The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Driveline Dual Master

Has anyone ever installed a dual master cylinder in the stock location of a 49 pickup without any complications.

Ha Ha Ha, the question should be “has anyone ever done ANYTHING to a (fill in the year of choice) without any complications?

In all seriousness it is “relatively” uncomplicated if you assume that the existing brake lines are 70 years old (and/or were worked on by someone under qualified) and that they are very happy not being worked on, and that this will be a great time to remove and replace ALL of them including flex lines, and ask yourself what condition the brakes, wheel cylinders, drums, etc are in.
Once you answer those questions, yep…no complications.

There is a good video on YouTube of this exact dual master install done by Brothers Trucks, Welsh is a real deal mechanic and he walks you thur the process. He does a R&R in a couple of hours….but he does it every day….search YouTube “1947-1959 Chevy dual master cylinder upgrade” it will come right up…

Ps: good,time to buy a Motive pressure brake bleeder……
Chuck

Unless , like Chuck points out, you're doing a complete replacement of the system, I wouldn't bother.

All I drive are antique cars. Virtually every one in the list you see below, with the exception of the Ford trucks, has single reservoir master cylinders. They all work perfectly. None has EVER failed on me in my entire life. The Cadillac has been my primary vehicle for over 20 years and the mc was rebuilt around 2002 or so and has well over 100,000 safe miles on it since. Add in another 100,000+ miles for the other vehicles and you'll see that properly maintained brake systems don't care whether it's single or dual reservoir.

Like most collector car guys who work on their own vehicles, I'm sure you pay close attention to every aspect of your vehicle and head off trouble before it starts.

No need to go looking for problems that don't exist.

Ya know, although I changed the single to dual MC in my '52 I'll agree with Otto on this. I had the same original single MC that's been in my truck, probably the ONLY MC the truck ever had, and never had a problem for the 68 years it was in the truck. I did rebuild it once, basic drill mounted hone and new rubber.

No problems with the dual MC either. It's listed as original in a '67 Chevy truck (maybe that's the first year they came stock with dual MC, I dunno). The thing I don't like about it, is the reservoirs are tiny, and the cap is vented around the edges such that fluid wants to slosh out if it's filled close to the top. I don't top it off because of that.

Main reason I did the change was I actually lost the front brakes in my dad's old '68 Pherd LTD many years ago. Fortunately it was a dual MC but if it wasn't I might've met my maker!

Pics attached. Cut a new hole in the floorboard a few inches behind original MC, same size as original hole so now I have two MC holes instead of one. Both dual MC reservoirs easily filled through one hole with a turkey baster or the like.

I'm with Otto, absolutely no need for a dual master cylinder. I have probably put millions of miles on my rides in 75 years of driving with zero brake failure. Just check out the system if anything changes which is usually pedal height. My 37 Buick has a dual mc that is off a disc/drum car after I had full pedal-no brakes after driving with the drums under water. I drive my 37 border to border and coast to coast so likely run into situations very few experience in their old rides. I'm cheap so a dual mc is less expensive and complicated than proportioning valve and/or 2#-10# residual pressure valves.

Sedgewick Single in good shape,mechanicle in good shape,know how to downshift.