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Thread: Brake Reservoir mounting

  1. #1
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    Brake Reservoir mounting

    I am mounting two brake reservoirs now that I finally have a second reservoir. I thought having it up on the firewall/dash support would be nice and out of the way but I was not sure if the cowl would cover it or it would not be a good location for other reasons. I think I may also be able to do the front of passenger footbox but running the hoses there may be a bit much in the pedal box. Also, I need the reservoir to be above the master cylinder correct? What do you guys think, location 1, 2, or 3?

    Location 1:
    IMG_1066.jpg

    Location 2:
    IMG_1064.jpg

    Location 3:
    IMG_1063.jpg

  2. #2
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    depends on the engine you are using. Coyote fills the side of the foot box so they need to go on the front. I have a Dart 363 and there is lots of room on the side by the engine. If you put them on the fire wall you won't be able to see the level and they will be hard to fill.
    David W
    Mkll 4874 built in 2004
    Gen 3 coupe #16 registered 2018 painted 2019

  3. #3
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    Glad I asked. I am doing a Coyote so it looks like location 2 is out. I also need to be able to check fluids, so it sounds like location 3 is our winner. Thanks David.

  4. #4
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    Position 1 should work, but lower. That spot will be difficult to access being so close to the cowl above and it would interfere with wipers if you have them. Do you have a fuel pressure regulator? I would say anywhere along the frame rail below the firewall from corner to corner. Think about wipers, fuel regulator, PDB and computer positioning.
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    Gen 3 Coupe, Gen 2 Coyote, Wilwoods, IRS, Power Steering, AC JDAVIS500 Build Thread

  5. #5
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    Thanks for the photo. I am doing wipers, so I think I will mount them to the front of the footbox. Working on it now and trying to figure out how to run the hoses in the pedal box without them interfering with the pedals or steering. I wish there was more space up there.

  6. #6
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    I mounted my reservoirs (like others) in front of the footbox. Here is how I routed my hoses in case it helps (reservoirs not shown in this picture).

    Brake Res Hose.jpg

  7. #7
    Senior Member edwardb's Avatar
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    You've gotten good reasons for not doing options 1 and 2. Agree completely especially if you're doing a Coyote. That completely rules out option 2. My opinion bout option 3: Add a mounting plate and put them both inside the frame rails. Where you're holding the reservoir in your left hand, except on one of the front to back frame rails. Reason? You may want that outside space for your front harness cable exit. Plus IMO would look better. Major comment from my side is what's the hurry? You can't do anything in a vacuum with these builds. Get further along and see where everything needs to fit. There are a lot of considerations. Decide once you have everything either installed or mocked up. Probably you've seen in my build thread, but this pic shows it's a busy place:

    Build 1: Mk3 Roadster #5125. Sold 11/08/2014. Build 2: Mk4 Roadster #7750. Sold 04/10/2017. Build Thread
    Build 3: Mk4 Roadster 20th Anniversary #8674. Sold 09/07/2020. Build Thread and Video. Build 4: Gen 3 Type 65 Coupe #59. Gen 3 Coyote. Legal 03/04/2020. Build Thread and Video
    Build 5: 35 Hot Rod Truck #138. LS3 and 4L65E auto. Rcvd 01/05/2021. Legal 04/20/2023. Build Thread. Sold 11/9/2023.

  8. #8
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    Thanks everyone. I have a little time off work and was trying to get a bit more done on the build before going back. I guess I was trying to short cut trying to figure out if there would be any issues. The reservoirs have now been mounted in the below locations. Cut it a little closer then I would have liked to that clutch cable mount but I just put in rivnuts so I can just have a couple nice screws up there instead of rivets if needed. Put some washers and nuts on the back of the mount through the aluminum panel and I think it will be okay.

    IMG_1067.jpg

    Put some fluid in and blead the system, mostly. Found a few leaks and I now think I have those sorted but will check again tomorrow. Figured out that the Willwood reservoir that I ordered for the second reservoir has a different cap that my Motive pressure bleeder does not fit, so I was able to pressure bleed the front but not the rear. The wife was nice enough to come pump the brakes for me for a bit when I tried to do the rear, but it was not working and I let her off work early while I kept at it. I remembered I had a vacuum pump which I dug out and used suction to pull fluid into the calipers. I had some small leaks, so that took some pumping but we got most of the way there. I had to cut it short before I managed to get it clear or I was going to run out of fluid. I'm not sure if I still have a leak somewhere that is letting in air or if the hose on the blead screw was letting in a bit of air since it was under vacuum. It felt like I went through a lot of fluid trying to get it clear and free of air bubbles but I am not sure what the issue is right now. The plan is currently to check for leaks in the morning and try to convince the wife to climb back in to do some more pumping of the brakes. The pedal is still soft, so there must still be air in the lines. Hopefully it won't be too bad to get sorted. I already have a history of bleeding brakes and am not looking to add another chapter.

  9. #9
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    I went and got another bottle of brake fluid this morning and had the wife give me another shot with the rear. Probably jinxed myself by only getting one bottle as we went through that bottle trying to get the air out and we were not successful. There is a small leak at the mater calendar, so I thought it may have been the cap to the master. Ruined the worm drive trying to crank that down tighter and put on another which I also ruined before I realized the leak may just be coming from behind the master where the piston goes in. Gave FF a call and they walked me through checking a few things. When those were all good we determined that the master calendar was leaking and letting in air. As a result, FFR offered to send out a new 3/4" master for me, so... to be continued.

    Kind of a bummer to get a bad part and waste time and brake fluid as a result, however, I have to say I am happy with FFR's support. They did an excellent job of listening to me and instructing me on a few things to check before freely acknowledging the problem and sending me a replacement part. This was about as well as the situation could have been handled by them and shows why they have continued to grow for over 20 years. Everyone should understand that this type of thing is going to come up from time to time, so handling it well is the difference between good service and unhappy customers.

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