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68 Eldo Front/Rear Brake Problem

Started by Batwood, November 05, 2013, 09:46:14 PM

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Batwood

Hey everybody!
I'm new to the site.
Used to have a 72 Eldorado Convertible that started out gold but was painted a soft yellow with a white top.

I just bought a 1968, but have a couple issues I need some help with.

Somebody took all the brakes off the car... There is nothing inside the drums and there are no calipers.
Luckily, they threw some brand new calipers, shoes and pads inside the car.

First issue :    The front brake calipers have no line or hoses on them. I have a hose on each side thats bolted to the knuckle, but nothing that would attach to the caliper. Was this another short hose, or was it hard lined? My calipers don't have a hard line running from one side to the other, either, but I can make that out of line myself. A picture would be amazing.

Second issue:  I ordered a rear hardware kit and cylinder rebuild kits. Luckily, I found most of the hard parts for e brake and the other "bars and levers" inside the drum. Would anybody happen to have a picture or diagram of the rear brake setup? I could probably figure it out, but it would save some time to see exactly how it all goes together.

Thanks in advance. The car is no gem, but its solid underneath. If I can get it to stop, it will be driveable enough to take it home and park it. If its lucky, it might just get restored!

Glen

From the shop manual. 

Glen Houlton CLC #727 
CLCMRC benefactor #104

TJ Hopland

Are your calipers the original option 4 piston ones?   Or has someone converted or started converting to the later single piston caliper style?   Maybe you had a drum car and someone started a conversion to disc?   I have read front brake and wheel bearing parts are very hard to find for that early style.   I think 69 they went to the style that was used through the 70's so maybe someone was converting. 

I got my truck apart right now, I will try and go snap a few photos with the hubs and drums off.
StPaul/Mpls, MN USA

73 Eldo convert w/FiTech EFI
80 Eldo Diesel
90 CDV
And other assorted stuff I keep buying for some reason

Batwood

Thanks Glen, thats exactly what I was looking for!!

TJ, yes, they are original 4 pistons. Definitely has not been converted from drums.
I just need to know how the caliper hooks to the hose thats bolted to the knuckle.
I couldn't find any other information online.

Its either a short hose or its a hard line. If nothing else, I'll find a way to hook a simple brake line up between the hose and caliper and call it a day.

Glen

I was not able to find a better diagram for the brakes. 

I don’t know if that will help you any. 
Glen Houlton CLC #727 
CLCMRC benefactor #104

Batwood

From the picture, it looks like there is supposed to be a second hose. You can see where the hose is fastened to the knuckle. I can't seem to find that other hose online. Probably due to it being a one year only production. Once I get the rear brake parts, I'll get the car back in the shop and see if I can hook a hard line to it, I guess.
Unless somebody knows where to find some hoses? Everything I can find online just lists one hose for left or right front. Perhaps a new design got rid of the 2 hose system and went to one on each wheel?

Thanks for all the help guys.

TJ Hopland

Its been a while since I dealt with that type of caliper but what I kinda remember is the hose assembly had a metal end on it that bridged the two sides together with a hard line.
StPaul/Mpls, MN USA

73 Eldo convert w/FiTech EFI
80 Eldo Diesel
90 CDV
And other assorted stuff I keep buying for some reason

Glen

#7
There is only one hose on each side of the car.  The two sides of the caliper are connected with a steel line at he top (IIRC) of the caliper.  The hose goes from the bottom of the inside to the frame.  Again I am going from memory.  I’ll try to look at the car tomorrow.   TJ maybe right there maybe a short steel line the runs to the end of the hose, but it is not a part of the hose assembly. 
Glen Houlton CLC #727 
CLCMRC benefactor #104

Batwood

If I get a chance to get the car in, I'll post a picture of what I have.
Maybe I can get one single long hose for each side, to replace the short one and whatever is missing.

Batwood

After further inspection, I'm missing one right side hose. The left side hose must just attach to the caliper. Somebody had it tied up and routed wrong, so it looked like it was too short.
So all I'll need is a right hose and to hard line the two sides of the caliper together. Thanks for all the help guys.

Glen

Sorry about the delay in getting the pictures.  Don’t retire you never have any time.  You never have any days off, weekends or holidays. 

I think this is the best picture.  It show the short steel line to the hose the end of which is held by a clamp between the knuckle and the A arm. 

The clamp moves with the knuckle. 
Glen Houlton CLC #727 
CLCMRC benefactor #104

Batwood

Haha, I KNEW it. There had to be another chunk of line or 2nd hose.

Anyways, I didn't give up. I got everything assembled a week or two ago. Made my own lines on the calipers and connected the hoses. Had to get a new master cylinder and run new lines from the master to the proportioning valve and from that to the front hoses. I have front brakes but no rears just yet. I haven't had time to see how far back the fluid made it. But it is driveable finally.

What holds the brake pads into the front calipers? They slide in from the top, but I had no brackets. I ended up making some out of washers and strips of metal I cut out.

I also ended up finding brake hoses underneath the seat on the car. This whole project has cost me $50 so far ($25 master cylinder, $15 in rear hardware, and some line/unions.)


Glen

Here is a shot showing the clips.  I think they are somewhat springing  to allow the pads to move around a little. 



Glen Houlton CLC #727 
CLCMRC benefactor #104

TJ Hopland

From certain angles that caliper looks huge.   I suppose it is longer than the single pistons and then having the outer pistons adds a lot of stuff too so they are a lot bigger.

The rotor surface to wheel flange distance must be deeper than the single piston style to make room for all that extra stuff.   I know the drums and single pistons stuck into the wheel a little but there was not that much room in them.  I could see where there may have been slight changes to the wheels when they did that.  I don't think disc was even an option for 66 but I think was an option for both Eldo and Toro 67.  I have been told that because of how many complained about the brakes on the 66 Toro's many of the 67 Eldos were ordered with the optional discs.   If you go search for original reviews of the 66 Toro they all commented on the drums.
StPaul/Mpls, MN USA

73 Eldo convert w/FiTech EFI
80 Eldo Diesel
90 CDV
And other assorted stuff I keep buying for some reason