65 Brakes

[61 Silver]

I have a non power disk break 1965. I have adjusted free play and it seems to be OK. The break pedal is very firm and hard after free play there is no pedal fade. Is this normal or should there be a gradual building of pressure like on the 61?



Thanks Ray

[BarryK]

Ray

wish I could help you out but after 9 months I already forget how my brake pedal feels..........
I'm sure plenty of others will jump in and help though!

[Ken Anderson]

Should be "Rock Hard"

[Mike McKown]

Originally Posted by 61 Silver

I have a non power disk break 1965. I have adjusted free play and it seems to be OK. The break pedal is very firm and hard after free play there is no pedal fade. Is this normal or should there be a gradual building of pressure like on the 61?



Thanks Ray

I'm a little at a loss to understand what you are trying to describe. If you're saying that after the brake pedal moves just enough to remove the travel between the pushrod and the main cylinder piston and then it get's very hard, then I'd say you have some kind of problem. Possibly your compensating port is blocked.

You should feel some give but not like you are stepping on a stone.

How does it stop?

[Geek's 65]

I know people on this forum who would kill to have a solid pedal!! My 65 non power brakes using silicon fluid, has the right freeplay, you can feel the pedal start to apply pressure to the system after the freeplay, and then it gets solid and no matter if I am on it hard or city driving, they stay solid. The pedal does not fade over time the brakes are applied. I have thought about putting a dual master cylinder on the car just for safety but for a car that was always criticized for the brakes, mine work great.

[61 Silver]

Originally Posted by Mike McKown

I'm a little at a loss to understand what you are trying to describe. If you're saying that after the brake pedal moves just enough to remove the travel between the pushrod and the main cylinder piston and then it get's very hard, then I'd say you have some kind of problem. Possibly your compensating port is blocked.

You should feel some give but not like you are stepping on a stone.

How does it stop?

Hi! Mike



It is kind of hard for me to explain. I call free play the distance that the pedal rod travels prior to engaging the piston in the master cylinder. I rebuilt the master cylinder last year and cleaned the compensating port at that time. I have had a port plugged before and that caused the brakes to drag or lock up because it did not release the pressure when the pedal was released. The car is easily pushed or it will roll when on a sloped and when I check the wheel for increased temperature they seem to run cool. I have never felt a break pedal feel this firm. From the time that the cylinder is engaged the pedal is firm. It has been over 35 years since I have driven a 65 disk brake car with out power so I do not have the experience needed for comparison. I did have the rotors turned. I believe that you need a small amount of rotor run out causing the brakes pads to push the wheel cylinders in preventing drag. Could this possibly be the problem?


Thanks for the response!

Ray

[JohnZ]

Originally Posted by 61 Silver

Hi! Mike



I have never felt a break pedal feel this firm. From the time that the cylinder is engaged the pedal is firm. It has been over 35 years since I have driven a 65 disk brake car with out power so I do not have the experience needed for comparison. I did have the rotors turned. I believe that you need a small amount of rotor run out causing the brakes pads to push the wheel cylinders in preventing drag. Could this possibly be the problem?


Thanks for the response!

Ray

Ray, my manual brake '67 has a reasonably hard pedal too - should be that way. The constant-contact '65-'82 brake system doesn't need any runout (and shouldn't have any beyond .003" or so) to operate; the springs behind the caliper pistons hold the pads lightly against the rotors all the time, by design.

[61 Silver]

Thanks for the help!

Ray

[Mike McKown]

[quote=61 Silver]Hi! Mike



It is kind of hard for me to explain. I call free play the distance that the pedal rod travels prior to engaging the piston in the master cylinder. I rebuilt the master cylinder last year and cleaned the compensating port at that time. I have had a port plugged before and that caused the brakes to drag or lock up because it did not release the pressure when the pedal was released. The car is easily pushed or it will roll when on a sloped and when I check the wheel for increased temperature they seem to run cool. I have never felt a break pedal feel this firm. From the time that the cylinder is engaged the pedal is firm. It has been over 35 years since I have driven a 65 disk brake car with out power so I do not have the experience needed for comparison. I did have the rotors turned. I believe that you need a small amount of rotor run out causing the brakes pads to push the wheel cylinders in preventing drag. Could this possibly be the problem?


Thanks for the response!





It sounds to me like you're in business, Ray.

The non-power discs on my '65 have a harder pedal than my non-power drums on my '63. It's easy to forget what is "normal" for these cars when you get used to driving new cars.