Target Car: 1966 Pontiac Catalina / 2+2 with OE manual standard 4-wheel drum. Currently running 17" x 7" Cragar Eliminator 500 aluminum wheels. Converting to 4-wheel power disk brakes. Here is my parts list to this point.
Brake Booster: P/N BM17005-5 (Extra-long studs to fit full size Catalina properly)
Details: 1966 Pontiac Catalina Power Brake Conversion Kit - 9" Dual Diaphragm Booster w/OE Manual Brakes
The conversion kit includes the following:
9 inch Dual Diaphragm Brake Booster
1-1/8 inch Bore Quad Port Master Cylinder
Firewall Mounting Brackets and Hardware ( I ended up not using this for reasons I can go into in another post)
Push rod with Pedal Attachment
3 feet of 11/32 inch Vacuum Hose
Intake Manifold Fitting
Price: $399 / kit
Link:
https://www.mpbrakes.com/booster-mas...42408BB08300D3
Disc / Disc or Drum / Drum Combination Valve: P/N VL3359K (not for front disk / rear drum; for disk / disk only)
Details: The kit includes the following items:
Combination Valve for Disc/Disc Applications,
Mounting Bracket with Black Electroplate Finish
Pressure Differential Switch Pigtail
Bleeding Tool
Valve to Bracket Mounting Hardware
Assorted Fittings for Installation
Price: $119 / kit
Link:
https://www.mpbrakes.com/pc_product_...C08E2DAD45E44B
Front & Rear Stainless Steel 4-wheel Drum to Disk Conversion Brake Lines from Inline Tube
Notes: I would probably buy bulk stainless brake line and fittings and make these myself next time. I had to modify the rear axle line and custom make the brake master cylinder lines.
Details: These lines are all inverted double flare and match up to the new stainless flex hoses listed below just fine. No adaptors were required.
SMFG70628A 1966 Catalina/Bonneville/Grand Prix Dual Master Conversion Lines For Power Brakes 1
SMFG70628B 1966 Catalina/Bonneville/Grand Prix Dual Master Conversion Lines For Power Brakes 1
SMFG73995 1966 Pontiac Catalina/Grand Prix 1/4" Front to Rear Brake Lines, Stainless 1
SMFG73999A 1966 Pontiac Bonneville/Catalina/Grand Prix 3/16" Left Front Brake Line, Stainless 1
SMFG73999B 1966 Pontiac Bonneville/Catalina/Grand Prix 3/16" Right Front Brake Line, Stainless 1
SMFG74003A 1965-66 Pontiac Bonneville/Catalina/GP 3/16" Rear Axle Line (1 of 2), Stainless 1
SMFG74003B 1965-66 Pontiac Bonneville/Catalina/GP 3/16" Rear Axle Line (2 of 2), Stainless 1
Price: $199.00 (Also available in OE steel for $179.00)
Link:
https://www.inlinetube.com - Must call in to order; not listed on website.
Distribution Block, Brake Fluid, 1966 Bonn/Cat/GP, Dual M/C or Power Disc Brakes
Note: I used this because it let me use the Inline Tube disk conversion lines which terminate at the OE brake distribution block mounted to the front driver's side frame rail, but seperate the front and rear brakes into two seperate circuits. If I had custom-made lines I probably would not have used this.
Note: Using this makes the brakes lines look and run more like the factory OE manual brake lines. The two lines enter the top of the distribution block from the master cylinder, a single large line runs to the back, and two smaller lines lead to the left and right front calipers.
Price: $32.99 / each
Link:
https://www.opgi.com/brake-systems/p...s-gbc9833.html
Front Disk Conversion Parts
Front Disk Brake Conversion Kit for 1965-66 Full size Pontiac 14" or bigger wheels: Product Code: ZNL R30 6566 Kit
Price: $389.00 / kit
Link:
https://scarebird.com/index.php?rout...product_id=251
Front Braided Stainless Brake Flex Hoses
Details: Universal Braided SS Brake Hose, 16" Long with 7/16" Banjo (Includes hardware) Made in USA. 3/8-24 female inlet for inverted flare with 7/16" Banjo Includes: 2 hoses, 2 banjo bolts(7/16-20), 4 copper washers, 2 clips
Price: $37.00/ pair
Link:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Front Disk Brake Rotors
Note: Unlike the rear rotors I purchased, these were not zinc PLATED, but were painted with zinc paint. I was disappointed when the coating came off with brake cleaner. I plan to pull them back off and repaint them to prevent surface rust.
Details: ATL Autosports Performance Brake Rotors. Fits 2006 Dodge Sprinter 3500 [W/285mm Front & Rear Discs ] ATL53028-35DS. Drilled, slotted, zinc-plated (NOT)
Price: $122.38 / pair
Link:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Front Disk Brake Calipers (use calipers to fit 1972 GTO per Scarebird documentation; these Wilwoods are designed to fit stock GTOs)
Note: These bolted up to the b-body adaptors from Scarebird just fine, but I ran into two small clearance issues. The calipers are dual piston and the puston bodies are slightly wider than the single-piston calipers the Scarebird brackets are designed for. I had to file the inside hole of the Scarebird brackets so the caliper could move in and out freely.
Note: The second area of interference was inside the caliper. The Dodge Sprinter rotors rubbed on the inside of the calipers slightly when rotating the rotors with the calipers bolted onto the Scarebird brackets. I used a hand file to file a slight depression in side each brake caliper to prevent the edges of the rotor from contacting the inside of the calipers during rotation.
Note: Be sure to follow the Wilwood instruction for bedding the beds to the rotors before you judge brake performance. My brakes felt much better after bedding the pads.
Details: Wilwood Dual-SS Piston Forged Aluminum Brake Calipers, 1964-72 A-Body, D-52, black powder coat (also available in red)
Price: $384.99 / kit (includes mounting bolts, BP-10 brake pads)
Link:
https://www.opgi.com/brake-systems/d...d-ch29044.html
Front Disk Brake Pads
Details: Wilwood BP-10 high-friction pads for D-52 dual-piston calipers above
Price: $66.36 (this is approximate replacement cost; these are INCLUDED with Wilwood D-52 brake caliper kit)
Link:
https://www.wilwood.com/brakepads/br...emno=150-8939k
Rear Disk Conversion Parts
Rear Disk Brake Conversion Kit for 1949-70 Pontiac, Oldsmobile: Product Code OPR
Details: Includes brackets, hardware, brake shoes, etc.
Price: $295.99 / kit
Link:
https://scarebird.com/index.php?rout...&product_id=80
Rear Braided Stainless Brake Flex Hoses (hard lines on rear axle to metric Chevy Citation rear disk calipers with 10mm Banjo)
Universal Braided SS Brake Hose, 15" Long with 3/8-24 female inlet for inverted flare to 10mm Banjo (Includes washers, banjo bolts, hardware) Made in USA by The Stop Shop
Price: $37.00 / pair
Link:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Rear Braided Stainless Brake Flex Hose (central hardline from rear frame to center of rear axle with distribution block for axle hard lines)
Universal Rear Braided SS Brake Hose, 14" Long with mounting block. 7/16-24 female inlet for inverted flare.
Attached mounting block with 2 - 3/8-24 ports for rear axle brake lines
Price: $18.75 / each
Link:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Rear Disk Brake Rotors
Details: Performance Drilled Slotted & Coated Disc Brake Rotor Pair for GM (1994-1996 Impala / Caprice Rears) by AM Autoparts. 5 Lug, Diameter: 11.61 in. (295mm), drilled, slotted, zinc-plated, integrated drum parking brake
Note: These were zinc plated and seem to be nice rotors
Price: $59.79 / pair
Link:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Rear Disk Brake Calipers (1980-1985 Chevy Citation / Citation II Brake Calipers FRONT)
Details: NAPA Total Eclipse Remanufactured Front Right / Left 2" single-piston OE cast-iron Brake Caliper with Hardware - Semi-Loaded - Black-Coating - metric M10 banjo
REMAN/BRAKE CALIPER: Part #: CAL SE4682 Qty: 1 $31.24 /each + $11.11 core /each
REMAN/BRAKE CALIPER: Part #: CAL SE4681 Qty: 1 $31.24 /each + $11.11 core /each
Price: $84.70 / pair
Link:
https://www.napaonline.com/en/p/SEBSE4682 /
https://www.napaonline.com/en/p/SEBSE4681
Rear Disk Brake Pads (1980-1985 Chevy Citation / Citation II 2.8L 173cid V6 FRONT)
Note: There seems to be a large variation of pad thicknesses. If you have issues with the rear calpers with pads fitting correctly, you may need to sand the pads down a bit. I believe this may be related to the location of the rear axle flange relative to the rearend housing flange. I believe certain people run into rubbing problems because their rear axle bearings are pressed on either too far in or out on the axle which changes where the rear disk ends up inside the rear calipers. I had to sand my outside flange a little bit to prevent rubbing, but only on the drivers side.
Note: I ordered a set of AC Delco pads and they were MUCH thicker than the CENTRIC pads I ended up using.
Details: CENTRIC 50002890 (Premium) PQ PRO Front
Price: $22.79 / set
Link:
https://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo...66&jsn=1&jsn=1
Rear Axle Studs
Note: I replaced all of my rear axle studs to account for additional disk brake thickness (probably less then 1/8' thicker) and the aluminum wheels (and their thicker hubs) I'm using. I removed and installed them with a ball joint press.
Details: Dorman 610-080 Wheel Stud 3.6 x 2.4 x 2.2 inches
Price: $17.08 / set of 10
Link:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Brake & Wheel Hub : Brake Backing Plate Gasket (1965-1970 Catalina / Full-Size)
Note: Seals between axle flange and Scarebird disk brake adaptor plates.
Details: FEL-PRO 13831 {#760023, 9778249} Backing Plate Gasket; (4-bolt holes); 2-5/8 inch I.D.
Price: $1.59 each (need 4?)
Link:
https://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo...119756&jsn=260
Parking Brake: Stainless steel replacement rear parking brake cable for 1965-1966 Catalina/Grand Prix
Park Brake Cable, Rear, 1965-66 Catalina/Grand Prix
Price: $62.09 (need 2)
Link:
https://www.opgi.com/brake-systems/e...x-gc03882.html
Rear Disk Brake Install Notes
You can access the bolts and remove rear drum brakes with backing plate as an assembly, but I had to disassemble one of the shoes to remove the parking brake cable and remove two bolts on the backside of the drum backing plate that held the parking brake cable to the backing plate. Disconnect brake line from wheel cylinder or cut original brake line near fitting. (Keep line for comparison to new lines)
Slide out axles being careful not to damage the axle seals. (I replaced both of mine)
Press out old axle studs and press in new longer studs (I used a large ball joint press)
Pry open metal tabs that hold original brake lines to rear axle and bend old brake line out of the way.
Trial fit new Inline Tube stainless steel conversion line. There is enough length in them to bend the end that would normally be routed to the rear wheel cylinders into a broad twisted S shape that will reach the new metric caliper hose bracket. If you go with custom lines, you should add a couple inches of length to the factory line length which would allow you to use both of the original tabs on the axle. I believe in-line Tube will make custom lines for you as well.
<INSERT PICTURE>
Clean the original special axle flange bolts and nuts and scrape any gasket material off of the rear axle flange.
Install the special bolts in the axle flange and install a new axle flange seal.
Install new Scarebird disk brake bracket with caliper mount at rear of car. The brackets are marked so you know which side each is to be installed on.
Install new axle flange seal over bolts on the outside of the Scarebird bracket.
Slide the axle into the rearend housing and into the differential
Note: may want to measure the position of the rear axle bearing relative to the axle flange in case you have issues with the rear rotors rubbing on the brake pads.
Slide axle retaining ring up against Scarebird bracket (with new seal) and install original nuts. Torque to ?
Install brake rotor. If brake rotor holes will not slide easily over lugs, use round hand file to slightly enlarge holes in each rotor.
Install caliper with bleeder pointing up and torque mounting bolts to spec
Install brake hoses from bracket to hardlines on axle
For the parking brake mods, I purchased new stainless L & R rear parking brake cables and proceeded to carefully cut off the flanges that would normally bolt to the OE drum brake backing plate.
I then cut off the crimped on brass ends of two old rear drum brake hoses, cut a slit in them so they could be slid over the new parking brake cables, drilled them out to fit over the outer parking brake cable sheath , and used them as a flange to terminate the new cables at and attach them to the new Scarebird backup plates using OE clips. No other mods were required to the parking brake cables and they have been working great.
Front Disk Brake Install Notes
I removed everything from the front suspension and painted it. I also replaced all bushings with polyurenthane, both upper and lower balljoints, and all springs during the disk conversion.
Mount the new aluminum Scarebird hub with new bearings as specified in Scarebird instructions.
Install Scarebird brackets per instructions and torque bolts to spec
If you're using the GTO dual-piston calipers as mention in the parts list, file the Scarebird bracket to fit the wider dual-piston caliper body to ensure it moves in and out freely when mounted.
Trial fit new brake rotors and slightly enlarge brake rotor wheel stud holes if required
Power Brake Conversion Notes
Haven't gathered my thoughts on this yet. I ended up mounting the aftermarket booster directly to the firewall without the MasterPower brakes-supplied adaptor for a more factory look and then modified two factory brake pedals to create one long OE-style manual (narrow) brake pedal. I can supply more information on the why's and how's of this in a different post.