SuperBuickGuy
Well-known member
do the brake/clutch cylinders have some sort of a reverse flow check valve in them or is that not needed?
not needed because the reservoirs will be high on the firewall (read, above the wheel cylinders)
i think i understand the reservoir is up at the highest point piped to the piston/cylinder at the pedal level which goes to the brakes/clutch?
how do you control the volume of the fluid that gets pumped out with one pedal stroke? are the master cylinders sized to different volume levels or is there a way to control the length of the stroke?
yes - through changing the inner diameter of the master cylinder. To me it's voodoo - because what size works on one car; won't on something else. e.g. on my C3, I went through 3 different inner diameter master cylinders to get the pedal feel and travel that I wanted. On my Buick Skylark, I got it right the first time. It's the same with brakes, on the Fiat, I'm starting with a 7/8 front and a 1/2 rear. I honestly don't think that will be right, but I also have some 1 1/8, 1", 3/4" and 5/8" master cylinders that I can use to balance the system to where it stops how I want it to stop. The benefit with the balance bar is it pretty much eliminates the need to run a balancing valve - I've had troubles with the adjustable valves, sometimes they don't work at all, they work intermittently, leak, or create too much restriction (the highest volume valve I've found lets 40% of the volume to the rear.... which to me is kind of silly, why not simply reduce the volume by 50% then fine adjust through a valve?.... but that answer is obviously above my pay grade)