How much brake pedal travel do you folks have in your Vettes? The power brakes work fine but they seem to have a lot of travel? and ideas or suggestions to shorten the distance? :bb

 

Mine really don't travel too far at all.

 

The brakes on the C3s are troublesome. The stock seal on the calipers can't tolerate much brake rotor runout and draw in air. Also, with other than fresh bearings the rotor will have too much runout and push pistons back in bore. Whether air is entering the system or not, there will be excessive pedal travel. If you have more than 1" travel then it is too much. Ways to deal with this are as follows.

1. Replace stock caliper pistons with solid O-ring type. These have a tight fit in the bore unlike the stock seals. Zero tolerance, VB or Florida corvette parts. Make sure you have stainless steel sleeved calipers.
2. Make sure brake rotors are not excessively groved and are not warped.
3. Check bearings front and rear for excessive play.
4. AS A LAST RESORT for racing, Go to a different master cylinder. The 65 to 76 master cylinder has a 1 1/8th inch bore in lieu of 1" on later models. Also the older Chevy Power manual suggests going with a 75 chevy truck master cylinder which has a 1 1/4 inch bore. A larger bore gives more fluid displacement with less pedal travel. Replacing the master cylinder may require an adjustable porportioning valve. I am going to try the truck master cylinder this summer. I will let all know how it goes. Or maybe someone here has already tried it? Let us know it it works.


jim

 

Thanks Jim, I just replaced all four calipers with Vette Brakes O ring seal and SS sleeved units as well as a new MC, but I still have that long travel in the pedal. I'll have to try bleeding them again.

 

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