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Two questions: booster/fender clearance, and booster vacuum.
Hi all, you may have noticed that I'm upgrading the brakes on my 68 130 sedan and installing a 140 brake booster. I dropped the booster stand off today for a custom firewall flange, which should make it nearly identical to the 69-70 120 cars. I've perused a number of final model 120 photos and the larger 140 brake booster appears to sit just fine.
However, I'm a little bothered by the test fit I did last night. I could not feasibly remove my entire brake system for a real test-fit, but by eye-balling it, I'm a bit concerned that the booster will be hitting the inner fender wheel-well.
I think the 140 booster runs slightly inboard (towards the engine, as well as slightly upward (so the brake fluid stays even in the reservoirs). I carefully ground off the weld and removed the original foot of the booster stand and gave that to the welder to ask him to try to reproduce the two angles. Hopefully this will avoid any fender clearance or reservoir issues.
But if clearance does become an issue, what should I do about it?
I do not think having the foot re-welded is feasible past a certain point, because of the brake geometry. Without re-welding, I was thinking that I could insert a couple washers at the foot to change the overall angle, or that I could take a large hammer and wail on my inner fender until the booster fits...
Does anyone have a 140 booster in their 120, or does anyone have one of those rare final model year cars to advise me on the fender clearance?
Vacuum
I've done something similar to my 67 wagon, except that the booster stand ended up very short and it uses the narrower 1800E style booster. No clearance issues. However, after starting that car and trying out the brakes, I found them lacking. Some web research led me to think that my vacuum set up was wrong. Like cars with the external girling booster, I just hooked it up to the PCV vacuum hose - which was *very* snug. My review of those same 120 engine photos shows two vacuums and large hoses.
So, I deduced that my 3/8 hose was too small and that the booster should have a separate vacuum hookup.
Knowing that the combination manifolds have a second vacuum boss, and that I have the correct tap (now) I can install a second vacuum nipple for the booster.
So... which vacuum nipple should service the PCV and which should service the booster. Presently, the PCV hose fits the center nipple, and the boss over the forward carb is plugged. However, I seem to recall that the photos show a cross-over hose setup, making me think the PCV should be on the forward nipple and the brakes should go to the center nipple.
Which is which? Does it matter which is hooked to which?
Any advice here is appreciated.
Thanks as always.
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