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I had the same system on my 65 Mercedes 230S finback model and it never caused me any grief either.

I don't recall any problems with the Hydrovac either. One difference -- at least in the Studebaker version -- it was conventional piston/cup hydraulics not the displacement ram.

I did find another ram type unit and that was used on "some" 53-4 Buick applications. Don't know who actually made it but it is labeled as Buick. Neither it nor the Moraine version of the BTV (also listed as used in various Buicks and other GM as well as BTVs) has the same compensator valve setup as the Bendix.

The fact that Buick/Moraine copied the basic ram principal but not the compensator valve might say something. Since GM seemed to mix these things up quite a bit using one unit part of a year, another the rest, and a different one the next makes me wonder if they had supply problems or operational problems.

iirc, the Moraine unit used in the 53 Buick got its own chapter in Nader's book "Unsafe at any speed". Anybody have a copy?

Of course anythings Nader dislikes tends to awaken warm and tender affection in me.

Two copies on eBay rite now for about $9ine.
http://cgi.ebay.com/Ralph-Nader-Unsafe-Any-Speed-1966-/230551623238?pt=US_Nonfiction_Book&hash=item35adf29646

Never thot i'd be referenceing that book let alone promoting a sale of it. But in view of GM's disgrace over the last 10 years it's too bad Nader doesn't make a strong comeback and fold them for good.

Packard BTV vs Chevy BTV applications:

Simply not a good comparison effort after all. SO many tri-5 chevies have been rodded over the last 30 to 40 years that nary a Tri-5 extant has anyhting that resembles OEM Chevy brakes. Wild guessing someone will accuse????
Go to any cruise in and what do u see???? U tell me. Dozens of Tri-5's with OEM brake systems???? I don't think so. Maybe ONE at the most and that one most likely has manual brakes.

To Packard V8

We sell BTV rebuild kits for all makes. We sell a large amount for 55-56-57 Chevrolets. Your conclusion is incorrect.

Fred Kanter

Incorrect???? Not impossible. Collectors only know what is seen and heard on the streets. Not what we see in any Vendor or service providers sales reciept books.

Gday packaddicts

Sorry guys in this litigious age I can not name the supplier in a public forum . However I will write to the supplier and suggest they inform all those people who have purchased BTV rebuild kits from them in recent times , that they check the compensator valve and maybe send out a new one for the sake of PR if they have not already done so .

Meanwhile it's not rocket science to check this valve - if you are losing pedal pressure when your foots on the pedal , remove the filler cap from the BTV , shine a torch into the reservoir while your wife presses down on the pedal . If you notice any swirling or disturbance in the reservoir fluid the comp valve is faulty

Good luck
Regards Chris

Did the replacement part correct the problem??????

To Packard V8:

You say that collectors only know what they hear and see on the streets, and not what is in vendors books. Fro what is on the street, that is called "hearsay" and in life as in court it is not reliable. I read form wht you wrote that parctically all of the tri-5 Chevy's have converted power brake systems. Just how do you know that, have you pesonally seen every tri-5 in the world?? I think not.

On the other hand, my company sells BTV rebuild kits and sells a lot of them for 55-56-57 Chevys. Now there is a possibility, I will grant you, that all these owners are buying all these kits for lawn ornaments or bookmarks.

What we need in these forums are people who want to contibute to sharing information on collector cars.

Please inform all of us just how your curious information helps anyone at all?

Patiently awaiting.

Fred Kanter
Kanter Auto Products


To Starliner: