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60's F350 brake problems (suggestions?)

W

wilamayb

Well-known Member
I've recently installed disk brakes on the front my 1967 F350 DRW. The brakes came off a 69 F350. They are dual piston calipers. The calipers, pads and lines are new. It has drum brakes on the rear but they are not factory. It now has a 14 bolt Corporate (GM) rear differential. Brakes on the rear are also totally new excluding the drums. The Master cylinder (new) and proportioning valve were also replaced to facilitate the disk fronts.

The rear brakes are set up to the drums as they should be. The brakes have been bled so that no air comes out of any bleeder.

The problem is, that when driving, the first time the brakes are commanded, the pedal goes to the floor. If it is pumped twice, normal pedal is achieved. The brakes are GREAT after the pedal is pumped. After being pumped the pedal is not soft. It feels just like it should. After pumping the truck will stop on a dime and stops evenly.

Any thoughts? Its almost as if the master cylinder is not supplying adequate volume....
 
Master cylinder is to fit a 69 F350 with front disks. It was a different part number than my 67 with 4 wheel drum, so we changed it out realizing that the disks may need more fluid.
 
Are the bore sizes for the GM drum brake Wheel cylinders the same as the Ford Drum brake cylinders? Since pedal feel is usually dictated by rear brake adjustment, I would see if there was a difference between the wheel cylinder bores.
 
Are the rear drums adjusted properly?
I changed a master cylinder and had to bleed it a LOT before it started working. Get a hose that fits tight around the bleeder orfice and put the other end in a can with the end submerged and start pumping. With this method you don't need two people. Pump a LOT of fluid thru each bleeder.
 
Ford didnt come out with disc brakes on trucks till '73 and the dual piston calipers were later than that...you sure that master cylinder isnt for a '79? if it truly is for a '69 its for drum brakes.
 
Either the rear brakes are not adjusted correctly, or the front rotors are pushing the pistons back on the calipers. This can be caused by loose wheel bearings or one strange thing I have seen is the front calipers switched side to side(that makes the bleeder screws on the bottom) If you did not machine the rear drums that will be you problem and you may have to readjust them three or four times till they wear in.
 
Better check your parts book. They were actually available in 68. It is my understanding that the calipers were changed to single piston in 73
 
we retrofitted quite a few pre '73 at shops and dealerships i worked for,but the parts came from '73 and up trucks...its possible some parts catalogs have the disc parts listed because so many were changed out.
 
Well we are actually both sort of correct. Front disks were available as factory installed on 250 and 350 in 1968 but was not available on the half ton trucks until 1973.
 

Being either soft or hard and no mush in between, I'd say you need to adlust the rear brakes then check/fill the MC immediately after you have a good pedal... Check your fronts also as said to make sure they aren't pushing back but I think you would notice a problem there...

Good Luck,

Dave
 
I normally don't like to comment on aftermarket conversions especially with brakes, but I think you may be correct about not having sufficient volume to the front brakes. But if this is the case then it should happen on every initial pedal application and don't overlook anything which may cause caliper misalignment like bushing issues or slide wear or too much rotor/hub runout. Hope this helps. Gerard
 
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