QuestionThank you for answering my question.
In response to your inquiry, the brake pedal stays at the top and is rock hard. I can not push the pedal down more than about 1/4 inch with both feet. I also had one of these same vehicles when I was 17, and didn't have a problem with the braking. It would as you say stop on a dime and lock all 4 wheels. This one will not. I dont know where to start
As far as the parking brake, the lever itself seems to be stuck, and I cant pull it up to activate the parking brake.
No the vehicle does not pull to either side
The brakes as stated by the seller are new, and he gave me the receipt for the work.
I just bought the vehicle a couple of months ago, and it is equipped with a 260 v/8 and mer-o-matic trans that shifts up and down very hard, but that is another problem, one thing at a time.
Thank You for your time
Joe
-------------------------
Followup To
Question -
I have a 1963 mercury comet with standard brakes (single bowl master cylinder). It will not hardly stop. I put both feet on the pedal, and it just dont want to stop. My question is, if I put a dual bowl master cylinder on it will it stop any better. If I put power brakes on it what applications of power brake booster and M/C will work.
Joe
Answer -
I don't advise modifying brake systems on older cars - it stopped well when it was new, and what you need to do is to find out what has gone wrong with the original system.
I'll try to help, but I need more information.
When you press on the brake pedal, does it sink toward the floor as you maintain pressure, or does it stay up and hard?
If you apply the parking brake while the car is moving, does it lock up the rear wheels?
When you step on the brake, does the car seem to pull one way or the other?
To get back to your original question, dual master cylinders don't have any effect on how hard you have to press the pedal to stop the car, but they do add quite a bit of complication to the braking system, and would require a thorough re-engineering of the car taking into account the wheel cylinder sizes, the weight distribution between front and back, an electrical hookup of the warning light/pressure differential detector, a proportioning valve, and perhaps a change to the wheel cylinders etc. It isn't something a person can do for himself, at least and have it result in a more reliable and safer system.
Putting a brake booster on the existing system would make the pedal easier to push, but it won't make the car stop any quicker - the original system, if it were working right, would be able to lock up all 4 wheels with normal pedal pressure, and that is all one can ask of a braking system.
If you don't want to get involved in diagnosing your brake system, search out and find an old time brake shop, one that has been in business at least 20 years and is locally owned, with gray haired mechanics, and take the car there. Don't take it to a chain that advertises on TV! A good brake man will figure out what is wrong very quickly, and advise you how to proceed.
Dick.
AnswerThis car needs to go to a brake shop for evaluation, there is no other sensible way to proceed. Something is not put together correctly, or else the wrong parts were used. Can you find out where the brake work was done, and take it back?
Don't drive the car any distance with the transmission shifting wrong - you could have a bad modulator, which will do a lot of damage to the transmission. Make sure the vacuum line is connected properly and that all the linkage is adjusted right. If that doesn't cure it, you need to have that looked at also. Sorry about that, but this isn't something you can do yourself.
Dick
