The restoration is underway on my 1965 Buick Special Sportwagon and we've hit a snag. After removing the 300 V8, changing out the front drum brakes to disc and dropping in the new 455, we've hit a snag. It seems the Power Brake Booster which measures 11" wide is going to rub the drivers side valve cover! :rant: I've been in touch with Cardone Industries which has emailed me specs for a later model Power Brake Booster that flush mounts to the firewall and measures 8 3/4" in width but has an eyelet actuating rod as opposed to the standard threaded rod. Before I go buying another brake booster, and try modifying the brake linkage, has anyone run into this problem? Can you tell me what Brake Booster, Master Cylinder combination or application will work? I could use any information on application, manufacturer, part number or anything else that would solve the valve cover clearance problem? As it is, the passenger side valve cover has about two inches of clearance from the A/C housing so they better not leak or it's going to be a major job to get these valve covers off!
Good question! :TU: I'd like to know as well, Iam presently using a remote power booster with the standard master cylinder until I can find one that doesn't present clearance problemes. I will probably have to stick with the remote booster and find a dual system master cylinder that clears the rocker cover then do the disc conversion. At least your's isn't on the "other" side :Brow:
If you are using a stock booster, this should not be a problem. The 67 GS400 used a larger booster than 66 did and it fits fine. Ages ago I put a 455 into a 64 Skylark with a disc brake conversion. It was close, but it did not rub. What valve covers are you using? The stock steel (or chrome) ones fit fine, but taller aluminum ones may not. Just my 2 cents, Mark
Olds did the same. A 66 442 booster is the smaller green silver one and the 67 is the same look as the 70 etc. I think this is when the conversion was made from the single reservoir to the dual reservoir master cylinder --66-67.
I'm running factory chrome plated valve covers, so nothing over sized there. I did find the receipt for the booster I purchased and the application from both AutoZone and Cardone Industries, part number 54-71106 is correct for a 1967 Buick Sportwagon, Special, Skylark and GranSport. Now, when is a power brake booster really a power brake booster if it will bolt to the fire wall, the linkage will work and the master cylinder will bolt up too? Will a '66 booster operate a front disc/rear drum master cylinder and actually stop the car? Check out the following applications from 1966, 1967 and 1968, all power brakes but with a single reservoir, dual reservoir and unequal dual reservoir? Someone has got to have done this? I will check with Cardone Industries for the physical specs of these boosters along with the later model flush mount version they suggested. Does anyone have any experience with a remote power booster and how does it work? Once again, I'm told the booster I got for the '67 application will rub the valve cover when the motor is running and vibrating and when torque is applied. Oh, and thanks for the tip on the A/C fan box. Hopefully it will be a while before I have to work on it. 1966 Master Cyl f-drum brakes Cardone Part #1049204 http://www.v8buick.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=43680&stc=1 1966 Power Brake Booster for Drum brakes Cardone Part #5473540 http://www.v8buick.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=43681&stc=1 1967 Master Cyl f-drum brakes Cardone Part #101489 http://www.v8buick.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=43682&stc=1 1967 Power Brake Booster for Drum brakes Cardone Part #5471106 http://www.v8buick.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=43683&stc=1
...and now for the 1968 version of the Master Cylinder and Power Brake Booster. 1968 Master Cyl f-disc / r-drum brakes Cardone Part #101521 1968 Power Brake Booster for disc/drum brakes Cardone Part #5471106
Told by whom? Have you actually mocked up the parts yourself? Is the motor currently in the car? I'm sure you can find/borrow a used 67-72 booster to mock it up and see if it will work.
Nevada State Prison For clarification purposes, the wagon is being restored by Silver State Industries. I had my 1968 Buick Skylark "Custom" 455 GSX built there back in 1995/96. The facility at Nevada State Prison Indian Springs is the same complex that produced the body for Carol Shelby's Series 1, built the remaining 43 Shelby 427 S/C's and continues today to do body and chassis work for new Mustang GT500's. They have also been doing work for years for the Imperial Palace Hotel Casino auto collection. I was out and saw the car Tuesday, March 8th. The motor and transmission are mounted, which is when I noticed the clearance on the passenger side value cover. At the time, the power brake booster and new master cylinder were not installed. After taking a close look at it, I questioned the clearance but the booster was out for paint. No, they did not mock it up prior to paint. Bad move! I'm assuming there was not a clearance concern as I provided the parts I believed were correct. As I said previously, I provided a brake booster correct for a 1967 Buick Special, Skylark and Sportwagon for front disc/rear drum and was told it was too close. My 1968 Buick Skylark has the correct booster for 68-72 model year disc/drum application and misses the drivers side valve cover by about an inch. After measuring it as best I could with the master cylinder installed, it appears to be about 10 1/4 - 10 1/2 inches wide. I will confirm the width measurements on the '66, '67 & '68 power boosters sold by Cardone and report back. If I can pick up a 1/2" clearance then I should be good to go.
Booster Measurements Cardone industries reports the following width's for their boosters: Part # 5473540---8.845" Part # 5471106---11" Therefore, I've taken another route and ordered a 9" booster from Hot Rods USA that I'm assured will work with the front disc/rear drum, master cylinder and proportioning valve application. At 9" there will not be a clearance problem. Unfortunately, it will be May before I know if it all works after the restoration is complete and the car is on the road again. Photos and a report back in May or June.
