and ONLY the pedal remains depressed?????

The former was reported a few weeks ago that the brakes remained applied AND the pedal failed to return.

HH56 -

I'm not sure how the plunger from GM's knock-off compares to that of the BTV. I'll probably have a local machinist fab the rod from stainless and transfer the washer/end.

The castings that I've had apart (including one from a field car) never showed no any problem in the seal area, but I have one that the body was so badly pitted it wouldn't hold fluid.

Keith -

Quote:
That sounds like a bit of a different problem than the one that opened this thread.

We won't what's failed until somebody removes one of their units and opens it up for inspection.

Brian. I think Kanter supplies those in SS. Don't remeber the price tho. $50.00????

"We won't what's failed until somebody removes one of their units and opens it up for inspection."

yes, that's been the problem with many topics all along. No owner inspection. Makes it tuff to diagnose except from stricly design analyisis.

In post #12 of this thread, Trog indicates:
"..has both an Edsel and a '56 Lincoln Premiere with Treadlevacs and we've not experienced the problems we've known on the Packards. Also he rarely needs to top off the reservoir. On all four of my '53-56s, I need to top the reservoit off several times a year. And"

AND trog mentions pedal return failure.

SO, has the vacuum can sucked enuf fluid from the MC over the years thus creating a hydraulic lock in the vacuum can. If it was just vacuum it would release normally. But if it becomes a full body of fluid then it would be very slow to release.

Brian, the new piston for $30 says its for treadle vac but it's on ebay store. Looking again, not clear if repro or single NOS. Might be different for GM applications too.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=190289524386&viewitem=