Yeah those brakes do look out of whack...get that baby in there and let her roar!

Yeah it seems like I'm missing a part or something, or maybe just by chance the pistons are not completely back in the caliper housing...but I guess I won't know the latter until I actually hook them up to the brake system....

I envy you right now. sounds like a great project. wish i had the cash to start a nice big project. good luck with your car.

A little update guys:



I swapped the entire power brake/master cylinder out in favor of the spare FD unit I had on hand. It fits with a little room to spare, as you can see in the pics. The only problem I can foresee now is having to run new brake tubing. I don't have any experience doing this (not that it matters), but if anyone has some input chime in.



I've ordered some Brembo blanks for up front and I also have some SS braided lines for the front calipers on order from Summit. Hopefully everything will be here in time for the weekend and I can test fit the 17s that are on my FD shell and see how wide/tall I can go with a wheel and tire combo up front.



The hardest part of the swap? Sitting inverted trying to tighten the nuts on the fork coming from the power brake unit!



As you can see, the master cylinder is slightly longer on the FD unit:



http://www.prism.gatech.edu/~gtg419q...e/100_0125.jpg



A side view of the FD unit, complete with severed lines...though the ends might come in handy soon:



http://www.prism.gatech.edu/~gtg419q...e/100_0127.jpg



An overhead view of the FD unit installed:



http://www.prism.gatech.edu/~gtg419q...e/100_0128.jpg



Another overhead view:



http://www.prism.gatech.edu/~gtg419q...e/100_0129.jpg



From the passenger side:



http://www.prism.gatech.edu/~gtg419q...e/100_0130.jpg



I have no idea what braking will be like with the TII calipers and FD master and power braking unit, I just hope everything works out in the end. Next on the agenda is getting the new lines run, the SS lines run, the rotors put on so I can test fit the front wheels, and then getting a new set of axles from Moser Engineering. I emailed them and they asked for my stock axles to get sizing information for the new axles w/ 5 lug hubs. Anyways, I'm rollin along!

Thanks for the information. Let us know how she feels. I have a FD unit sitting in my garage https://www.nopistons.com/forums/pub...IR#>/smile.png

Use this kind of tubing bender. The others are pure crap.



http://store.summitracing.com/partdetail.a...mp;autoview=sku

I'm waiting on axles right now from Moser Engineering, I should have them in 2 weeks. In the mean time I'm planning on using AN hose to redo my fuel lines.



I've recently seen an advertisement for AN hoses that are quick connect/disconnect and much, much less of a PITA to use, but I can't remember the name of the company. I'll try and do some research and see what I can come up with...

nice work so far

Oh snap!



https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v...5/100_0693.jpg

Brake pipes you can just bend by hand - there's nothing to them in general - the only thing I can think of is you may want a bias valve in there somewhere cause you don't want the rears locking up first.

Can you do a writeup on installing those axles? I have heard of some people running them but no one has done a really great write-up

Those are the ReSpeed/Moser 5 lug axles. They drop in like factory yet give you the 5 lugs needed to run our rear big brake kit due out in a few weeks.



www.mrcmg.com/respeed



-billy

Sorry I haven't been around here lately, but I'm going to be finishing this thing up really soon. For real. No really, I swear, haha.



Just like Billy said, these axles are DIRECT replacements. Take the old ones out, push the new ones in, simple as that.



Can't wait for the brake kit!

Yeah, you are so full of it. https://www.nopistons.com/forums/pub...#>/biggrin.gif



Congrats though, I have been watching this for years now. I am going to use this thread as a reference for a 1st Gen Project.

Just after I posted that I got pneumonia. I'm not even kidding. I'm recovering though and planning my next steps in the project. I think Billy is almost done with the rear brake kit so I'm going to start there!

I only had one goal today -- to get my car to roll -- and I failed. I did have fun trying though. I hammered the studs into my new axles (.505 knurl, 1.5" btw). I had some trouble at first, but a neighbor had a square piece of steel that I used right on top of the studs and pounded them into place. He actually used to press in studs just like this at Ford before they had machines. My plan was to use the 4 wheels/tires off the FD chassis I have but they turned out to be too wide to even bolt up front. As you can see from the following pics, 245 (I think that's the width of the front tires on the FD, I'll double-check) is way too wide even for the back. They are 18" FYI.



I have no plans to put 18" on it when it's done, I just wanted to get the thing out of the garage and clean it up before putting the engine back in!



After putting the two FD front wheels/tires on the REAR of my FB, I tried everything to get something up front to work. I eventually pulled a spare tire from my Eclipse, but had no luck with my mom's spare tire, our Jeep's spare tire, or anything else for that matter. Then it started to get dark. My plan for tomorrow is to see if my Eclipse wheels/tires will fit up front -- they're 215 50R 17s. As a side note, the car is still on jackstands, so don't get confused.



Enjoy the progress, I know I am https://www.nopistons.com/forums/pub...IR#>/smile.gif.



https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v...5/100_0699.jpg



https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v...5/100_0700.jpg



https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v...5/100_0705.jpg



https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v...5/100_0706.jpg



https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v...5/100_0707.jpg



I'll have more updates tomorrow! It's good to be back.

Cool, one question though... you think that stock FD wheels would fit up front?

I'm not sure what the stock size/offset is. It doesn't look like anything over 7" is going to fit up front...the biggest problem with the wheels I have is the offset, the center of the wheel is flush with the outer edge of the tire...

Make sure you do some mathematical calculations to make sure you have the appropriate amount of braking balance you had with the old booster assembly.



Quite frankly, the best thing to ask somebody about (or look up from OEM) is the brake pedal as a lever.



It's likely a type 2 lever (fulcrum on one end, cylinder "load" in the middle, and your actuator "foot" at the other end), just like most cars.



You need to know the distance from the fulcrum to the cylinder piston rod, and from the fulcrum to the end of the pedal.



This dictactes your mechanical advantage.



For example, if the pedal is 12 inches from the fulcrum, and the piston rod is 6 inches from the fulcrum, then you have 2:1 mechanical advantage. Don't forget, mechanical advantage dictates braking ability as much as any other component. This is what calculates the amount of mechanical force turned into hydraulic pressure.



If your pedal is 12 inches from the fulcrum, and piston rod is 3 inches from the fulcrum, all of a sudden you have 4:1 advantage.



What does this mean to you? Let's math it out.



Applying 25 lbs of force on the brake pedal from your leg, in scenario 1 yields 50 lbs of force on the rod. Scenario 2 yeilds 100 lbs of force. A difference of as little as 3 inches of position (dependant on total length) can mean double the force. This could cause you to think there is some kind of serious problem, when it's just related to leverage.



Also what is the master cylinder diamater compared to the FB?



A miniscule differece again potentially means big differences in brake pressure.







For example:



Let's say an FD driver applies 20lbs of force to a brake pedal that has 4.5:1 mechanical advantage. The pedal rod is activating a 1.125" diameter master cylinder piston. What is the PSI produced?



We need square inches of the piston. This will be Area.

A=pi r^2

A=pi (d/2)^2

A=0.994 sqin



We need translated force to the piston. This will be Force.

F=20 x 4.5

F=90 lbs



Now we can find pressure. P = F / A

P = 90/0.994

P = 90.54 psi



NOW, Let's say an FB driver applies 20lbs of force to a brake pedal that has 2.5:1 mechanical advantage. The pedal rod is activating a 0.990" diameter master cylinder piston. What is the PSI produced?



(precalculated)

A = 0.7697

F = 50

so,

P = 64.96 psi



So that same 20 lbs of force you always laydown in that car during medium braking, with some parts swapping might mean you're missing or gaining up to 1/3 pressure differential.



This might not be a noticeable difference when you are pushing the brakes hard, but lightly loading the brakes potentially won't yield as much results as before, and your car might feel like it always has no brake pads left. On the other hand, it could be the other way around, and your brakes will be too sensitive for your liking.



So, as long as the brake lever, fulcrum, and piston rod positioning is all the same, and the master cylinder diameter is the same, you're laughing. If there's any differences, perhaps do some calculating, and maybe you can do a few seconds of FB brake lever modifying so you don't have any surprises.

Whoa Colin. None of that entered my mind...which is why I'm on here in the first place https://www.nopistons.com/forums/pub...IR#>/smile.gif.



Thanks for the invaluable information!



As far as finding an additional wheel/tire for the front, I have a friend bringing one in tomorrow. We'll see how it works out!

holy crap thats sexy!

Billy is the MAN. I can't wait to get the rear brake kit. I'm glad I was able to help out with the front brake kit as well https://www.nopistons.com/forums/pub...IR#>/smile.gif.

No sweat. I have all the formulas so if you want, you can figure out everything that's going to happen right from your foot to the force delivered right on the brake pads themselves (given all the components you have and their measurements).



I was just trying to make sure you're eyes were open on perhaps the FD has a different brake lever dimension than the FB (and the master cylinder diameter is the same). Or perhaps the leverage is the same and the master cylinder diameter is different.



Regardless you can calculate what's up and see just how different it's gonna be or if anything needs minor modifications to have a really sweetly tuned brake system.

I've never driven a car without ABS, and definitely nothing that's going to be as powerful and fast as I hope this car is. I'm pretty devoted to making sure the brake system performs as well as humanly possible at this point!



I'm going to try to run brake lines this weekend, pending that I actually get the chassis out of the garage. I got a spare wheel/tire today from a friend -- I'm hoping it will fit. The first step this weekend will be to clean this baby out.



Thanks so much for the help, not just for me, but for everyone who's been following this thread or who will follow it in the future.

Yeah, that is something that I did not consider as well. Excellent critical thinkin Colin.



I wonder why people are so "pro 8.8" when they have upgraded axles? The only reason that I can think of is that these units have not been tested. I just don't get it...

Well, I rolled it out this weekend, and I think you'll agree after looking at the photos that I'm ready for some racin'. LOL. The wheel/tire I got from a friend at work fit perfectly:



Attachment 19886



https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v...p/100_0711.jpg



Attachment 19887



https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v...p/100_0713.jpg



Attachment 19888

I washed the whole engine bay out with Zex Purple and then pressure washed it as carefully as possible:



Attachment 19878



Attachment 19879



And now, the age-old question: what do 18s look like on an FB?



Attachment 19880



Attachment 19881



Attachment 19882



Attachment 19883



https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v...p/100_0732.jpg



The answer: redneck.



18s are obviously way too big, my car looks like it should have chrome rims being jacked up so high! I think 17s will look a lot better.



Next weekend I hope to get the brake lines done. I *think* the line is 3/16s but I'm worried about the ends of the lines. Is that something that's easy to pick out at a store like Summit? I have the ends that go into the master cylinder because they were cut right out of the FD...hmmm...



I hope it's not too difficult to bend and form the lines. If it's not too bad I should at least have them done by next weekend.



Oh, and the pictures to back up the aformentioned "racing'":



Attachment 19884



Attachment 19885

I meant racin' damnit. I ruined the whole schtick.

Right on, keep us updated.

I'm struggling with the brake lines at the moment. I'm wondering if I'm going to have a problem with the double flared ends. I've read a little bit about 37 degreen AN single flares and how they're made more for disconnecting/reconnecting repeatedly, but I'm not sure if I really need that or not.



I finally found a decent bender at Aircraft Spruce. I purchased one from Summit -- they only had one 3/16" and it says "NOS" on it so it was $40!



Anyways, I'm going to rip out the old tubing and at least get a good idea of how to run the lines today.

I finished the brake tubing today for the front brakes. I then looked to hook up my existing rear brake tubing to the master cylinder and found a flaw in my plan -- there are only two ports on the assembly. After closer inspection of the FD I have, I noticed the ABS distribution block on the passenger side of the engine compartment. Damn.



So what can I do now? The rear brakes are sort of important. I can't express how angry I am for not noticing this in the first place. My only thought now is that FD guys eliminate their ABS all the time, but do they keep that distribution block or?



Chime in fellas, I'm disappointed right now :(.

I've also begun the search for a good set of wheels, though it may seem a bit premature right now. I'm looking at Work Emotion CR-KAIs at the moment, abandoning my previous desire for Gram Lights:



http://www.d2autosport.com/D2_2006/0...TIONCRBRNZ.jpg



I've thought even further ahead and I'm wondering what I can do to pass/circumvent emissions. I have to pass the sniffer in my state. Is it reasonable to think that I can purchase a cat/cats to bolt up and pass emissions?

Maybe I should just scrap the FD Power Unit all together?

I've seen this post before but never really had the time to start viewing it from the begining! Finally did. Damn you really put alot of effort into your ride! I gotta give you HUGE props for sticking with it for such a long time! Good luck!

It's never-ending! I'd like to finish it someday...

Stop thinking of buying more $hit. Finish up the car, get it running, turning and stopping on it's own, then worry about bling.

Hey, if I wasn't thinking about the future there wouldn't be anything keeping me going.



I've hit a brick wall.

Maybe I can turn that frown upside down. PM me, I have the rear brake kits ready.



-billy

PM sent, sir!

Hey everyone it's time for another update.



I managed to screw up my throttle body somehow -- I noticed the springs looked pretty bad (dirty) so I dismantled it (wrong thing to do) and cleaned and WD-40'd everything up. Now I can't put it back together because I should have taken pictures. Yes, I know, I'm an idiot, how could I be doing an engine swap...haha. This is what it looks like now:



[pic coming as soon as photobucket returns]



I've also lost the transmission mounting bracket, probably in the process of cleaning the garage out (figures) but thankfully it will be easy to make a new one.



In other news, the rear brake kit should be in this week. I also bought ReSpeed's oil pedestal with a -10an fitting already welded in place. This will allow me to connect my oil pressure gauge.



I pulled the "T" fitting off the FD and connected my existing front brake hard line to it without a problem. Now instead of getting a 1 foot loop of hardline to go from the "T" to the master, I was thinking about just using a SS braided clutch line. I *think* they use the same fittings, plus I need one for the transmission anywho, would that be a dumb idea? Here is a pic of the brake lines:



[pic coming as soon as photobucket returns]



I also plan on fixing the electrical mess I've made by mounting the FC fusebox I have. Once I know everything works, some electrical tape and electrical conduit should make this look prettier:



[pic coming as soon as photobucket returns]



Billy told me that 4.5" of backspacing will be required for the front wheels, but I won't know about the back wheels until I have the brake kit installed. I know, I know, this is more show than go, but I still need wheels https://www.nopistons.com/forums/pub...IR#>/smile.gif. I was also thinking about running an FC water pump/housing. I haven't been able to find a housing though...this would make my radiator hose routing easier. I'm also wondering how far I can get with the stock (aluminum though) radiator...



Here is my "need to purchase" list:

-4" cone air filter

-SS clutch line (maybe x 2)

-Turbo II calipers (to put on the rear)

-SS Brake line kit for the calipers

-Driveshaft

-Wheels