Grand National Brake Job (and now rear gear change)

[Aero426]

Over the winter the front brake chamber in the master cylinder of the Superbird race car went dry.   So it was time to take a look.  The bottom of the master cylinder has some fluid around it, so it is suspect.   Most of the damaged paint below it on the firewall looks to be an old problem and may not be related.    The right side wheel cylinder looked OK, so we moved over to the left.    

The drums on the car are massive.   Whatever tools you use on your street car, everything here gets bigger.    The lug nuts take a 1" socket.    



The drum easily pulls off the front hub, and here is our main culprit.  Looks like the wheel cylinder is leaking and it is a somewhat pasty mess with some sand mixed in.    The front linings are 3 1/2" wide and segmented.    



The wheel studs are tapered to the nut pilots onto the stud.  This was just before the days of glued lug nuts.  



I could not get the brake line off the wheel cylinder, and had to pull the hub assembly to get the wheel cylinder out.    The hub turns harder that it seems like it should, and when we got it off, the grease inside is sticky like molasses.  It's probably 38 years old and goes back to when the car last raced in 1972.  



Here you can see the backing plate.  When assembled, Most of the brake is exposed on the back side.   On either side of the backing plate, there are slotted brackets the shoes slide into.  Other than these brackets, the shoes are held in by the pressure of the return springs.  I don't know the purpose of the two bolts on the right side bracket.  



Below is the hub and outer bearing.  The grease cap is held on to the hub with 1/8" allen screws.   I should have put a tape measure in the photo.  You really cannot appreciate the size of this stuff by the photo.  



The wheel cylinders are Bendix and cross over to a Ford application among others. It appears the bleeder is screw ground off flat as there isn't much clearance on the back side.   Hoses are the original rubber like on a passenger car.  



The master cylinder came off from under the dash.   I did my best impression of a monkey and managed to get under there without pulling the drivers seat.   Getting back out between the seat and roll bars was a little harder.    

At this point, I am cleaning and sourcing some new parts.

[moparstuart]

 wow thanks for the rare look .  great stuff.  I know most likely a head ache for you . But great pictures . 

[hemi68charger]

Now that's a heavy duty hub assembly !!! 

Maybe the rear bracket with the two bolts is for an air-damn for cooling?

[tan top]

great pictures   intresting , thanks for sharing 

[maxwellwedge]

Doug finally gets his Big Brake!   

Cool stuff Doug - Thanks for posting.

[Highbanked Hauler]

   Is that spindle a factory piece for something else or is it a "hand made"  piece for that car?  How is that plate that the spindle  is coming through attached to the factory mounting points?  Al

[Aero426]

I guess the best way to describe them is that the parts are "production" circle track parts designed by Chrysler.     In the case of the spindles, I am sure Nichels Engineering would get the raw pieces supplied by Chrysler and finish them.   These parts are also similar to what is shown in the the later 1973-74 Petty Circle Track catalog.   The spindles don't have anything to do with any other passenger vehicle.  

[Musicman]

Great Shots Thanks for taking the time to gather and post this information

Love the brake shoes by the way... I found those segmented shoes on the front of my 67 when I first opened them up.

[Highbanked Hauler]

Great Shots 2thumbs Thanks for taking the time to gather and post this information cheers


   Ditto, What he said!!!

[Dave Kanofsky]

Very cool...Thanks for sharing

[Aero426]

Got the wheel cylinders on order and they may arrive tomorrow.    They were common Ford truck / drum items.    The hoses are out to be matched up, and may correspond to an old Chrysler number in the Petty circle track catalog.    

The hub seal put up a good fight.   It is 4" in diameter and boxed on both sides.   It was a bugger to get out.   You cannot use the castle nut on the spindle to get it off.    The largest automotive seal puller I could find wasn't really big enough, but I finally got it out.    The other side is not so pretty.   Fortunately, the seal has a number, Victor 49552, and it appears to be a common item used on 14 bolt GM rear ends used on 4wd.   I'll find out tomorrow.    

[Mopar John]

Doug,
Great pictures! Glad your finding at least some of the parts you need!
Mopar John

[Aero426]

Lots of progress over the last week.

Parts are cleaned.  Wheel cylinders arrived and look good.    Bearings look good and are repacked.

The hub seal turned out to be a mid 60's Chevy 3/4 ton truck part, and was a tight fit.    Chuck Porter helped me get it installed with an arbor press.  

[Aero426]

On Saturday I touched up the firewall  and left frame rail where the brake fluid leaked out the back of the master and ran down.    Got a pretty good match on the paint.

[tan top]

  looking good 

[moparstuart]

 

[nascarxx29]

  very interesting thanks for sharing .On another note I found on my tapes. I recorded the speedvision auction when this car was at auction.

[Aero426]

Wow, I didn't realize it was on TV.   There was a Mecum auction about 1997 that it ran through and did not sell.  Is that the same one?   That would be neat to see.

[nitrometal]

I'm digging the photos Doug.  Please feel free to post up (or e-mail me) any and all your detail photos because I am very interested in seeing how I'm gonna tackle that look on my car!
Do have any clear shots of how the front end dual shocks are mounted on the bottom end?  That's what I'll be working on next.

Thanx,
Phil

[Aero426]

Some of you have asked about the air plenum.   Here is a photo of it with the air cleaner removed and the shop rag pulled off the carb.   The aluminum ducting fastens to the firewall with a couple Dzus fasteners.



There also is an air cleaner of sorts.    It is an aluminum frame that pulls out like a drawer.   The filter media is like the cut your own stuff you'd put on the back of a room air conditioner.   There also is a screen on the bottom side to keep the big chunks and rocks from getting through.

[nitrometal]

Man, I really needed that photo last year when I was building mine.    I sent out a request but all someone found (maybe you) was a small b/w of a '65 era Nichel's car.  Of course, that was before you bought your new toy.  I just built it like I thought it would have been done and got it pretty close I think but mine had to be waterproof (I don't imagine yours is, right?).

Is that the air filter in a pull-out tray like a home central air unit in the top of the plenum?

[Aero426]

I'll take it all the way out and remove the element.   It's just aluminum U channel riveted together to make a frame, with 1/4" square metal screen on the bottom.   It has a couple of pull handles to slide it in and out of the plenum. 

[Aero426]

Here are the front shocks.  First looking from behind, then from the front.    The bracket is part of the lower control arm and also mounts the sway bar link.

[nitrometal]

Awesome!  Just what I needed!!  You da man!!!   

[learical1]

Doug, any part numbers for the Ford wheel cylinders?