The time came to upgrade the brakes. Had enough of being on edge while driving anticipating when less cautious drivers plan to pull out in front or cut me up :/
Started by removing the old master cylinder. All of the pipe fittings were so tight it was near impossible to remove without damaging the fittings. The old master cylinder was leaky, so had to clean up the firewall to remove light surface rust and greasy mess.
In order to fit the brake servo had to drill out a few of the existing mounting threads and increase the size of the centre hole to allow the servo to pass through.
The brake pedal was challenging to install. Had to lay upside down under the dash, could have done with extra joints in my arms to get in there. The pedal needed to be modified so it would not foul on the top of the pedal box. Ground a little of the top edge of the pedal. Would have been nice if I’d have spotted that before it was installed for the first time :/
One of the bolts on the back of the booster was a bit long, had to cut it. The boosters valve rod had to be shortened so the brake light would only stay on when the pedal is pressed. I guess these parts are generic and so need to modification to particular cars.
With a new proportioning valve the brake lines need to be adapted to fit. Both front lines were extended, and the rear line needed a larger fitting. The kit came with steel pipes to connect the master cylinder to the proportioning valve. Unfortunately, they did not fit well and would not seal. So had to remake those lines so they would fit and seal.
The fluid warning sensor connector was soldered on to the loom replacing the original connector (which was not compatible with the original distribution block – useful right)
The master cylinder was bench bled and everything fitted.
Next up was installing the brake discs. The drums came off really easily, 4 nuts on the back and the main wheel nut. Had trouble unbolting the brake pipes that connect to the drums, so just cut them. Was able to remove the pipes by clamping a brake line spanner with a mole wrench. Then using a socket with an impact wrench on the other side. After a fair bit of time, they come loose.
The Wilwood kit was fantastic, everything fit together really well. The rotors, hubs, nuts etc all need to be assembled. The brake lines to the callipers were spaced with a bit rubber hose and a zip tie. This will prevent damage when turning the wheels.
All done, what a transformation. So much more control on the brakes, a massive amount of brake force. The car feels so much better to drive.