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Thread: How To: manual brakes / RWAL Delete

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    Default How To: manual brakes / RWAL Delete

    Been a few threads about this lately, some guys looking to go with manual brakes and/or deleted the RWAL stuff.


    Here's how!

    Picture A:

    Brake lines are identified as:

    Red -- Rear circuit, Master cylinder to prop valve/brake light warning switch
    Yellow -- Front circuit, prop valve/brake light warning switch to T-block on frame where it splits to each front wheel
    Black -- Front circuit, Master cylinder to prop valve/brake light warning switch
    White -- Rear Circuit, RWAL solenoids to rear axle















    Now, for the "how to"

    Manual brake swap: disconnect the red and black lines from the current master cylinder. remove master cylinder and brake booster (easiest to do this as a unit, 4 15mm nuts on the inside of the firewall, above the steering column, and the brake pedal push rod retainer clip. should take you all of about 10 minutes to remove the master/booster as an assembly.)

    Install your new manual brake master cylinder, most likely after fabricating your own custom adapter bracket to fit the new master cylinder to the firewall. I don't have any pictures of the one I made for the old big block truck, but it was basically a piece of heavy gauge steel with 8 studs welded to it, 4 on each side, one in the bolt pattern of the firewall, the other in the bolt pattern of the master cylinder.

    Reconnect the black line to the port for the front circuit on your new master cylinder, and reconnect the red line to the rear circuit port.

    This will allow you to retain RWAL while going to manual brakes.


    RWAL Delete:

    Remove the white line from the RWAL solenoids. Remove solenoids/RWAL computer from inner fender, disconnect the line that runs from the RWAL solenoids to the prop valve/brake warning switch. (this line has no tape in the pictures) Now, Install the white line to the empty port on the brake light warning switch.

    This allows you to continue to have the warning light that tells you when your brakes failed. --for those idiots out there who don't know that when your brake pedal goes to the floor and your truck isn't stopping, that your brakes have failed.


    Going all out: (This ones for you Dave!)

    remove all the lines off the master cylinder, brake light warning switch, and RWAL solenoids. remove brake light warning switch, remove RWAL solenoids and RWAL computer.

    this should leave you with just the master cylinder and 2 brake lines, the Yellow and the White in the above picture.

    Connect the yellow line to the front circuit port on your master, and connect the white line to the rear circuit port on your master.



    NOTE: it's been awhile since I did this to my big block truck, but memory tells me that EVERY line and tube nut on the master, brake light warning switch, and RWAL solenoids, are metric, and use a stupid metric bubble flare. if you retain any of these stock parts, you may have to take the stock line with the stock tube nut and bubble flare, and cut it to add your own splice into the lines so that things fit where they need to go. Also, you cannot use any of these stock bubble flares on most aftermarket master cylinders, because they typically use SAE "Double/Inverted" flares.


    ALSO: if you do this mod, and find that your rear brakes lock up prematurely, then you can buy an adjustable prop valve like the one linked below, and dial back the rear brake pressure so that front/rear locks up at the same time

    http://www.jegs.com/i/JEGS+Performan...63020/10002/-1

    or, an adjustable prop valve, distribution block, and brake warning switch all in one:

    http://www.jegs.com/i/JEGS+Performan...63025/10002/-1
    --Tom
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  2. #2

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    Good write up Tom

    I'll put this in the "How To" section.

    Ed Morris
    11.17 @ 120.91 mph
    Best 60': 1.54

    DRTC # 578

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    Fair enough! is this where it gets immortalized for all of eternity for all those who follow to see?


    Keep in mind, Manual brakes are for those who DRIVE their trucks, not people who simply ride around in traffic.

    and again, deleted RWAL is for those who know how to drive, not the kind of mod for your casual daily driver.
    --Tom
    **Photobucket can suck my nut**

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    What does that brake warning switch do?

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    Quote Originally Posted by jmaack727 View Post
    What does that brake warning switch do?
    it illuminates the red idiot light on your dash cluster when you have a failed brake line, because, yes, there are idiots out there who will continue to drive their vehicles with failing brakes if there was no warning light.


    it's a shuttle valve. normally it's centered and "off" when you get a failure in the front or rear brakes (hopefully not both at the same time!) you will only have good brake pressure on the other circuit, as the brake pressure will bleed out of the leak. this creates pressure on one side of the switch, which will then push the shuttle inside over to the side with no pressure. this triggers the red idiot light on your dash.

    when the system is fixed, and you step on the brakes, the equal pressure on both sides should be enough to re-center the switch and turn off your warning light, but sometimes you have to give the brake pedal a few good hard presses to do this.
    --Tom
    **Photobucket can suck my nut**

    I'm a douchebag

  6. #6

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    Good write up 'Cuda. I did also did this on my truck, only difference is I switched it all to SAE fittings. The metric bubble flare just sucks to work with. If using a factory master cylinder, Advance auto sells adapter fittings.

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    I'm getting my brake rod machined for 3/8" x 24 threads so I can use a coupling to hook the Wilwood MC to the pedal...I'd take out the brake pedal bracket and drill it for a clevis, but the bracket is damn near part of the entire truck, and working under the dash sucks with door bars/roll bar.
    11.27 @ 118.23
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    Quote Originally Posted by Adobedude View Post
    I'm getting my brake rod machined for 3/8" x 24 threads so I can use a coupling to hook the Wilwood MC to the pedal...I'd take out the brake pedal bracket and drill it for a clevis, but the bracket is damn near part of the entire truck, and working under the dash sucks with door bars/roll bar.
    I used an adjustable push rod from master power brakes, with the rubber grommet, it pushed into the back of the master and stayed stuck there! the end of hte pushrod had banjo bolt looking fitting, and it magically fit over the stud on the pedal and allowed me to use the same "jesus clip" as the stock pedal pushrod.
    --Tom
    **Photobucket can suck my nut**

    I'm a douchebag

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