Thoughts on single reservoir, single piston master cylinders.

When switching from a single to a dual, there is a required increase in pedal travel to utilyze the "dual" function.
KK

 

these old cars are unsafe, we should all just go out and get a brand new car.

 

Not true. Why would there be

 

LOL.....Thats a good idea, but lets wait for Obama to open "Cash for clunkers" back up.

 

In my calculations if the bore stayed the same then pedal travel actually decreases..Effort should stay the same..I also figured that if I went from 1-1/8" single to a 1" tandem the pedal would move slightly less but have more pressure for same pedal pressure, about 20%..And thats just how it ended up when I did make the change over...

 

i wonder how many of the cases of total failure in cars with dual masters were due to disc/drum setups that had rear drums that were not adjusted. i have seen many drivers with rear drums that have non-functioning self adjustors. poorly adjusted rear drums+front failure=many pumps to get any pressure.

 

I blew a line in my 1-ton van with a dead and partially unplumbed 4-wheel ABS setup - a front line - a few years ago.

I still drove it about five miles including several stops to a parts store for lines to patch it up to get the 50 miles or so home.

Not going to do that with a single pot, but a dual with a combination valve, at least you'll stop.

 

and radial tires are safer than bias plys

 

Yes, sure, but there is no way to equate ride quality and handling to brakes/NO BRAKES.

Apples to doughnuts.

 

I've had a few cars with singles. I never thought about it too much. Newer masters, and hoses etc..

One day I borrowed a friends late model dodge pickup and the rear drivers side line broke. Of course I was going down a hill on a small mountain trying to make a sharp left turn at about 30mph. Couldn't make the turn, just missed an oncoming car, went about 1/8th mile down to the bar parking lot until I was slow enough to hit a parking block to stop me.

My thought is, you never know what the situation will be when there is a failure, you don't get to pick the scenario so everything will turn out fine.

Concourse restoration..OK
Recently bought a car that had been rebuilt using a single... OK, I get it, it should be good enough for quite a while until it needs work then I'll upgrade.
Building a new car....Just put in a dual.
You have to spend the same amount for all the parts.

Maybe you've heard of Confucius??
By 3 methods we may learn wisdom:
1st, by reflection, which is noblest
2nd, by imitation, which is easiest
3rd, by experience, which is bitterest

 

IF you survive.

 

that pretty much sums up my feelings.

 

Death trap....They don't use them anymore for a reason!

 

My aunt totalled my dads car back in the 70's in his OT mustang because the single master went out as she was parking. put a dual on

 

If your pedal really does go to floor when bleeding the brakes in a dual, something is probably wrong with your master. I teach a medium duty brakes class at a college, we bleed the trucks every three weeks and I've have never had one go to the floor. But, of course, they are working properly. I think duals are visually cooler than singles anyway.

 

dual cyl in everything ill ever own....if youve lost your breaks before you know what i mean.

 

What he said.

Dont screw around with brakes. Even if you don't care about your own ass, there are others that use the roads as well as you.

No brainer in my book.

 

think I'll stick with my Henry Ford mechanical brakes...you guys running them new fangled liquid brakes are nuts...

 

If I had a good working single reservoir I probably wouldn't change it for the heck of it, or if the car was a concours restoration and I wanted it to stay 100% original. But if I needed a new master, I wouldn't hesitate to split the ines and upgrade to a dual reservoir in a second.
Just did my brake system last week on my present Falcon build, and since a dual Mustang master was a bolt in, I didn't think twice about dumping the single reservoir.