Mike, while I have not installed a stock MC without the spacer, I did
install a tandem MC, and cut it in half, to space the MC, because of the
added length. Not positive, but I think that the spacer is just that.
The 2 holes in the pedal, should not make a difference, in that it just
changes the position and leverage just a little.
There was an excellent article on brakes in GrassRoots Motorsports
magazine, written by a Bosch brake engineer, who is also part of a race team.
The free travel you describe, is what he calls Compliance. This is the
expansion of the flex lines, and seating of the gaskets in the MC and
booster, and wheel cylinders. When this expansion is taken up, the
hydraulic fluid, which is incompressible, does its job.
Going to ss flex lines helps, and of course changing the brake fluid is
a given to reduce the Compliance.
If you want to know more about Brakes, get the Brake Book, printed by HP
Books, and written by Pough, spelling. It is the best book on brakes I
have read, and it talks about all the theory of brakes, and then finally
says, if you change your system, or design a new braking system, Go Try
I on Your Car. I does give you a good solid understanding of braking
systems and what the do and do not do.
I used this book in designing a new braking system for my Tiger. Both
the article and book will give you knowledge in tuning your brake
system, and take some of the old wives tales out of the understanding
the braking system.
Good Luck.
Larry
Mike Sutter wrote:
>
> Listers,
>
> Due to a torque converter failure in the wifes Exploder, I had to press the
> Tiger into daily service this past week. The result was a brake master
> cylinder failure. I have ordered a rebuild kit and a couple of cans of
> brake fluid to get the car back on the road. Meanwhile as I was removing
> the master tonight I started thinking about brake pedal travel. My MC
> system has a 5/8" thick spacer that resides between the firewall and the
> mounting surface on the MC. I also have two holes available in the brake
> pedal to facilitate the mounting of the clevis on the end of the actuator
> rod. When I pulled the MC out I noticed that with the spacer in place and
> the clevis pin in the hole closest to the driver it seems that I was using
> the worst possible combination. Does it make sense that if I removed the
> spacer and drove the actuator rod from the forward hole I would eliminate a
> lot of free pedal movement? Or would this shortening of the stroke reduce
> the swept volume of the cylinder and have an adverse affect on the way the
> brakes work? I have always felt the brake pedal had a little too much free
> travel before braking occurs. Is everyone using the spacer? And what hole
> do recommend, in the brake pedal of course?! What are your thoughts?
>
> Mike Sutter
> '66 Tiger
> Ramona CA
|