Disc brake conversion on a '67 LWB

[dieseldude]

After seeing Gene's (Land Cruiser Junky) accident with his FJ35, I decided that the single circuit drum brake set up has got to go - 5,000 truck with a 400 HP BB on drums just didn't sit well with me.

There are two problems getting a brake booster onto the firewall.

1) There is a large metal rib jutting out of the firewall.
2) The 454's valve covers and headers fill the engine bay thus I have very limited room. The other issue with the 454 - it creates boatloads of heat. I'm afraid the heat will boil the brake fluid.

Has anyone tackled this problem? Any ideas?

 

[whitey45]

Dan, there is an adapter, JT outfitters has them,look up rockcods thread,he is installing one.As for the bb,I have been running a bb for 7 years with the adapter and a minitruck booster with no clearance or heat issues.. I have a custom 5 core rad,and it runs 180 all day..YT

 

[cruiserbrett]

since I am in the process of redoing brakes on the FJ45lv here are some recommedations:

use 10mm fittings-this is going to require bending new brake lines. anything 9mm will be a crap shoot as to wether it comes undone without buggering the threads.

find a three way "T" 10mm juntion block, mount under the steering box area where the stock one is. run the front lines from this point following a stock fashion.

if you use mini-truck disc backing plates and hoses, you dont have to dick with tubes on the axle housing, and the hoses will work with stock brake line routing on the early trucks. you will likely have to slightly enlarge the hole for the brake line tab on the frame inorder to get the 10mm hose end into it.

remove the 3 way tee in front of the battery tray and run the hardline from the tee under the steering box all the way to the RH front hose braket on the frame.

run a new hardline from the master across the firewall and down to the frame area under the heater blower. ditch the tee there and the hardline going along side the battery. find an drum brake 10mm "L" fitting from 71-75 and run the rear brake frame hardline to this.

This is alot of work but you will be able to use better fittings that you can undo(10mm) and it give very sanitary looking routing.

I got a roll of 3/16" tubing from summitracing, and the 10mm flare nuts from brakequip.com

the "T" fittings and such are used from various year cruisers or donor toyota stuff at the junkyard.

 

[dieseldude]

Dan, there is an adapter, JT outfitters has them,look up rockcods thread,he is installing one.As for the bb,I have been running a bb for 7 years with the adapter and a minitruck booster with no clearance or heat issues.. I have a custom 5 core rad,and it runs 180 all day..YT

Thanks for the tip Whitey. That might just do the trick. And my buddy (who's doing the work) says he may have a mini truck booster kicking around - ADDED BONUS

BTW - when I stated that I'm concerned about heat, it's not the actual engine itself that is running hot but rather the heat I get from the headers which is directly under where the brake booster is going to be. I feel the heat by my feet from the header & muffler (which is directly under the underside of the driver side floor pan). Good thing that the GAS TANK is between us. . . . . I often wonder whether that is such a good set up . . . .

 

[rockcod]

Hi Dan,

Here is my set up the master is from a 93 Celica Supra, booster from 74 FJ40 and the firewall spacer. The brake rod still needs to be lengthened. I have not installed it yet (been too busy). I have this same master and booster set up on my sons 40 and it works great. I would stick with the single diaphragm booster, I tried a booster from a 4 runner and it was way too much vacuum assist. The set up is for 4 wheel disc, are you doing just the front axle or all 4 corners?

 

[dieseldude]

Hi Dan,

Here is my set up the master is from a 93 Celica Supra, booster from 74 FJ40 and the firewall spacer. The brake rod still needs to be lengthened. I have not installed it yet (been too busy). I have this same master and booster set up on my sons 40 and it works great. I would stick with the single diaphragm booster, I tried a booster from a 4 runner and it was way too much vacuum assist. The set up is for 4 wheel disc, are you doing just the front axle or all 4 corners?

Hey Tony.

Thanks for the picture. Running discs up front only. I'm using new 4Runner calipers. Here's the set up currently.

 

[dieseldude]

Where did the pictures go?

I uploaded. . . . . let's try again.

 

[whitey45]

Dan ,you have tall bb chevy valve covers,if you go to short valve covers it will give you at least an inch or more. And most roller rockers clear short valve covers,if that is why they are tall. Also you can heat wrap your headers,it cuts way down on heat transfer..Yt