I have a '32 with a TCI dropped axle. It has Wilwood calipers in the front and drums in the rear. I'd like to pick up a manual m/c locally, but can't find the info to pick an application. Anyone know what m/c to ask for at the parts store?
Oh yeah, don't let the Wilwood stuff scare you away. It just happens to have the funky front calipers until I get around to swapping in the Buick finned drums.
7/8" bore Torino M/C works well with the 68-70 Mustang front discs and 68 Merc wagon drum brakes on my 32 roadster. EZ pedal and good braking. The Torino M/C has the brake fittings/lines pointing at the left frame rail when the M/C is in the usual hot rod position . . . which is to say, pushrod at the front. If having the brake fittings/lines pointing at the driveshaft works for you, a 68 or so 7/8" bore Mustang M/C will work just as well. This info pertains to a US left side drive car as shown in the pic.
The Mustang caliper has a fairly large single piston. How big are the Wilwood pistons? And how big an M/C does Wilwood recommend? You're gonna do Buick drums anyway, so why not gear the M/C toward the drums and if it necessary, suffer through the disc brakes for a while if the M/C is not quite right. Most hot rod brake pedal applications call for a 6 or 7-1 ratio. If Wilwood calls for a similar pedal ratio and their M/C is about the same bore the Torino/Mustang M/C's are probably a workable deal with the calipers. The FoMoCo Mustang style M/C's come in 1" and 1 1/8" bores and there may be a 15/16" bore available as well. Fwiw, pedal effort on my non-boosted 32 is about the same as it is on a non-boosted Pinto.
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