How are most people finishing these items the right way? The proportioning valve bracket gets a zinc dichromate finish I am pretty sure.

This distribution block, lines, and metering valve are untouched original finish (the metering valve bracket, booster, and master cylinder have been refinished).

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2002-2/13522/MCylPipes1.JPG
graemlins/beers.gif

Another question on this area of the car. What does the correct master cylinder cover look like?

Gary,
Do you mean color? If so, it should be gold cad, just like the booster and delay valve (aka prop valve) bracket.

I had my booster, bracket, and cover done by Steve Gregori, in CA.

I can't tell from John's pic, but should the splitter block bracket be black or bare steel? If black, how glossy?

Steve has my booster as we speak. He is like 15 mins. away from me. I have known him since high school.

The master cover is gold, but what does the original cover look like? I have a US master that I bought, but I don't know if it is the correct cover. I also have the one on the car. It may be the original. I don't want to toss it until I know what is what for sure. Maybe John has a top shot of the master. graemlins/waving.gif

Here's another slightly worn original.
http://members.aol.com/waynegloor/ms1.jpg

Like this Gary, and this is all on my web site at http://www.x33d80.com/home.htm under mechanical / brakes.

http://x33d80.com/images/Misc/Master.jpg

http://x33d80.com/images/Misc/Booster.jpg

http://x33d80.com/images/Misc/Booster1.jpg

JohnZ.. The distribution block and metering valve in your pic appear to have been painted at a later date. Compare them to the pic by 10BZ28. Look at the fitting that the wire plugs onto. His is still bare while yours appears black like it was painted along with the block.

Here's another picture. They appear to have the same finish as the master cylinder, no paint. I'm sure they have never been off the car
http://members.aol.com/waynegloor/ms4.jpg

Great pic 10BZ28..Now can we have one of the bracket on the other side holding the distribution block ?

Sorry for the dirt. I'll try another underhood cleanup sometime next year. The last one enabled me to almost completely remove my firewall inspection marks.
http://members.aol.com/waynegloor/ms5.jpg

Guys this is a great thread, Im tossing it into the Resto section for future reference to others. Great pics fellas smile.gif

10BZ28's pics accurately represent what I have seen on original survivor cars. The only variation I have seen is that master cylinders came both bare, and with a lite coating of semi-gloss paint.

Gary,
Just out of curiosity, how do your two lids differ? I have 3 or 4, but never compared them to see if they were different (other than plating differences) Can you post pics?

BTW, I was very pleased with Steve's work. My booster started to discolor after two years at the painter's, and he replated it for a very fair price.

Gary: I can't post pictures yet. I need to learn. I will email them to you tomorrow. My wife has the digital camera tonight. Neihter of mine are correct it appears, according to the pictures posted.

Original master cylinder top, faded but original.
http://members.aol.com/waynegloor/ms7.jpg

Thanks everyone for the help. Great photo 10BZ28.

Gary,
I just checked, I have 4. None are like 10BZ28's. one has dimples, but does not have the delco writing. It has "Clean lid before removing" or something like that.

One has the correct finish, so I'll use it until I find the right one.
Thanks for the master cylinder lid lesson, everyone.

An original cap says "USE DELCO BRAKE FLUID", "SERVICE WITH DELCO PARTS".

And it does not have a "tunnel" between the domes, and does NOT have "SAE J1703" in the fluid description. graemlins/thumbsup.gif

Of course I cant find any of my reference material when I need it.......but I had read that by late 60's G.M. used little if any CADMIUM plating. "Booster" Dewey in Portland,OR who restores Delco Boosters sent me a copy of a Delco Morraine letterhead stating that Boosters were Yellow Zinc DiChromate. I would therefore think that the master cylinder lid & prop valve brkt is also Yellow Zinc. BTW for any 1970 enthusiasts the metering block bracket in 1970 was Yellow Zinc also.....
Chuck Sharin

I agree. I'm not sure about yellow zinc but my underhood components were never as bright gold as the "restored" finishes of today. I've got a few 25 to 35 year old photos that show this if I can find them.
Tom

My 04L pace car originally had all of the brake components painted a semi gloss black, the booster, master cylinder, prop valve, distribution block and all of the steel lines. Of course the booster was plated underneath the paint. Somewhere along the line GM started painting everything in that corner of the engine compartment with the same firewall blackout paint.

Mark...That is the first time I have ever heard that. Could it have been done at the dealer ?

Doubt it the car was very rough and pretty much original except for the engine and trans when I got it. A lot of Camaro's have the black paint applied. I suspect most of the current restorations over do the plating on the boosters. I might try to dig thru the layers of paint to see whats under the layers sometime. The picture in my signature shows the brake stuff, but I used the Eastwood fake chromate paint on the booster, and cast blast on my master cylinder. The rest of the stuff except for the distribution block is still mostly black though. The brake lines themselves are black, but either the paint chipped off the fittings, or they were never painted. Also the rubber vibration fitting below the master cylinder on the frame does not have black paint on the rubber itself which means the lines were painted before they were assembled.

Ignoring the Offy X-ram and the nicely painted valve covers, and wrong stickers on the valve covers, the following picture is just the way I got the car in 85.

http://home.townisp.com/~markcanning/camaro/cam2x4.jpg

Originally posted by Mark C:
My 04L pace car originally had all of the brake components painted a semi gloss black, the booster, master cylinder, prop valve, distribution block and all of the steel lines. Of course the booster was plated underneath the paint. Somewhere along the line GM started painting everything in that corner of the engine compartment with the same firewall blackout paint. I suspect a previous owner or a dealer got carried away with the black paint; all those components were Chevrolet-installed in the Trim Line and Chassis Line, and no painting of any kind was done by Chevrolet except for the front end sheet metal, before it was installed on the car. graemlins/thumbsup.gif

Originally posted by 10BZ28:
I agree. I'm not sure about yellow zinc but my underhood components were never as bright gold as the "restored" finishes of today. I've got a few 25 to 35 year old photos that show this if I can find them.
Tom This is really easy to resolve. I have several original boosters that need replating. And they are apart. Original finish on the inside is bright. I can take a pic, someday. :rolleyes:

Here is a poloriod of my Z from back in 1970 or so. I was the second owner but I think the master cylinder and booster were just as they left the factory.

http://members.aol.com:/beeskerdog/dz203_engine.jpg

Thought Id toss this photo in that I had saved from some car ads a few years ago. Supposedly this is a 300 mile 69 SS/RS if so, then this should be all original colors. smile.gif

http://www.brainerd.net/~knudsen/69RS/UnderHood/300mileSSRSb.jpg