pro and cons of firewall vs under the car brake booster

Ya, so the title pretty much sums it up.
Someone told me that the brake booster that bolts onto the chassis is a bad idea, with brake pressure and being vulnerable to water and debris

on the other hand

someone told me that the brake booster that bolts onto the firewall, is better, but it might be in the way before i bolt on my steering column.

can you guys please enlighten me?

 

Mine is installed under the flloor to the frame and had a few issues with rear brake pressure and bleeding, I think maybe because it is mounted lower than the wheel cylinders? They can be difficult to check fluid levels also, unless you can cut an inspection hole in the floor. But ... it looks period correct under my hood, a trade off I guess.

 

The one on my Stude was under the floor. I was going down the highway one day and the front licence plate and bracket came off bounced under the car and hit and broke the brake lines coming out of the MC. Resulting in no brakes. Fortunately it wasn't a Toyota so I just down shifted and came to a stop. I know, what were the chances of that happening? But ever since all my master cylinders have been on the firewall and no front plate.

 

under the floor = clean firewall

 

On the fire wall = more shiney chrome to look at.

Mines going on the fire wall

 

I believe a 53 ford had a master cylinder that bolted to the firewall and would look period.

 

If you got room for it under the hood I will say the firewall but if room is a issue then I will say under the floor will be best.or go for one that's mounts under the dash

 

I once read that dirt track racers liked a certain model of ford because they came with a swing mount style rather than a floor mount style brake pedal. Good enough for me. If it was an improvement for them, why argue?

 

if your worried about shit hitting your master cylinder..... put a plate under it to protect it, of course thats if ur gonna mount it under the floor.... i dont see how the MC being below the brakes being a problem as its a pressurized system.... but i could always be wrong.

 

Mines under the floor. Tons of people run them this way with no problem. If the proper risidual valves are used you shouldn't have any issues with it.

 

under the car means more heat, etc. on the firewall means more bulk. bottom line is that you do a search on this subject. most important is having the correct size booster for type of system that you have. along with weight of ride, etc.

 

I dont run a booster. Straight leg power

 

Under the floor requires residual pressure valves. My 52 Ford Customline has it on the firewall, it's staying there.

 

My stock '57 pickup has a stock manual drum brake master under the floor, no problems yet.

I put an '62 Chevy dual hydro brake/clutch master on the firewall of my Model A Roadster, mainly because of the hydraulic clutch.

You gotta think that 1959 and earlier all Chevy trucks were under the floor, but after that Chevy put it on the firewall.

Speedway carries the parts for both, so both have to be more than adequate.

I would think it is really just a matter of aesthetics these days. Go for what you want to look at.

 

Under the floor of my '37 coupe.

Mainly 'cos it hasn't got much firewall after the tunnel-rammed 460 was slotted in!

 

Sounds like you need residual ck valves in the lines. Stainless steel brake website will give you the proper ones to install . I prefer under the floor if thats the way it was originally.

 

Mines under the floor of my 29 A but I have no experience with it yet since the car is not road worthy, but I don't percieve any issue with it.

 

Almost everything now has em on the firewall. Coincidence?

 

Mine's under the dash but not on firewall. 90 degree Kugel assembly. Access to MC is 4 wing nuts & electrical plug & pull the gauge panel. Takes 5 minutes.

 

The main issue with mounting it on the firewall is bracing and metal fatigue. If the firewall wasn't originally designed to have it there, it is going to oilcan and fail unless you build some good bracketry to keep it nailed down tight.

 

No option C? On the frame in front of the firewall, that's how my Buick was and how I am planning doing my A unless a better idea comes along.

 

OK, tinkering with the '37 again, I was intending to utilise the factory brake/clutch pedal and assembly hooked to a hydraulic clutch and brake system, however a question:

In a factory '37 do the brake and clutch pedal fit each side of the steering column?


If so - I'm screwed! the 460 bell-housing is in the way of the clutch -pedal.
However if the pedals are further back I might be OK.

Answers and opinons please!

 

Under floor on my '35 Chevy and under dash (90 degree Kugel) on the '46 Olds. A nice clean uncluttered firewall showing all the OEM pressings.

 

Under the floor with 7/8" corvette m\c on my 52 poncho and 58 gmc. Wildwood residual valves front and rear. No booster. Plan the same on the 36 coupe. Like the clean look under the hood.

 

I mounted mine parallell with the firewall under the dash. I made my own bell crank to turn the force from going to the front of the car to the passenger side. It works slick, is above the wheel cylinders and is hidden from view.

 

I'll vote for firewall if you have the room, leaves more space in the frame for exhaust, mufflers, coolers, etc.. And you don't have to have a lift / mirrors / 3 hands or a trap door in the floor to check the brake fluid. I've also been thinking a lot about an under the dash rig, with only the remote reservoirs on the firewall and no brake lines showing. Gary

 

under the floor sucks!

 

mine is underthe dash on my 31 A, got a wilwood setup 2 masters and pedal used works great, but i had to fab the bracket, no issues with the steering.....

 

Under the floor is commonplace on old hot rods.

 

LOL I was about to say you had that backward until I looked at your location!

In this LHD example, the column is between the pedals. Cant see why the RHD would have been different. If yours is the mirror image, it looks like there is some room to move the pedal away from the bellhousing.