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| | | Forums66 Topics128,060 Posts1,055,837 Members48,427 | | Most Online14,466 Apr 26th, 2026 | | AD Chevy Trucks Over 6,000 pictures Brad Allen has an awesome collection of Chevrolet factory pictures that he has set up from film strips. Check them out!
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on the Internet for over 30 years! and not clogged down with Ads! Again, thanks! | | | | Joined: Aug 2012 Posts: 566 Shop Shark | | Shop Shark Joined: Aug 2012 Posts: 566 | Does anyone have master cylinder pics after they upgraded thier brakes. I have a 56 chevy 3100 with a 235 and 4spd. and wanted to see some pics of post installation or does any one have any advice or tricks on the install.
What I am doing is having my frame powder coated and i wanted to install the braket before and just wanted to make sure it was done correctly so I do not make a mistake after powder coating.
thanks in advance
"As I lay rubber down the street, I pray for traction I can keep, but if I spin and begin to slide, please dear God protect my sweet ride." -Amen 56 Chevy 3100 | | | | | Joined: Apr 2012 Posts: 17 New Guy | | New Guy Joined: Apr 2012 Posts: 17 | Hey Tiny Just put in the booster a few weeks ago, still working on some of the lines but almost done. If I remember right I had to drill, just two 3/8 holes for the bracket that the booster is mounted on that attaches to the frame. Also had to move the parking brake cable pulley back somewhat. Thats required to clear the booster, think it was about 6 or 8 inches, that required a few more holes. That's on my 55, 3200. Yours is probably the same. Other than that it was a pretty easy install. If your like me you'll spend more time reinstalling and rerouting the brake lines. Don't have any pictures for you right now, will try and get some for you tomorrow, unless someone beats me to it. | | | | | Joined: Aug 2012 Posts: 566 Shop Shark | | Shop Shark Joined: Aug 2012 Posts: 566 | cool Big Jon H, i was wondering about the parking brake cable/pulley set up and i was curious if i had to remove the old bracket. the lines is not a problem, the instructions on the new setup was vague and no illustrations. i am going to install new brake lines i think it will be my weekend project. sure pics would be great i am more of a visual guy. thanks again
"As I lay rubber down the street, I pray for traction I can keep, but if I spin and begin to slide, please dear God protect my sweet ride." -Amen 56 Chevy 3100 | | | | | Joined: Aug 2012 Posts: 566 Shop Shark | | Shop Shark Joined: Aug 2012 Posts: 566 | Looks like a great install thanks for the pics it helps a lot.
"As I lay rubber down the street, I pray for traction I can keep, but if I spin and begin to slide, please dear God protect my sweet ride." -Amen 56 Chevy 3100 | | | | | Joined: Mar 2013 Posts: 8 New Guy | | New Guy Joined: Mar 2013 Posts: 8 | I like the look of that but how do you check fluid levels/fill it?
Also is that for a drum/drum configuration or did you convert to disc?
Thanks in advance.
John | | | | | Joined: Aug 2012 Posts: 566 Shop Shark | | Shop Shark Joined: Aug 2012 Posts: 566 | I can not answer for certain about big john setup but his photos looks like a disc/drum set up since he has a proportional valve. Mine will not have the proportional valve because my set up will be drum/drum. I will make an access through the floor to check the fluid. The good news is i installed the bracket today and after the powder coating the frame i will install the booster, mc and brake lines.
"As I lay rubber down the street, I pray for traction I can keep, but if I spin and begin to slide, please dear God protect my sweet ride." -Amen 56 Chevy 3100 | | | | | Joined: Mar 2013 Posts: 8 New Guy | | New Guy Joined: Mar 2013 Posts: 8 | Thanks - Do you have any experience on the drum/drum setup vs the disc/drum? I haven't driven a 54 in 30 years so my memory is fuzzy on the original braking ability. I am in the teardown stage though and now is the time to make a decision. Just looking to get any feedback on workability of one or the other. Thanks John
| | | | | Joined: Aug 2012 Posts: 566 Shop Shark | | Shop Shark Joined: Aug 2012 Posts: 566 | My personal opinion is disk/drum setup is a very good set up. I chose to keep my drum/drum and try it out. I think if your building a powerful v-8 you may not have the stopping power really needed for a drum/drum set up. If you go with a disk on the front end becareful you get the lugs to match the rear for purposes of the spare tire. Plus if you go with disks you will have to change out the front bearings to a tappered bearing i think thats right. I decided to replace my entire braking system such as lines, shoes, wheel cylinders, hardware, and master cylinder. The master cylinder was changed becuse the original one had one reservoir and i wanted a 2 reservoir so if i leak i did not lose all my brakes only 1/2 of the brakes plus i found a good deal on ebay for a mc with a booster. These are just my thoughts. In the future i can always add a proportional valve and install disks. Right now i have bigger fish to fry. Good luck whatever you do.
"As I lay rubber down the street, I pray for traction I can keep, but if I spin and begin to slide, please dear God protect my sweet ride." -Amen 56 Chevy 3100 | | | | | Joined: May 2005 Posts: 8,983 Sir Searchalot | | Sir Searchalot Joined: May 2005 Posts: 8,983 | The ebrake pulley has to be moved because the new unit will interfere with it. This then, creates a different angle of attack to the pull lever so a new hole is drilled into that lever and the cable is re-pinned. there are some minor other tweeks possible, I.E. trim the old pedal lever casting and maybe deburr here and there. But both times I did it, I had the body off so it was easy for me to install. The reservoir is filled with a curved snout bottle or cut a hole in floor and put in a door. You can get tricky and install a fill tube in cap and a remote reservoir on firewall. Use a cheap VW reservoir. Solder/weld/braze a nipple in cap. A drilled out metal tire stem may work. (no welding) (or if you are rich, they sell the remote fill caps)
Right is right, even if everyone is against it, and wrong is wrong, even if everyone is for it. - William Penn | | | | | Joined: Mar 2013 Posts: 8 New Guy | | New Guy Joined: Mar 2013 Posts: 8 | Thanks - I am keeping the original 235 so I think I will stay with drums for now. Just updating the MC with booster should help, we'll see if it's enough.
John
| | | | | Joined: Nov 2012 Posts: 543 Shop Shark | | Shop Shark Joined: Nov 2012 Posts: 543 | If I weren't going with an IFS I'd do disc brakes mostly because I live in a fairly hilly area. I like feeling safer. | | | | | Joined: Aug 2012 Posts: 566 Shop Shark | | Shop Shark Joined: Aug 2012 Posts: 566 | Update i just installed the booster bracket a few minor modifications and after my powder coating i will add the lines and finish the install. As a friend of mine says the piece of pie. Thanks guys easier than i thought. A picture is worth a 1000 words
"As I lay rubber down the street, I pray for traction I can keep, but if I spin and begin to slide, please dear God protect my sweet ride." -Amen 56 Chevy 3100 | | | | | Joined: Dec 2012 Posts: 32 New Guy | | New Guy Joined: Dec 2012 Posts: 32 | Bigjonh - Any photos of the brake line routing? I have the same set-up but trying to figure out how brake lines run and what lines you have coming out of the proportioning valve. Thanks. | | | | | Joined: Aug 2012 Posts: 566 Shop Shark | | Shop Shark Joined: Aug 2012 Posts: 566 |
"As I lay rubber down the street, I pray for traction I can keep, but if I spin and begin to slide, please dear God protect my sweet ride." -Amen 56 Chevy 3100 | | |
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