installing juice brakes on 38

P

popeye

Member
Got a 38 with 36K one owner miles. Would like to swap out the mechanical brakes to hydraulic brakes. Car will be here the first of DEC.


Have the 39 pedal and MC, going to send the MC to get a stainless steel lining.
Have 40 rear backing plates

Need the front backing plates, steel lines and hoses.
What about the E-brake, how do I hook it up??
What else should I look for or any installation tips?????
 
Popeye,
No doubt hydraulic brakes are superior to mechanical, but a friend persuaded me to try Flathead Ted’s Floaters first. I tried them with new soft brake liners and I am happy with them. At first I was disappointed as I had to adjust them so often. The linings had to wear in to match the hubs. It has been over a year now since I have adjusted them.

Both mechanical and hydraulic brakes have their advantages and disadvantages on our old Fords. It is just another option that you may want to consider.

Shadetree
 
My '38 was converted when I got it. The E-brake handle operates a rock-shaft. The actuating cable fom the handle is connected to the shaft on the driver' side of the frame center section and the emerg brake cables are connected to the shaft on the passenger side of the center section. The cables leave the backing plates and go over the wishbone and barely touch the tops of the bones. I think they would be alright without any guides, but I'm going to fabricate one guide on each side of the wishbones to keep them from chaffing the cables.
 
One of the easiest ways to lay out this conversion is to use the reference picture on Page 24 of the (Green Bible) Ford parts book. This blow up is for 40 -48 but the outline is similar for your 38. You use the 40 emergency brake cable instead of the 38. Dont bother sending out your master cylinder. If you have an old crusty one just replace it unless you store your car in a damp environment it should not be a problem.
 
I would agree with the guys that are telling you to upgrade your mechanical system with floaters/equalizers, woven brake shoe linings, fine tune adjustments, etc., first before thinking about converting to hydraulics. If/when you decide to go hydraulic, give Richard Lacy (Early V8 Garage) a call and discuss your best options for converting to hydraulics. He offers a complete well designed system that requires no drilling or other modifications to install. The master cylinder mounts to the frame using a special bracket and your stock brake pedal assembly works the master cylinder. He also offers all preformed lines and fittings for the complete assembly. He is a member here so you can contact him by PM or Email as well.
 
popeye said:
Got a 38 with 36K one owner miles. Would like to swap out the mechanical brakes to hydraulic brakes. Car will be here the first of DEC.


Have the 39 pedal and MC, going to send the MC to get a stainless steel lining.
Have 40 rear backing plates

Need the front backing plates, steel lines and hoses.
What about the E-brake, how do I hook it up??
What else should I look for or any installation tips?????
Click to expand...
If it were me, and I was going to go to that much trouble, I would go to a dual master cylinder instead of upgrading a single. (which is what I did) Ive never tried it, but I trust the guys on the forum. sounds like the floaters would be the simpliest route.

Gary
 
Shadetree said:
Popeye,
No doubt hydraulic brakes are superior to mechanical, but a friend persuaded me to try Flathead Ted’s Floaters first. I tried them with new soft brake liners and I am happy with them. At first I was disappointed as I had to adjust them so often. The linings had to wear in to match the hubs. It has been over a year now since I have adjusted them.

Both mechanical and hydraulic brakes have their advantages and disadvantages on our old Fords. It is just another option that you may want to consider.

Shadetree
Click to expand...

One of the disadvantages of the hydraulic brakes that I have experienced was if you don't drive it often (while in storage or parked for the winter) the wheel cylinders tend to go to heck. I have experienced this on a 46 coupe that didn't get driven throughout the winter. I was always repairing wheel cylinders in the spring. Hydraulic brakes work best when used often. Where as the mechanical brake system doesn't care when how often it is used. I have the brake floater set up on my model A and it stops with no problems.
 
I installed floaters on my '38 and am totally satisfied with the results. I use molded shoes, not woven, and it stops on a dime. I can't tell you about the manufacture of my floaters, as I got them at a swap meet, and I haven't seen flathead Ted's floaters, but believe they are designed for the earlier brakes, not the '37-'38. The adjuster bore on the '37-'38 is straight through, while the earlier bores angle off, so Ted's floaters must be way different than my simple star adjusted with a spoon. Ted, are you there? Shed some light here?
 
I would recommend Richard Lacy. The dual master cylinder are not completely independent as one would think. If one system fails the pedal has to travel a long distance and you may still may not have brakes to stop the car. I had a 38 with mechanical brakes and they worked fine. I have a 39 now with hydraulic brakes and there is no difference.
 
i have all the parts to do the conversion but have not done it yet....my parts were assembled by a mechanical engineer who worked on old fords for fun and he just never got around to installing these on his car so i bought them....other then what you mentioned he has an emergency brake mechanism and cable from something in the parts box and the backing plates need different grease boxes (the square boxes that are in side attached to the backing plates). you also need the tabs for welding to the frame for the hose connections. what ae you going to do for wheel cylinders? get old ones relined or just buy new ones?
 
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popeye said:
Never heard of the floaters..........will have to check them out.
Click to expand...

let me know what you find out and what you want to do, i am in the same position. i have found that having my 19yr old college student who is 6'3" and 220 driving the car makes the brakes feel great. i hypothesize that his powerfull legs can exercise the cables better then my short old legs. maybe when these were driven everyday the brake cables stayed nice and "free" thks bob
 
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