I’m wanting to retain my drum/drum brakes on my 55 Chevy 3100 First Series and mount a dual reservoir MC under the floorboard where the single reservoir MC is presently installed. For those that have made such a conversion, how did you run your brake lines to the front drums? Presently one of the original brake lines runs on the aft side of the front crossmember over to a T-fitting on the passenger side frame rail; this T-fitting serves the front passenger side drum and both rear drums. Would it be best to convert the T-fitting to a 90-degree fitting that exclusively serves the rear drums and fabricate/run a new brake line parallel to the existing one on the crossmember that would exclusively serve the front drums? Also, has anyone made a custom access door in the driver’s side floorboard for accessing a frame-mounted dual reservoir MC? I would be interested to see any diagrams and/or photos of your brake line routing and access door install. Thanks in advance.
Some truck ran a separate line from the master cylinder to the driver's front brake instead of teeing off the one headed to the passenger's front. But running a parallel line along the crossmember would work just as well. You can probably find double line clamps to replace the two single line clamps there. Here's a sample from McMaster-Carr.
Kevin 1951 Chevy 3100 work truck Follow this saga in Project Journal Photos 1929 Ford pickup restored from the ground up. | 1929 Ford Special Coupe (First car) Busting rust since the mid-60's If you're smart enough to take it apart, you darn well better be smart enough to put it back together.
Thank you. My truck does have a separate line coming from the original single reservoir MC that exclusively serves the front driver’s side drum brake. The 3 other drums are served by a second brake line running to the T-fitting on the passenger side rail. My thought was to install a new T—fitting on the drivers side close to the new dual reservoir MC that would serve only the two front drums.
Have you figured out what dual reservoir master cylinder you intend to use mounted under the floor?
1950 Chevrolet 3100 (Ol' Roy)
1939 Packard Standard Eight Coupe (The Phantom) | 1956 Cadillac Coupe de Ville (The Bismarck) | 1964 Ford Galaxie 500 coupe |1966 Ford Mustang (Little Red) | 1969 Pontiac GTO (The Dishpit) I 1979 Ford F-100 | 1976 Ford F-150 (Big Red) | 1995 Ford F-150 (Newt)
I haven’t decided on the exact one yet but I was leaning towards the 1947-1959 Dual Chamber Master Cylinder Plus Mounting Bracket for Drum to Drum Brakes Chevy /GMC Pickup kit (Item Number: HP414) sold by Jim Carter Truck Parts. I’m definitely open to suggestions though. Thanks.
That looks like a good way to avoid re-inventing the wheel as it bolts into the original location.
1950 Chevrolet 3100 (Ol' Roy)
1939 Packard Standard Eight Coupe (The Phantom) | 1956 Cadillac Coupe de Ville (The Bismarck) | 1964 Ford Galaxie 500 coupe |1966 Ford Mustang (Little Red) | 1969 Pontiac GTO (The Dishpit) I 1979 Ford F-100 | 1976 Ford F-150 (Big Red) | 1995 Ford F-150 (Newt)
