Advice please -which MC to run with 944 front brakes?

[mattp]

Hi,

I have a 1970 LHD early bay running on original wide 5 drum brakes all round. The van stops fine but I would prefer disks and as I want to run Porsche pattern rims it makes sense to go with early 944 (pre '86 single pot calipers) front brakes and late baywindow rear brakes and creative hubs and drums. I have now bought some 130PCD wheels, anearly 944 front set up, late bay running gear, new internals, a 944 conversion mount kit and will hopefully collect the CE hub/drums this month too.

What master cylinder should I run as despite reading as many threads as I have found I still have no idea, nobody is letting on? I have no servo on my van and because of this I would prefer not to fit one (although I have a manifold to do this should I want to go down this route) Iwill be fitting a splitscreen beam later on in the summer and that rules out an original VW servo.

Advice welcomed on which M/C and also whether I need to buy a bias valve to go with this as they are £165ea new...........

A couple of other questions

1) do late bay hubs bolt to early springplates and A arms to do I need to bolt on the whole late bay rear end?

2) I assume I need to fit late baywindow (71-79) handbrake cables too?

Thanks in advance, Matt

 

[the councillor]

you say fitting a splitty beam rules out you using an original vw servo ?

compatibility issues notwithstanding... surely when you consider that either

a) you've got the design skills and the fabrication ability to be able to effectively re-design the entire braking system, not to mention the several necessary, somewhat significant changes to the suspension the set-up you're planning to run would entail

or

b) you've got the moolah to be able to afford to pay said highly skilled design and fabrication experts

then surely between the lot of you you'd be able to fathom out how to weld a servo mounting bracket to your beam

 

[AxlFoley]

I asked this question last week as i am doing the same conversion, this is the answer i got from faux

The main thing to think about is the Master Cylinder, I have no servo with my CSP's and they stop great, but I did make sure the mc WAS FOR A NON servo bus. With the porka breaks you should be fine without a servo, just make sure you use a non servo MC (about £40 from GSF).

Also you say you will be fitting a split beam, wont this require doing away with the 944 disks?

Mark

 

[mattp]

Please forget the mention of the stock late bay M/C servo. A splitty beam will bolt onto my van as it is an early wide 5 van and has the correct holes except the splitty beam has a smaller distance between the 2 main beam tubes and this means the stock late bay M/C servo will not work. That said there is a new brazilain variant that will work from VW heritage HOWEVER I would prefer to run without servo for the time being.

The question about the particuar master cylinder is a simple one, there are a number of people running late bay rear and early 944 front with a master cylinder -I just would like to find out what m/c they run?????

From further investigation I understand that caliper displacment between 944 and late bay calipers is similar but this is really hearsay as it is just something I have read over the net.

Can anyone advise me please, what do you guys run???

Thanks, Matt

 

[mattp]

I asked this question last week as i am doing the same conversion, this is the answer i got from faux

The main thing to think about is the Master Cylinder, I have no servo with my CSP's and they stop great, but I did make sure the mc WAS FOR A NON servo bus. With the porka breaks you should be fine without a servo, just make sure you use a non servo MC (about £40 from GSF).

Also you say you will be fitting a split beam, wont this require doing away with the 944 disks?

Mark

Will see Faux at the Volksworld show, nice chap. Was hoping to find a solution so that I could order all the parts before the show and collect there.

Do you know if the non servo M/C incorporates a bias value? Was also wondering about a 944 m/c?

Also, to answer your question, 63-67 split and 68-70 bay spindles will take the commonly available 944 conversion brackets, the bearing are the same so the hubs fit. The hubs would fit 70 onwards and the new brazilian (K+L) spindles but they have caliper mounts in the way. 63>79 + new brazilian stuff take the same bearings IIRC

Thanks, Matt

 

[67 BAY]

Late bay will bolt to your springplates and just keep your handbrake cables.

Steve

 

[mattp]

Late bay will bolt to your springplates and just keep your handbrake cables.

Steve

Excellent, do you know what the difference between early and late baywindow rear A-arms and springplates is then? Just wondering if they are the same?

 

[richbaker78]

i would use the 944 MC as the bore will be correct for the front brakes.

As for the servo - i will shortly be selling a 944 S2 servo for which I have also machined a steel pushrod so that it can be fitted in the standard mounting position on the beam - on these the 944 MC is piggybacked onto it.

To fit this to your van you would basically need to reverse the pushrod crank (where the pedals pivot) and make / buy a clevis to fit it to and M10 thread. The servo bolts up as would a van one. the simply bolt your 944 Mc on the back and give it some pipes.

servo is in excellent condition with a small dent from storage. Pushrod is painted and in good condition - barely used.

£25 the lot. Happy to advise further on fitting if interested as have been thru a few set ups on my van.

can post for extra - prefer collection.
can do pics too.
Mail me bakerrw "at" bv "dot" com for info.