Hi! New to this forum,wish I´d found it earlier. I´m installing aftermarket power brakes in my 1959 Monterey. It has a 312 engine with 2-barrel Ford carbureter. When it comes to connecting the vaccuum hose for the power booster I have two options: Using the same port in the back of the manifold as used for heater vaccuum valve, that is "A" in the photo, or a vaccuum port on the manifold in front of the carb, that is "B" in the photo. Which one is used on cars with factory power brakes?

My '54 Mercury with factory power brakes used the vacuum port towards the front of the engine for both the wipers and brake booster. A curved metal metal pipe about 1/2" in diameter connected to the brass fitting in the intake and a rubber hose went from the pipe to the vacuum fitting on the booster. I am now using a '57 "B" intake on a 292 which has no front vacuum port so I had no choice but to use the port at the rear of the intake. The rear port is closer to the booster anyway and makes for a cleaner installation. I don't know what type of setup they used in '59. Alan S. Freeman

I would use the rear connector. A vacuum tank is also recommended, for better brakes.

The vacuum may be too small. Can interfere with the ignition if you are unlucky. (Without vacuum tank!)

Be sure to bleed the master cylinder before installing it on the car.

Be careful setting of the pressure rod. It is not good if it gets too long.

Drives: Mercury Montclair 1957th

www.mercury1957.com

Which aftermarket power brake setup are you using?

  

Swedkarla, what sort of vacuum tank do you use? Thanks

Mark

1956 Mercury M100
1955 Ford Fairlane Club Sedan
Delta, British Columbia

I would hook the booster to where it would get vacumn from all 8 cylinders and that looks to be the front port,hooking it to the rear port would look like it would get vacumn mostly from the rear two cylinders and could possibly lean those two cylinders some. If you want to use a short hose find a carb spacer with a vacumn port and hook it there.

Butchering up everything I can get my hands on in Dayton Ohio

I have the original on my 57. But Summit Racing has an aluminum works perfectly brakes.

Mounted one on a friend's car and it works great. Try this out and get a vacuum gauge so you

can see what happens to the vacuum depending on where you place the connection.

Drives: Mercury Montclair 1957th

www.mercury1957.com

Thanks, I'll take a look.

Mark

1956 Mercury M100
1955 Ford Fairlane Club Sedan
Delta, British Columbia

Thanks for taking your time! I´ve been scanning the internet for pics and it seems cars with factory power brakes use the front vacuum port on the manifold. When I pulled the plug I found that there are two holes under the plug, one from each intake port so it gets vacuum from both intake manifold ports, hence, my conclusion is to connect the booster the front port!

I have Old Irishmans brake set up and had to lengthen the rod. That was the only way I could get any stopping power. BUT it was about two weeks of fiddling with it before I figured it out. But that one said take your vacuum can out and hook it directly to your booster

1957 Fairlane