I may not be following well, so I'd like to confirm, you are saying that an under floor setup may be the easier route, due to the dash design/configuration? If so, I'll go out and try to rethink my exhaust in relationship to possible under-floor brake options. Thanks!
The dash is part of the firewall in these trucks. What you see inside the truck is the shelf in the firewall under the hood. Not saying it can't be done, just that think all of it through before ordering parts. Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
" know I'm going to need more than the old lever under the floor board was going to provide." And why do you know that? A master cylinder is a master cylinder. It really doesn't care whether the pedal goes through the floor or swings under the dash or mounts on the floor. I've done a bunch of these trucks, including several with discs, and always been able to stop them with the OEM pedal and master cylinder. I've even re-used the OEM Bendix power booster. If one is really paranoid and insists on a dual chamber master cylinder, Jim Turner makes a kit to mount one in the stock location. http://www.turnerbrake.com/ He'll have what you need and explain how it works just fine with his own disc brake kits and how it will work with yours. jack vines
Made a great score today! Found a pair of heated, motorized Chrysler seats for $75 ea! Now to fab up the mounts so I can place the column and wheel, and then pedals. Everything is so dang interdependent that it occasionally seems like it's all working together, against the project. LOL
More parts came today. I received the 700R4 mount, a Holly Blue fuel pump, a high torque starter and an air filter. I love getting packages. It was like Christmas!
I finally got around to working on the motor again. New water pump, new power steering pump, and the first pieces from the March Performance serpentine conversion.
I'm sorry the picture is less than awesome. It doesn't look like much has happened, but that's a lesson I'm learning. I know a lot has moved forward since the last photo that I took like this. The motor is now built. The motor mounts and transmission mount are nearly ironed out. I have seats. There's progress, I just wish it looked more like it. LOL
I would have never thought it would take me this long to build a truck. Just a little update... I'm on my third engine mount design. I think this one might work. I learned the hard way about paying more attention to the parts around whatever I'm working on. I had set the motor in, nice and low, and as far back as I thought I could. What I didn't notice was that my steering had been disconnected, and so when it came time to attach the tie rod, the oil pan was in its path. I moved the motor up but then ran into the firewall. Now the motor is up and forward, and the tie rod is connected so I know it clears. The steering column and rod have been another challenge. I had to visit a few car shows to study what I could get away with. I think I've got all the parts and a curved path forward that goes around the left header. I also found a pile of parts over in Payson, AZ. I picked up a cab, bed, fenders, and factory bench seat for $150, so I have some extra metal to work with, which will help patch the holes in my existing bed. Brakes are on my list of things to tackle soon. I'm looking at frame rail mounting the pedal and booster ***embly. I don't love it because bleeding the brakes will be a pain, but the V8 doesn't leave much room on the firewall, and the style of the dash doesn't leave room to tuck anything up into there either. Anyhow, that's the latest. Just wanted to check in and share my learning experiences. --Phillip
So here I am, 3 years later and I'm just now getting serious about pedals. You weren't kidding about the complications of changing the pedals around. I keep looking at this under-floor systems and cringing. I don't have any experience with them being under the floor, but the thought of having to get to it and bleed it, and the thought of having the hole in the floor for the lever to slide through.. I'm having a hard time accepting it. Am I wrong? Is it really ok?
Man, talk about a cold shoulder. LOL None the less, I made more progress today. Fabbed a new cross member. I used 1" heavy wall for mock-up, but it was sagging under the weight of the SBC/700R4 combination so I just replaced it with 1.75" 0.250 wall DOM. Shouldn't have any flex problems now! Feels good to be working on this beast again. Talked to Wilwood a bit also. I think I'm going to investigate non-power MC on the firewall a little more. They are echoing the posts earlier about not needing a booster, and a smaller manual MC just might fit with a hanging pedal, which is my preferred choice.
All, I presume that you've all left this thread for dead but alas it is not! This past weekend I was actually home, and got some "stuff" done. I rebuilt the cross member that I had designed. In my many engine mount variants, I have been moving the engine around to get it where I want it in the least efficient manner possible, by building and fully welding mounts in then checking. I can only shake my head at myself because I've built Jeeps, and Toyotas, and tube-ch***is race cars and never felt so bone-headed and lost. This build has taught me a ton of things I always took for granted. As part of the new engine mount, I also learned the cross member I built out of heavy-wall tube wasn't beef enough. This isn't a factor of tube thickness, it was a factor of tube diameter and geometry and physics. I stepped up to a 2" .120" piece and all the bow is gone. I also needed to make a new mounting plate because of the engine moving forward so this was a perfect excuse and opportunity. I also took some time this weekend to cut off the old compressor mount from the frame and install a new mount for a new ViaAir compressor. I wouldn't have used bags on a cl***ic, but this was my step Dad's truck and when he p***ed, I wanted to try and stick close to his vision. I've been reigning in some of his more wild ideas, and upgrading some of the generic components that came in the boxes with the truck, IE the compressor of unknown origin. I finished the cross member and put the cab back onto the ch***is. I installed the factory bench and was able to get the instrument bezel installed along with the steering column. This was my first real opportunity to see that the steering shaft real was going to clear the headers. Thank goodness. I thought for sure I was going to end up having some custom headers made. Was not looking forward to that task. Well, steering shaft cut and installed, now I just need a wheel. Thanks to Amazon, I should have all those pieces by Tuesday. This will be the first time the truck has been steerable since I acquired it. Big milestone for me. Anyhow, just wanted to share my progress. Thanks for all the support! --Phillip
Congrats on the progress! Stick with it and enjoy the process,as far as brakes go I used the original under floor master cylinder location with a dual reservoir master cylinder and a disk drum combo with no power boost and the motion ratio of the pedal makes it feel like power ***ist! Also you probably have this figured out by now but leave as many parts at lest mocked up when fitting others, block things up with Jack stands and cribbage blocks , make cardboard patterns then TACK your parts together, look and think it over!....hang in there and " keep on truckin "
I haven't been posting much. I know this isn't the sort of build this forum is about, but it's the forum I love, so I'll keep sharing until I'm turned away. School and work have kept me busy, but there is progress! I actually backed the truck out of the driveway tonight. The first time it's moved under its own power. I'm pretty excited. Sent from my SM-G950U1 using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Good for you! Your build shows a lot of perseverance. While not my particular cup of tea, it looks like it will turn out very nice and you'll end up with a truck you can use and enjoy. I really like the family connection as well.
Thank you. If I were building my own from scratch it would be stock. This has been a long challenging project to try and find balance between his vision, and my own. Sent from my SM-G950U1 using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
I'm just scanning thru this morn, so I dono if its already addressed, but I kept the stock pedal location. From the high seating position in the truck, I can push a floor pedal downward a lot harder than I can push straight forward a hanging firewall pedal. The firewall pedal can give a lot more foot power in a car with lower seats, but a tall-seated truck driver has more power pushing downward. very quickly described- I took a mopar dual master cyl, cut off the mounting ears, and put it in a box made from a 2x2 ( ? 2-1/4 by 2-1/4?) steel tube with cutouts for the brake lines, then simply bolted the mc box to the frame using the stude factory mount holes in the frame. In 20 yrs of use I have replaced the mc once, and haven't felt the need to rearrange anything. I dont have to pull up carpet and open the hole in the floor to check fluid level. When I pulled off the plastic reservoir from the mc, used some ace hardware fittings, and a vw remote reservoir on the firewall, I expected to have to carefully monitor for leaks etc, I found in 20yrs it has been uneventful and very reliable. At the beginning, I wanted re***urance that my "dual system" really would back me up in an emergency failure, I completely unplugged a rear brake line. The pedal stopped the truck with a low pedal on front brakes only. Then I tried the same test on the rear-only, with a front line unhooked. Again a low pedal, but it stopped on the rear brakes. I ALWAYS DO THAT TEST ON A NEW BUILD because I can never have confidance in a new "dual system" until I personally verify that it WON'T hit the floor before stopping. If your pedal touches the floor any time during testing, REDESIGN IT . Otherwise, A DUAL MC IS ONLY A JOKE THAT WON'T BE THERE WHEN YOU NEED IT. I always double-verify before I trust it. If the lever ratios are not quite perfect, or the bore sizes not exactly right, or the fluid volumes aren't as planned, you can avoid a nasty surprise when you desperately need performance. ....but that's just me... WHY BE ORDINARY ?
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