Well I'm back to work on my Maverick after a month break (due to the heat and wanted to enjoy some summer weekends). When I quit, I had just finished my 4 to 5 lug drum conversion by installing a 5 lug Maverick rear end and 70 Mustang frt brake assemblies (backing plates, wheel cylinders and 5 lug drums). The rear end and new 1973 Maverick rear brake hose was a simple bolt in...no issues at all. I had to get new front brake hoses so I opted for 70 Mustang hoses. They are a bit shorter than the old Maverick hoses plus the hoses mount to the body via a different style bracket (the Maverick hoses had a bracket on the hose itself) so I knew some adapting would be required. So step one...I installed the rt brake hose to the wheel cylinder and tried to locate a place to mount a bracket to hold the hose so the hose would clear the body and suspension...looks like I am going to have to make a brake hose bracket and install it on the frame rail under the upper control arm. I'll have to use brake hose retainer clips for a Mustang to hold the hose into the bracket. I will also have to modify the brake line to reach the new hose. All pretty straight forward so far. Now I go to the lt side and attempt to install the hose into the wheel cylinder and the hose will not thread in because the shoulders of the hose (where you put a wrench on to tighten it) hit the spindle. I guess I could try to loosen the wheel cylinder and backing plate to see if I can any movement out of them to help clearance, but I really can't see them moving that much. Has anyone ever run into something like this? Would it hurt to grind a little bit off of the spindle for clearance?
I had to run and pick up some brake line (a whole other story ) but I was thinking about this as I was driving. I may just pull the wheel cylinder back off and put the hose on it....then reinstall them together. That way I won't have to install it from the back side. Come to find out the way I'm re-doing my lines is exactly the way my 68 Mustang is. I should have looked at it first. Would have been less planning.
About the brake line...the "kid" at NAPA tells me that you can't get 3/16 brake line and I would have to adapt a 1/4 line. So I buy the stuff, but I needed a couple copper washers that they didn't have. So I stop at Car Quest...and they have all the 3/16 line I need. Kids these days!
Man this stuff drives me batty. The fittings on all of the original stuff are the same size as 1/4 fittings now. 3/16 fitting you get now are too small for the original fittings. So I guess the kid a NAPA wasn't far off. Looks like I am using the new 1/4 line and fittings since it is a direct bolt up. Using 3/16 would require a bunch of adapters.
Wowzers...sounds like fun! I had a friend do mine last year and he came to the store lots for a bunch of pieces! He had a time also..but in the end it works great!
