Well, I'm still working on the alignment issue and now I've noticed that if I drive for more then 15 mins or, the front brakes start to progressively lockup. I replaced the front drums with Baer 12" disc brakes about 1 year ago when I started the LS1 conversion so I never really ran it till now. I've bleed the heck out of the system again just now and I have the right kit, everything works fine the push rod isn't too long and pedal isn't being hung up, and there is no power assist. It works just like you think it should but just for about 15-20mins then it starts to progressively lock up.

This thread http://www.camaros.net/forums/showthread.php?t=30186&highlight=brake+lockup talks about the exact same issue but doesn't seem to come to complete closure. SilverCamaro, who's opinions I respect indicates it is the proportioning valve. I will replace mine just based on this, but thought I'd see if anyone else has any ideas.

Also, what does he mean by "universal combination valves"? Is this just a brass tee?

thanks

woah!

i was searching some more and found this thread http://www.camaros.net/forums/showthread.php?t=90455&highlight=brakes+lock David mentions that the front brakes should go to the rear larger resevior. I installed mine like the original brakes, front brakes to front res and back brakes to back res. Would switching these cause the lockup issue? I swear I didn't see anything about this in the install instructions, now I'm gonna have to dig those out if I can find them.

The front needs to go to the larger reservoir. Check to make sure none of your lines are kinked, and that your flexible brake hoses going to each caliper are not restricting after the fluid gets hot. A universal combination valve is not a tee, it controls the amount of fluid pressure going to the front and rear brakes. You can get them from summit or jegs.

thanks for the reply, I will definetly switch them, it seemed odd when I installed it but I figured it would go on the same as the old and there were no instruction otherwise. But still I was thinking, would this actually cause the locking up issue? It seems like it shouldn't matter the front and back both simply move fluid, if anything it would just be soft or lock up the rear. As it is right now just the front get progressively stiffer, the rear stays the same and if I crack the fitting going to the master cylnder the brakes release. And also the pedal gets very firm. I'll try lossening the master cylinder mount bolts and see if that does anything. But seems odd that it would only do it after it gets hot.

I had a similar issue when I put on my Baer Brakes. I didn't install them, my regular mechanic did. He's a very experianced mechanic, he usually only works on vettes of all years. But it's a Chevy so he'll work on it for me. But same thing, after the brakes would heat up, they'd lock. He said it was due to when the brake fluid would heat up, it would expand and push the rod that goes from the brake booster to the master cylinder causing the brakes to engage. Forgive my explanation, i'm not a very "mechanical" kinda guy. So what he did was take that rod, or what ever you call it, to a machine shop and shorten it down so it wouldn't happen anymore. Which it hasn't since. Sorry I couldn't be more descriptive in mechanical terms, i'm still learning. :clonk:

I had a similar issue when I put on my Baer Brakes. I didn't install them, my regular mechanic did. He's a very experianced mechanic, he usually only works on vettes of all years. But it's a Chevy so he'll work on it for me. But same thing, after the brakes would heat up, they'd lock. He said it was due to when the brake fluid would heat up, it would expand and push the rod that goes from the brake booster to the master cylinder causing the brakes to engage. Forgive my explanation, i'm not a very "mechanical" kinda guy. So what he did was take that rod, or what ever you call it, to a machine shop and shorten it down so it wouldn't happen anymore. Which it hasn't since. Sorry I couldn't be more descriptive in mechanical terms, i'm still learning. :clonk:


thank you for the reply, that does help. It confirms what I just tried. When I installed it originally, I set the rod exactly 1.25" past the firewall per the instruction sheet. I'm thinking now, maybe it was a little tight as there was no end play between rod and master cylinder but I thought that was how it was supposed to be. So I just now backed the rod out until I could feel about 1/16" play between the rod and master cylinder. I took it for a test drive and it seems much better, I'll take it for a longer test drive later and report back.


On to this reservoir issue. I took both lines off the master cylinder and tried to switch them but they are different size fittings and I looked in the supplied kit and there are no other fittings supplied. So basically there was only one way to install it and it was the front (smaller) reservior to the front brakes and the rear (larger) reservior to the rear brakes.

I'm very confused. Could the kit have had the wrong parts or does this master cylinder in fact get installed this way?

I bought a Baer kit and it did not come with the lines for the master cylinder. I had to bend my own since they were the opposite of what I had,and yes the directions did say to connect the rear one to the front brakes and the front one to the rear brakes.

I bought a Baer kit and it did not come with the lines for the master cylinder. I had to bend my own since they were the opposite of what I had,and yes the directions did say to connect the rear one to the front brakes and the front one to the rear brakes.


ok, what you are saying does make sense, and I will do it this way, but I will need to buy some adapters. Mine didnt come with the lines either but it did come with 2 adapters and I guess it was just coincidence that they fit reverse. I'm little bummed since it was a 1969 specific kit, so it seems it should have had the right adapters.
I also took it for a longer test ride and the lock up issue is gone :hurray: So it seems like it was indeed the plunger rod being too far out after heating up and keeping the fluid from returning.

thanks all for the help!

thank you for the reply, that does help. It confirms what I just tried. When I installed it originally, I set the rod exactly 1.25" past the firewall per the instruction sheet. I'm thinking now, maybe it was a little tight as there was no end play between rod and master cylinder but I thought that was how it was supposed to be. So I just now backed the rod out until I could feel about 1/16" play between the rod and master cylinder. I took it for a test drive and it seems much better, I'll take it for a longer test drive later and report back.

Glad that helped! :hurray:

It's been a while since I put mine on, but I do remember the kit coming with multiple adapters. I did not want to use adapters and remember I could not find a fitting for one of the sizes of brake lines. If I remember correctly my aftermarket power brake conversion stainless steel brake lines had a larger line going to either the front or the rear side of the master cylinder to the distribution block. And when I put on the Baer master cylinder I used the larger sized line for both the front and the rear since it was the only way I could find a fitting that would fit. In my case I just bent up steel lines from Napa the way I wanted them and sent them off to be duplicated in stainless steel. My car has not been driven on the road since I did the conversion but I have moved it from the barn to the garage and the brakes seemed to be very touchy, I just summed that up to being used to manual brakes at the time, but it may be a result of me changing the size of the line from the master cylinder to the distribution block