Re: 4kq brake master cyl upgrade

["Gerry Snow" <gsnow@iea.com>]

>Again, this doubled force will only move the pedal _half_
>as far, but it is worth pondering before swapping master cylinders (could
>get tiring on the streets, or maybe _dangerous_ if someone special to you
>drives your car and is not ready for (forgets?) how your brakes respond...

Thanks for the comment.  I have pondered the greater leg effort for the
occasional non-enthusiast driver of my car.  But this car has become the
"play" car, not so much the daily driver, and is rarely driven by others
besides myself.  I have already fitted pedal covers to move the brake and
accelerator pedal closer together (in the horizontal plane) which already
introduces a risk element of mashing the accelerator when one intends to
push on the brakes.  (No more driving with after-ski boots.)  Actually, the
issue which I would be more concerned about is how the greater pedal effort
may translate to earlier metal fatique failure in the firewall where the
master cylinder is mounted.

>
>Would a shorter pedal throw not leave the brake and accelerator pedals
>_futher_ apart than they are now, and _tougher_ to heel-and-toe?

Actually, under hard braking (as in entering Turn 2 at Spokane Raceway Park)
the brake pedal squishes down at or below the level (in the "vertical"
plane) of the accelerator so that it is difficult to get a "clean" throttle
blip to match revs when shifting down.  I am currently upgrading other brake
components to address this (sst lines, Porterfield pads, Ate Super Blue
fluid, cross-drilled rotors), and I am getting ready to install a new master
cyl. to eliminate the possibility of fluid getting past the cups due to
cylinder bore wear.  But as long as I was doing the MC, I thought I would
experiment with the larger piston and bore option.


Best Regards,

Gerry Snow
Spokane, Washington, USA