African Muscle Cars - Forum

It might need a Valiant expert, or at least a brake expert to answer this post!!

On my 1969 Valiant Barracuda (RHD, built at Elsies River), I have a separate master cylinder from the booster (which is on the fender wall). I've been assured that my master cylinder is the same as that fitted on the 1969 Rambler Ambassador--it has a 2-bolt flange, not the 4-bolt flange found on American Barracudas.

I have disks at the front and drums at the rear, yet the master cylinder has equally sized reservoirs for front and rear circuits. But the Rambler master cylinder pictures show equal reservoirs for all-drum vehicles and a larger front reservoir for disk-drum vehicles.

Was my master cylinder just a continuation of use for the previous generation of Barracudas (65-67) which were all-drum cars? (In other words, all Chrysler did was add a booster to account for the disk brakes) Do other South African Valiants have equal or unequal reservoirs? If I keep an eye on the fluid level as the disk pads wear down, does it in fact matter which sort of master cylinder I have?

You have a pm sir...

Ters.

Now I've dug out the original master cylinder, I see that indeed, the front reservoir was bigger than the rear, though you wouldn't know it by looking at the cover! The current master cylinder (fitted 1996) with equal reservoirs is what I bought from CBS Ltd (Epping) when I visited RSA on holiday in 1990. I'd given them all my car details beforehand but I'm wondering, did I mistakenly get the drum-drum one rather than the disk-drum one?

I think the drum and drum ones have a 'residual pressure valve' built into them. To keep the brake shoes slightly energized.



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