C5 Disc Brake Swap for 67-69 Camaro

[Pete68]

I've been coming to the site for answers and only posted a few things, so here is my contribution, attempt at your own risk. This is a work in progress so please let me know if I've made any mistakes or if I've missed anything. Enjoy. : )

This is the story of my journey to actually having a muscle car that stops. This swap was performed on a 68 Camaro Coupe with the following specs; your car may be different.


Base model 210hp 327 2-barrel V-8 with Powerglide trans with console shift
Originally a non-power assist drum brake camaro
Rear axle is stock 10 bolt
Heidts 2” tall drop spindle up front
Hotchkis 1½” drop multi-leaf springs


Parts you will need / Services you will need performed:

Front Drum Hubs. You need original GM front drum hubs (disc brake front hubs will not work), if your car has disc or some other brakes on the front you can easily find these hubs at an old classic car junkyard in your neighborhood. GM used these for many years so they should be easy to find. Or you can buy them on eBay, or maybe even the auto parts store? You won’t need the drums or any other hardware, just the hubs, the C5 rotors will mount on them. You will need to machine the hubs to front and rear to fit the “rotor hats” (the section of the rotor that fits over the hub), you will need to machine a bit less than 6” off, take it to the local machine shop and have them measure the rotors and machine it for you.

C5 Calipers(eBay/craigslist). These calipers are made in Australia by PBR and are badass. They are aluminum, not cast iron like the old calipers and some aftermarket ones. Aluminum means they are much lighter and dissipate heat much better. The C5 calipers and 13” rotors are 5lbs less per corner than the 11” rotors and calipers from the 60’s / 70’s. So now in addition to better braking you will take 10lbs off the front of your Camaro, unsprung weight too, which is the best weight to lose. Less unsprung weight = good, even on a crappy 40-year-old muscle car suspension. If you have a 68 or 69 Camaro you will need two C5 left rear calipers because of the staggered shocks, get a remanufactured one at Pep Boys (or whatever local auto parts store you have nearby, it was approx $70, use the right side caliper you will not use as the core, they won’t check and won’t know)

C5 Rotors (eBay/craigslist). These are 13” front rotors…not 11” like the originals from the 60’s and 70’s. Rear rotors are 12”. Big brakes=good, that’s why Ferraris and Lamborghinis have huge brakes! Your best bet for ebay are C5 owners that are tracking their cars and want better brakes, the C5 brakes are great for the street, not so great for hardcore track use, these guys tend to sell their old brakes on ebay.

C5 Master Cylinder(eBay/craigslist). It’s made of lightweight aluminum, and the master cylinder is clear plastic so you can see the fluid level. Yes, you can use your existing crappy cast iron master cylinder if you want but why would you want to when you can use a modern one for $100 extra? Cast iron master cylinders rust which can cause leakage between the internal rubber seals, eventually leading to a mushy pedal. You will need to cut the C5 brake pedal push rod and re-tap the end that I cut it so it will work with the old Camaro brake pedal, this just takes some measuring, then shim the booster at the firewall to get the correct spacing and to make sure it clears the hood, takes a bit of measuring and trial and error but is easy. You may need to shim the booster a bit so it angles down more, mine hit the hood a little. Be sure to use two nuts to hold the rod where it attaches to the pedal and use red Locktite to make sure it does not come loose.

C5 Brake Booster (eBay/craigslist). Get the master cylinder and booster together if you can, it’s almost a direct bolt in. Almost! I think I got booster and master cylinder on eBay for ~$140?

4 Adapter Brackets (Kore3.com (http://www.kore3.com/)). To mount the new calipers to the old spindle in front, and axle in back, you will need adapter brackets. You will need different brackets based on different spindles so check the Kore3.com (http://www.kore3.com/) website to see what you have/need. Kore3 bracket kits also include very good directions, follow them closely.

4 Brake Lines(Kore3.com (http://www.kore3.com/)). These are the flexible brake lines that go from the hard brake lines to the caliper. These need to be special lines that have different fittings on each end, one end goes to the old original Camaro hard lines, and the other end is designed to fit the new Corvette calipers. Remember, the Corvette calipers have a more modern style fitting…regular Camaro flexible brake lines will not work, and regular C5 corvette lines will not work. You need these special lines. Luckily the guys at www.Kore3.com (http://www.kore3.com/) have em, they are pretty helpful too if you call.

Disc/Disc Proportioning Valve (eBay). I got an aluminum one on eBay for around $40 I think. Make sure you get a Disc/Disc one since that’s what you will have when you are done! Your current prop valve is most likely a Disc/Drum or a Drum/Drum…that will not work with the new C5 Disc/Disc setup.

2 Small Hard Brake Lines from Master Cylinder to Proportioning Valve. You will need 2 hard lines to connect the C5 master cylinder to the Disc/Disc proportioning valve. If you use your stock master cylinder you will not need these. This was perhaps the trickiest part of the swap, the lines must be old school type flare at the proportioning valve and bubble-type flare at the master cylinder. I bought bubble type flare stock tubes at the auto parts store and then cut one end, flared them with an old school flare and then bent them to fit, I then borrowed a friends flare tool and created the flare for the proportioning valve. It leaked. So I redid it. It leaked again. I redid it again this time without crushing the fitting so much, I allowed it to crush a bit while I was tightening it, no leaks! If needed some parts stores may be able to do this for you, or a brake shop can, ask around if you don’t want to do this.

Wheel studs (Summit Racing). I recommend upgrading from stock 7/16 studs to M12x1.5 (which are 12mm). I think I used ARP 100-7708, they are a bit long though. Your front hubs and rear axle will need to be removed so a machine shop can drill out and install these for you.

Machining: As with the front hubs you will also need to machine your rear axle hubs so the rotor hats will fit over the hub, only a tiny amount needs to be machined off, just a few mm, I suppose this could be done on the car but the best thing to do is remove the rear axle and have it machined at a local machine shop. Overall rear hub diameter should be 6”, same as the front, measure the inside of the rotor hats to make sure the size is right.

Larger wheels. 13” rotors are big, my Camaro had 14” wheels from the factory, so these brakes are only 1” smaller than the original wheels! These rotors will fit on some 17” wheels, use 18”s if you want to be sure they will fit. Kore3.com has cutouts you can print to check your wheels to make sure they fit.

Brake line from body to rear axle (Classic Industries). Its probably a good time to change this brake line. I bought the factory original style one from www.classicindustries.com (http://www.classicindustries.com/). I’m not positive but the one on my car was most likely original, 40-year-old soft brake lines are not a good idea!

Note: I did not install an adjustable proportioning valve to adjust the pressure from front to rear, it actually turned out fine as is, but you may need to do this. How to test if you need: After putting everything together do so hard braking in the dry and wet, if the rear locks up too early you may need to install a proportioning valve.

I never said it was super easy, if you are the kinda guy who likes to have someone else wash your car, change your oil, etc, this may not be the best modification for you. But if you do it, remember: keep focused on the small steps and not the big task at hand and it will go easy.

Car really brakes well now, and the pedal feel is amazing, super firm with great feedback. Ill drive it for a month straight now as my daily driver sometimes. My car is an automatic transmission car and I currently have no parking brake which kinda sucks but you can do a parking brake, www.Kore3.com (http://www.kore3.com/) offers a kit, I just spaced and didn’t do it, but I will once I rebuild the rear axle with a posi unit. I think some other GM parking brakes from other vehicles will work but I have not looked into that yet, if anyone know send me an email.

Why not just buy aftermarket brakes? In my opinion here’s why:

Used OE parts are much cheaper
GM parts are easy to find in junkyards, on craigslist, and on eBay
Original GM parts are engineered by a team of experienced GM engineers, and since these are Corvette brakes they are arguably the best engineers at GM. They are not “engineered” by some guys in their garage like the aftermarket stuff...we are talking brakes after all!
GM parts must pass a full battery of GM strength, durability, corrosion, and effectiveness tests before they are put on your car, they are therefore less likely to fail prematurely, break, corrode, fit loosely, etc.
GM parts will be easy to service many years in the future cause the parts will still be available, they will always offer parts for old Corvettes, even at the local parts store (can’t say the same for most of the aftermarket parts, who knows if they will still be around in a few years when you need parts like brake pads, or a caliper bolt)
My Background

I’m Pete, I bought my 68 Camaro in 1988 for $900 at the age of 15, its older than I am. I bought it from the original owner, it had 4-wheel non-power drum brakes…they sucked, sucked bad. So I went to the junkyard in the early 90’s and got some front discs off an early 70’s Nova, they bolted right up. Problem solved right? No, they sucked bad too. Overall braking was mediocre under the best of circumstances, and panic stops resulted in the rear drums locking up and the car sitting perpendicular to the intended direction of travel, not good. And believe me I know how bad they were; the car was my daily driver for 9 years!!

After college I got a “real car” and parked the old Camaro. After the camaro sat in my grandma’s garage for 12 years I decided it was time to do a second restoration. But I promised myself if I was going to drive the car again it had to have good brakes, my daily driver is now a Porsche Boxster S and I was now accustomed to VERY good brakes, some of the best in the world…and I was remembering my near death experiences in the Camaro and its crappy 40 year old brake technology. But I didn’t want aftermarket for a variety of reasons, and that’s how I ended up with C5 brakes.

Estimated the costs for the C5 brakes, remember this is for front AND rear:

Estimated Costs:
Calipers and Rotors (Used) $250 ebay
Reman rear left caliper (for 68 and 69 only) $75 auto parts store
Master cylinder and booster (Used) $150 ebay
Proportioning valve $40 ebay
Adapter brackets $190 kore3.com
Brake lines $140 kore3.com
Wheel studs $50 summit racing
Hard brake lines $20 auto parts store
Machining axles & Wheel stud installation $100 local machine shop
TOTAL $1015

There may be $100 or so that Im forgetting. Feel free to email me if anyone has questions.

http://carphotos.cardomain.com/ride_...0014_large.jpg (http://carphotos.cardomain.com/ride_images/3/173/3981/25431990014_large.jpg)




Warning: Attempt all of these modifications at your own risk. If you are not sure of your abilities do not attempt these modifications. I am not responsible for any information in this article; it is simply a recap of how I performed this modification. Your vehicle may be different, please consult a professional regarding everything you read here.

[rohrt]

Nice write up. Where were you on Monday when I started researching this?

[raf0419]

WOW! Thank you so much for the post. I've had an internal struggle trying to decide on C5 conversion or an aftermarket setup. I wonder if anyone has done the C5 conversion, then went aftermarket. If so I would love feedback on the pros/cons of each setup.

[Ishmael]

I'll bet the c5 or c5/lt1 swap is the biggest topic in brakes - somebody ask Apogee. There are questions about this on a daily basis. Guys search this forum for it constantly. There are slightly different ways to go about it but why not make this a sticky? I understand that there could be an insurance issue if someone followed it and had an accident.

[1360]

This info is great....I want to do this w/ my F-85 - just wonder if the crager soft 8 17" would clear. I'd rather stay away from 18's from a cost standpoint.

[Pete68]

I can tell you that the car brakes really well now, I've done a few panic stops to see what the car will do and it does not easily lock up, its just stops, it brakes super hard. I tried it in the rain and it still performed really well, no need for a proportioning valve. I have 225s in the front and 275s in the rear, plus they are high performance Toyo tires which means they stick really well...Im sure that helps too, as the car used to have some old rock hard BF Goodrich TA's. Also, I think the larger rear tires help a bit in keeping the rears from locking (used to have 235s on all four corners).

And the pedal feel is really good, its super firm, the pedal feel is maybe better than my 03 Boxster S. Really nice, great feedback, very confidence inspiring!

As for aftermarket, lets say you still have your car in 10 years, what if the company that made your brakes is no longer around? Or what if they dont make that model anymore? Where will you find replacement parts? I'm super hesitant to go aftermarket anything if their is an alternative, much of it us sourced from China and I question the engineering and durability testing (if any) that is going into the aftermarket stuff, its one thing to have aftermarket seat covers or an aftermarket center console lid...but aftermarket brakes? C5 brakes were on the Corvette from 1997-2004, its hard to get much better than that.

[Tucks69]

I have this same set up on my 68. It has been through 3 auto-x's this year and down the tail of the dragon. Brakes work perfect. Mine are manual though, the power option sounds better. Mine will tire you out over a long period. I have the hybrid set up on the front with 17s. Great write up!

[JEFFTATE]

Good info.
I'm interested in upgrading mine too.
I'm weighing my options / needs / budget ..

[IndyNova]

Will this set-up work for any eng combination, ex: LS motors?

[z4me69]

pete the availability is the same reason i decided to go with the kore stuff a friend of mine here in louisville has been waiting almost 5 months for wilwoods

[Apogee]

This info is great....I want to do this w/ my F-85 - just wonder if the crager soft 8 17" would clear. I'd rather stay away from 18's from a cost standpoint.

Check out Tommy England's '72 Camaro on our Rides (http://www.kore3.com/rides.php) page. He's running C5 front and rear with 17x8/9 Cragar Soft 8's without any issues...and in fact, he's actually upgraded to the larger C6 Z51 rotors and PABs since that was posted and kept the same wheels. I'm fairly certain a little grinding was involved, but it has been done. Does Cragar even offer an 18" Soft 8?

Tobin
KORE3

[Apogee]

Will this set-up work for any eng combination, ex: LS motors?

Vacuum assist brakes require vacuum to function properly. It doesn't matter if it comes from an engine or an auxilliary vacuum source, so long as it's available in adequate levels and volume. If you go manual or hydro-boost, that more or less takes the engine out of the equation.

Tobin
KORE3

[IndyNova]

ok, thanks. by hubs, do you guys mean the z06 hubs, because I thought that there were the drum brake spindles, but the actual hub was built into the rotor itself. I noticed that the vette rotors, looked like it needed the hub to function properly. Sorry if i'm hi-jacking this thread, but there is so many brake options, i want to make sure I get everything lined out before i buy parts.

[Apogee]

If you'll reread the original post, it discusses the use of Chevy drum hubs for the C5/C6 swap. We prefer to see the flange cut down to 5.94" OD with a 1/8" x 45 degree chamfer versus just 6" like stated in the OP so that it will fit C6 rotors as well as the C5 rotors, but you get the idea.

All Corvette rotors from the C2 all the way up through the C6 applications are slip-on type rotors, so you will need a hub of some sort to hold the rotor. The C5 and C6 Corvettes use unitized hub assemblies that bolt onto the knuckle. As such, they are only compatible with C5/C6 knuckles. Most older disc applications starting in the late-60's used integral hub/rotors until much more recently when unitized hubs have more or less become the status quo.

Tobin
KORE3

[IndyNova]

ahh, i get it now. so unless there is a spindle designed for a nova/camaro to accept c6 brakes, c5 is the best you can get using the two piston calipers? I'd be interested to know how dificult it would be to adapt the 6 piston z06 brakes for that application.

[Apogee]

ahh, i get it now. so unless there is a spindle designed for a nova/camaro to accept c6 brakes, c5 is the best you can get using the two piston calipers? I'd be interested to know how dificult it would be to adapt the 6 piston z06 brakes for that application.

Hmm, I don't think you get it. The C5 and C6 knuckles are basically the same from a brake stand point. You can bolt C5, C6, C6 Z51, C6 Z06 or C6 ZR1 brakes to any C5/C6 knuckle. The mounting points and offsets are the same between them. Most of the points made in the first post apply whether you want to adapt C5 or C6 brakes to your car...any configuration.

There is an aftermarket replacement spindle for the A/F/X-bodies designed to accept all of the C5/C6 brakes and that is the ATS AFX spindle. You could also run one of the aftermarket subframes that use C5 or C6 knuckles. The third and final option is to run an adapter bracket like the kits we sell to allow the use of C5/C6 brake components on the factory spindles.

Tobin
KORE3

[ZZ427]

Very informative . . . Tobin as soon as I get my finances straightened out I will be contacting you .

[1360]

If I finish w/ the paint, I'm looking into this.....thanks for the info.

[sebtarta]

What was used for the rear brakes? Do you have staggered shocks and used two left calipers? Or did you use L+R calipers?

any pictures of the rear brakes? thank you.

[Pete68]

If you have a 68 or 69 Camaro you will need two C5 left rear calipers because of the staggered shocks, get a remanufactured one at Pep Boys (or whatever local auto parts store you have nearby, it was approx $70, use the right side caliper you will not use as the core, they won’t check and won’t know)

I dont have any good pics of the rear brakes, sorry

[Rick Dorion]

Nice writeup, Pete. What wheels are you using? Although heavy I have a line on a set of 17" cragar soft 8's.

[sebtarta]

Pete thanx for the info.

I guess i should have read and re-read what you wrote. :) It's all there. That's what happens when you just quick read.

[MonzaRacer]

Ok t o also bring something out that Tobin didnt post nor the OP.
Kore3 has a list that allows you to use the C5 325mm(12.8) rotor, c5 Z51 340mm (13.39) rotor or the C5/C6 Z06 355mm(13.98)rotor. The 325mm rotor will clear Soft 8 17" and most others from what I hear, depending on Calipers used, the 340mm and 355mm will need 18" wheels and the big 355mm will need careful checking depending on calipers used as there are several combos including a mix of C5, C6, Z51, Z06 and years.
do the research, I have seen on here one guy has most of the options, specs and differences all on one post. Ill post it unless someone else has it to link in here.

[hhijleh]

please do!

[Pete68]

Car has 18x8 front, 18x9 rear Boyd Coddington Junk Yard Dog 2-piece aluminum wheels, powder-coated in flat black. They fit the brakes pretty easily. I used the templates from Kore3 to check em first.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/noimg.gifhttps://static1.pt-content.com/images/noimg.gif

[Pete68]

Rear / Front

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2009/12/25431990044_medium-1.jpg https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2009/12/25431990045_medium-1.jpg

[nsxpert]

Did you have to use KORE3 brakets alone or do they work in conjunction with the OEM corvette bracket & KORE3 brackets?

[sebtarta]

Did you have to use KORE3 brakets alone or do they work in conjunction with the OEM corvette bracket & KORE3 brackets?


They work in conjunction with the OEM bracket.

Here is a picture taken from www.kore3.com

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2009/03/gmss_c5_wf_3_sm-1.jpg

I think you can see what i mean.

[Apogee]

Did you have to use KORE3 brakets alone or do they work in conjunction with the OEM corvette bracket & KORE3 brackets?

The KORE3 brackets just mimic a C5/C6 knuckle with respect to the relationship between the caliper assembly mounting points and the hub. This should allow you to run basically any C5 or C6(Z51/Z06/ZR1) brake configuration with our conversion kits. The one exception is our "Hybrid" bracket kit where we use the standard base level C5/C6 front caliper assembly with the larger 355mm C6 Z06 rotors. While Corvette components, our "Hybrid" kit isn't a standard Corvette configuration and would not work on a C5/C6 knuckle.

Tobin
KORE3

[Chad-1stGen]

Hey Pete. Nice post!

Any pics or additional info on the mods or shims you had to do to mount the booster & M/C?

[snackbar]

Excellent write up Pete! I just finished up the same swap only on my Ford 9". I posted some pics on that thread of how I did the parking brake setup that you might be interested in or pm me.

Colby

[Pete68]

Chad, I don't have any pics yet but here is what I did to mount the C5 Corvette (remember that's a 1997-2004 vette) master cylinder in my 68 Camaro:



I bought the master cylinder on ebay, it was $140 with the booster
The Corvette master cylinder firewall bracket will work in your Camaro it just has to be modified a bit. You will have to drill out the holes a bit so they fit the studs on the Camaro firewall, its actually amazing how close they are.
Once that is done you will need to shim the top two bolts a bit which will angle the master cylinder down so it does not hit the hood. I used a couple large stainless steal nuts that were about a 1/2 inch thick, that did it.
I went to the local hardware store and found a rubber grommet that was the perfect size to seal the firewall hole where the brake rod goes thru.

As I mentioned this master cylinder will give you great pedal feel and feedback, which is really nice to have on an old car.

And here is one more reason to use the modern vette master cylinder, it has an electrical connector next to the clear plastic reservoir which is a low level warning. You can splice this warning wire into the original Camaro brake warning wire that goes to the proportioning valve. This will warn you if the brake level gets low!! This connector is $51 dollars at the chevy dealer but I found hundreds of them at the local junk yard, just find a nice clean one, it cost me 80 cents!

Good luck

[RatTouring]

Hey Pete - nice write up.
I just did the C5 Corvette swap -but used the Kore3 325MM kit and used a CPP master cylinder and went completely manual due to a big duration cam and low engine vacuum.

I think that Kore3 have great optioned kits for the cash. They've done all the footwork in selecting the parts. Tobin is extremely knowledgeable and can provide you a ton of info on your brake situation. The only thing I can add is that wheel fitment will be critical if for any doing this and has existing 17 and 18 wheels.

You have a great layout on finding and showing where to get the parts on the upgrade.

Nick

http://www.brokenboltgarage.net/reassembly.htm

[Pete68]

One more comment, if you buy used calipers I would suggest painting them grey or black. I cleaned mine up but they are a bit corroded and faded in spots. You can always try to find red calipers too, if thats your thing. But my Boxster already has red and the car is red so it seemed like too much for me. : )

[sebtarta]

Pete did you need any spacers for the wheels?

[SR71]

Car has 18x8 front, 18x9 rear Boyd Coddington Junk Yard Dog 2-piece aluminum wheels, powder-coated in flat black. They fit the brakes pretty easily. I used the templates from Kore3 to check em first.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/noimg.gifhttps://static1.pt-content.com/images/noimg.gif

(sarcasm)how in the name of all that is good is this possible???(sarcasm) all here claim that you cannot fit an 8" wheel with 2" dropped spindles. :) on a serious note, did it take anything special to fit the 18x8's on the front with the dropped spindles?

[Pete68]

No spacers on the front. Tie rod end is very close to the tire tho, maybe about an inch away from what I remember. Im running 225's up front and Im not sure if I can go any wider, maybe 235's or even 245 would work, max. Ill check and verify soon.

[SR71]

what is the backspacing on the front wheels?

[DCx]

im interested in this as well.

i just bought some brand new C5 red ZO6 front calipers on ebay for $240 shipped.

I looked at the Kore3 web page short spindle kit and subtracted the cost of their calipers and billet hubs and got a kit price of $330 that will include rotors w/ 7/16 studs, pads, brackets, and lines.

so around $600 isnt all that bad for a front upgrade!!

thank goodness i saved my drum spindles i took off my 68 buick skylark.

[DCx]

i forgot to ask. will i need to use the C5 factory caliper mounting brackets as well? i think im only getting calipers. ill be missing the OEM brackets...

[sebtarta]

Yes you need the brackets too.

[DCx]

$41 each from Kore3. looks like ill add those to the shopping list.

I found out i have 1/2-20 thread drum spindles. looks like ill need to find my hubs or score some from ebay or the pull a part. i cant find the ones i removed.

[67ls]

I am about to buy a c5 booster and m/c but I don't see the braket you are talking about that is on the fire wall, is it on the corvette or am I using the one off my camaro. this is 67ls

[zamora7]

Would this be pretty much the same thing if used the stuff from an ls1 fbody into a 2nd gen fbody? I have the booster and m/c, and everything for the brakes (calipers, rotors, etc.)

[67ls]

Let me ask this question again to pete68 on post #32 you stated that 2.The Corvette master cylinder firewall bracket will work in your Camaro it just has to be modified a bit. Did this bracket come off the corvette because the power booster and m/c on ebay just have 4 bolts sticking out the back of the power booster I see no bracket, could you clarify this for me my name is Rich thank you.

[sebtarta]

Rich,

Pete posted this on the 1st post.


# C5 Master Cylinder (eBay/craigslist). It’s made of lightweight aluminum, and the master cylinder is clear plastic so you can see the fluid level. Yes, you can use your existing crappy cast iron master cylinder if you want but why would you want to when you can use a modern one for $100 extra? Cast iron master cylinders rust which can cause leakage between the internal rubber seals, eventually leading to a mushy pedal. You will need to cut the C5 brake pedal push rod and re-tap the end that I cut it so it will work with the old Camaro brake pedal, this just takes some measuring, then shim the booster at the firewall to get the correct spacing and to make sure it clears the hood, takes a bit of measuring and trial and error but is easy. You may need to shim the booster a bit so it angles down more, mine hit the hood a little. Be sure to use two nuts to hold the rod where it attaches to the pedal and use red Locktite to make sure it does not come loose.
# C5 Brake Booster (eBay/craigslist). Get the master cylinder and booster together if you can, it’s almost a direct bolt in. Almost! I think I got booster and master cylinder on eBay for ~$140?

then on post #32


1. I bought the master cylinder on ebay, it was $140 with the booster
2. The Corvette master cylinder firewall bracket will work in your Camaro it just has to be modified a bit. You will have to drill out the holes a bit so they fit the studs on the Camaro firewall, its actually amazing how close they are.
3. Once that is done you will need to shim the top two bolts a bit which will angle the master cylinder down so it does not hit the hood. I used a couple large stainless steal nuts that were about a 1/2 inch thick, that did it.
4. I went to the local hardware store and found a rubber grommet that was the perfect size to seal the firewall hole where the brake rod goes thru.




So the C5 booster and MC fit. You need to modify the firewall by drilling the wholes so it will line up. Cut the MC rod so it can reach the pedal correctly, and move forward from there.

[Vicinity]

This may sound stupid, but Kore3 offers a Tall Spindle and Short Spindle bracket, how can I determine which I need?

[MrQuick]

The tall spindle is for 70 1/2 and up Camaro and the short spindle is for 67-69 Camaro.

Vince

[ed1le]

Great thread & write up...subscribing. :)

[69keith]

Mine using 98 camaro master cylinder and speed tech C5 brackets

[Pete68]

Quick note, a buddy of mine is running this C5 set-up with 17-inch wheels, he had to file down the top of the calipers a bit but they fit, Ill add pics if I can. Use the diagram on Kore3.com to check your 17 inch wheels...they may work!

[DButler]

I really like your wheels did you buy the wheels black or did you have them coated? I didn't know coddington sold those wheels in black.

[Pete68]

Anyone interested in the wheels can check with Boyd Coddingtons sons at www.billetwheel.com. They make em in almost any diameter and width and with custom backspacing, and if you don't know the ideal backspacing they can help with that too, they know the right setup for almost any muscle car. Wheels are 2-piece with a 6061 forged outer and a cast center.

Junk Yard Dog details:
http://www.billetwheel.com/junkyarddogLpricing.html
17x7, 17x8, 17x10, 18x7, 18x8, 18x9, 18x10, 18x12, 19x8, 19x10, 20x8.5, 20x10, 20x12, and more...

[harleymanchris]

Thanks guy's. I'm into the same set-up for my 68. Your info is priceless and will call kore3 monday to get my brackets.

[edog1]

Great write up thanks for taking the time im sure it well help a bunch of people

[69importkilla]

Hey Pete, I purchased the front brackets for my 69 years ago, but I was under the impression that I had to use C4 rotors. Know anything about this?

[Vicinity]

Hey Pete, I purchased the front brackets for my 69 years ago, but I was under the impression that I had to use C4 rotors. Know anything about this?

For the Speed Tech brackets, I believe you do.

[Dionysus66]

So I emailed Heidts about the tall drop spindles they offer. They responded telling me that the tall drop spindle will not work with the stock drum hub. Is this true? Do I need to buy the aluminum hub they offer as well? Is there another drop spindle that will work?

[sebtarta]

So I emailed Heidts about the tall drop spindles they offer. They responded telling me that the tall drop spindle will not work with the stock drum hub. Is this true? Do I need to buy the aluminum hub they offer as well? Is there another drop spindle that will work?


There is plenty of information around this forum about the good and bad of drop spindles.

Save your $$$. Use your stock spindles if they are still in good shape.

[SoonerTA]

Quick note, a buddy of mine is running this C5 set-up with 17-inch wheels, he had to file down the top of the calipers a bit but they fit, Ill add pics if I can. Use the diagram on Kore3.com to check your 17 inch wheels...they may work!

Were you able to get any pictures? I have 17" snowflakes from YearOne and would love to do this conversion on my '78 TA. I have been looking at changing my brakes over to the 1LE setup but would love to have the C5 setup.

Also, can the stock MC/booster support the C5 front brakes if I keep the rear drums for now?

[Dionysus66]

Im collecting parts for the rear C5 brake swap for my 69 Camaro with drums, and so far I have the calipers with abutments, rotors, and the backing plate with the drum hubs. I know I need the caliper mounting brackets from Kore3, parking brake cable, a bracket made for the parking brake, and lines from the caliper to the brake lines. But, what else would I need. I talked to Tobin at Kore3, he was really helpful, but I told him what I have and he said he could sell me his kit minus the parts I already have. Its cool of him to do but its still a little pricey for me at the moment. Can anyone help me out on the parts Im missing? And anyone figure out a good way to get the parking brake to work with staggered shocks? Well thanks everyone.

[Pete68]

So I emailed Heidts about the tall drop spindles they offer. They responded telling me that the tall drop spindle will not work with the stock drum hub. Is this true? Do I need to buy the aluminum hub they offer as well? Is there another drop spindle that will work?

Thats exactly what Im running on my car so not sure why they are saying that??? Maybe they want to sell Aluminum hubs to you? : )

[Swairlines]

Car has 18x8 front, 18x9 rear Boyd Coddington Junk Yard Dog 2-piece aluminum wheels, powder-coated in flat black. They fit the brakes pretty easily. I used the templates from Kore3 to check em first.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/noimg.gifhttps://static1.pt-content.com/images/noimg.gif
Dude, THOSE wheels look SINISTER as ALL HELL.....LOVE them.....Where they originally polished or chromed?

[indyjps]

Great post.
C5 rears - do you have parking brakes hooked up? Ive got LS1 and LT1 rears on the shelf 'cause Ive planning this for a while and need a parking brake. if C5's are easier on the parking brake Ill go that route

Are you running stock control arms. Im trying to copy CarlC's front rim and tire size on a '69 (17 x 9.5 rim)

Love the redlines

[Dionysus66]

Well if anyone is interested I got the C5 backing plate to work with the Kore3 caliper mount. I just went to my local metal store and bought 7/8" square aluminum bar for a spacer. But first I mounted my the rotors on the axles with the acuators and and backing inside the rotor drum, measured the distance from the backing plate to the Kore3 bracket and it was 13/16. I decided 7/8 will be fine and if need be Ill shave the spacer down, but I didnt need to. Then I just lined up the mounting holes in the bracket with the bar, drilled my holes and that was that. It looks kind of funny with the void in between the bracket and the backing plate and I was pretty worried about how strong it would be. But then I remembered I just want a funtional ebrake and thats what I got. If it void really bothers me which it might I might just go buy a wider 7/8 bar and machine it down to fill in the gap. And by the way I wasnt missing any parts. Everything I listed was what was needed.

[nor_cal_67rs]

Well if anyone is interested I got the C5 backing plate to work with the Kore3 caliper mount. I just went to my local metal store and bought 7/8" square aluminum bar for a spacer. But first I mounted my the rotors on the axles with the acuators and and backing inside the rotor drum, measured the distance from the backing plate to the Kore3 bracket and it was 13/16. I decided 7/8 will be fine and if need be Ill shave the spacer down, but I didnt need to. Then I just lined up the mounting holes in the bracket with the bar, drilled my holes and that was that. It looks kind of funny with the void in between the bracket and the backing plate and I was pretty worried about how strong it would be. But then I remembered I just want a funtional ebrake and thats what I got. If it void really bothers me which it might I might just go buy a wider 7/8 bar and machine it down to fill in the gap. And by the way I wasnt missing any parts. Everything I listed was what was needed.

Wow thanks for the info! :cheers: Do you have any pics?

[Dionysus66]

Ill try to get up some pics soon Im cleaning and painting the calipers now and I have very limited time to work on my car.

[bdoobie69]

Got any pics yet? I am getting ready to pull the trigger on this myself. Does anyone know if the C5 brake conversion on the front changes the wheel offset at all?

[Pete68]

They are 2-piece aluminum Boyd Coddington wheels, and would normally be polished, these were going to be powder coated anyway so they are just polished enough to get a good paint surface. Im not a fan of the chrome look so I went with black...wanted something different from all the other muscle cars out there.

[Pete68]

LS1 rears may be easier if planning to add a parking brake, Im still looking into that issue. I currently have no parking brake. But I just bought a 8.5 10-bolt and Im in the process of rebuilding that so Ill attack that issue when the time comes.

[mrfixit58]

They are 2-piece aluminum Boyd Coddington wheels, and would normally be polished, these were going to be powder coated anyway so they are just polished enough to get a good paint surface. Im not a fan of the chrome look so I went with black...wanted something different from all the other muscle cars out there.

Hey Pete,

I've done the same conversion on my '68 and am in the process of ordering rims. I'm going with 18" x 8" for caliper clearance and with the Billet Specialties "Dagger". For my own sanity and peace of mind, can you tell me what is the backspacing on your front rims? I'm measuring a B/S of 5.25 which gives me a 1/2 inch clearance from the outer lip.

Thanks,

[rohrt]

LS1 rears may be easier if planning to add a parking brake, Im still looking into that issue. I currently have no parking brake. But I just bought a 8.5 10-bolt and Im in the process of rebuilding that so Ill attack that issue when the time comes.

Any progress on this front?

What kind of parking break came on the C5s? What kind of parking break came on the LS1s? I thought they were the same. Did they use a drum-in-hat design? This is my biggest concern at the moment with pulling the trigger on this as I want to run a 5 speed and a parking break is a must.

[MrQuick]

The C5 rear has a backing plate that was mounted between the spindle hub.
The LS1 Camaro has an aluminum adapter with shoe plate its all sold as a unit.
Both use the rotor as the shoe drum.

To use with staggered shocks use 2 left back plate assemblies and 2 left calipers.
I have PN's together if you guys are interested.
Vince

[gort69]

The LS1 backing plate is either cast iron or cast steel.

For the do-it-yourselfer swapping onto a GM 10 or 12 bolt c-clip axle the LS1 is by far simpler. It's essentially a bolt on swap.

The brakes are very similar, both using drum-in-hat parking brakes.

LS1 & C5 rear both have 12" x 1.02" rotors. The hat dimensions are different. The C5 has directionally vaned rotors (a R and a L) The LS1 rotors are not directional.

The calipers are virtually identical. The C5 is pressure cast, the LS1 is gravity cast. For a street only car, I would be shocked if you could tell the difference between the two.

If you just "gotta gotta" tell the world you have C5 rears, swap out your LS1 rear calipers for C5 units. (You might have to tweak the anti-rattle spring)

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2011/03/P3120021-1.jpg

[rohrt]

The LS1 backing plate is either cast iron or cast steel.

For the do-it-yourselfer swapping onto a GM 10 or 12 bolt c-clip axle the LS1 is by far simpler. It's essentially a bolt on swap.

The brakes are very similar, both using drum-in-hat parking brakes.

LS1 & C5 rear both have 12" x 1.02" rotors. The hat dimensions are different. The C5 has directionally vaned rotors (a R and a L) The LS1 rotors are not directional.

The calipers are virtually identical. The C5 is pressure cast, the LS1 is gravity cast. For a street only car, I would be shocked if you could tell the difference between the two.

If you just "gotta gotta" tell the world you have C5 rears, swap out your LS1 rear calipers for C5 units. (You might have to tweak the anti-rattle spring)

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2011/03/P3120021-1.jpg

Thanks for the pic and the info. Do you have any more pic of the back side of the backing plate? How are people connecting the break cable?

[gort69]

I did a write-up of the LS1 rear swap onto my 69 Camaro on TC. Lots of pics and e-cable info http://www.camaros.net/forums/showthread.php?t=161383

[Vicinity]

For anyone who wants to go for the LS1 or C5 brake booster, I've got another way to mount it...

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2011/03/20110314_181352_313-1.jpg

Cut the studs off the brake booster mount. Weld 3 inch long plates to the booster mount so the excess metal hangs downward. Drill holes where the original bottom holes were on the old mounting plate, and drill another set approx 1 inch lower. Cut the original brake rod (threaded, comes off the brake pedal through the firewall) and weld it to the rod coming out of the brake booster.

This method will allow you to utilize the LS1 brake booster with no cutting of the body.

[tomy2tone01]

Hi Pete
Love your post. I believe I can make it work for my 61 Impala. I have a question or two. If thats ok.

Front Drum Hubs. You need original GM front drum hubs (disc brake front hubs will not work), if your car has disc or some other brakes on the front you can easily find these hubs at an old classic car junkyard in your neighborhood. GM used these for many years so they should be easy to find. Or you can buy them on eBay, or maybe even the auto parts store? You won’t need the drums or any other hardware, just the hubs, the C5 rotors will mount on them. You will need to machine the hubs to front and rear to fit the “rotor hats” (the section of the rotor that fits over the hub), you will need to machine a bit less than 6” off, take it to the local machine shop and have them measure the rotors and machine it for you.

I understand purchasing the hub. But can you explain the machine work a little more. What is a rotor hat? Have to machine 6 inches off?

I believe the rest should be easy tofigure out.

Thanks

Tom

Awesome post!!

[gort69]

I'm not Pete, but I play him on Television :)

Rotor hat: Kinda hard to describe. If you take a disc brake rotor and lay it flat on your bench, then look at it from the side, it kinda looks like a top-hat. Some rotors look like a taller top-hat compared to others, depending on the application. ____/----\____ Hope that makes sense.

Machining Hubs: See the picture below. The overall ouside diameter of the hub - as shown by the red arrows - needs to be machined down so that the "hat" of the rotor will slip over it and sit flush against the face of the hub. Somewhere just shy of 6". Take the hubs and a rotor to the machinist so there is no guesswork. Hope that makes sense as well.

If you have a question, call me @ 867-5309.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2011/04/DSCN01391-1.jpg

[tomy2tone01]

Ok John (just kinding)

Now I understand. The circumfrance of the hub is too large and needs to be made smaller, then the hub will fit into the backside of the rotor.

Thanks

Tomy2tone
Tom

[icemanrd19]

ok i prob missed it but what about the rear brakes? Say you are using a 9" rear with c clip eliminators and want the E brake to work

[gort69]

9" Ford never had c-clips to start with, so don't really have an answer. Probably depends on which bearing ends you have - best to contact Tobin @ www.kore3.com and see if he has a solution.

[gcallahan]

nice wright up planing on the c5/c6 brakes up front and ls1's on the rear of my 69 camaro

[jarvis]

Hi all, to the guys running 'c5 master cylinders, what type of brake line fittings are you using for the conversion, and where did you get them?
All help much appreciated
Jarvis

[Vicinity]

Hi all, to the guys running 'c5 master cylinders, what type of brake line fittings are you using for the conversion, and where did you get them?
All help much appreciated
Jarvis

You mean from bubble to inverted? Autozone or your local parts store sells adapters.

[Pete68]

From my original post:

You will need 2 hard lines to connect the C5 master cylinder to the Disc/Disc proportioning valve. If you use your stock master cylinder you will not need these. This was perhaps the trickiest part of the swap, the lines must be old school type flare at the proportioning valve and bubble-type flare at the master cylinder. I bought bubble type flare stock tubes at the auto parts store and then cut one end, flared them with an old school flare and then bent them to fit, I then borrowed a friends flare tool and created the flare for the proportioning valve. It leaked. So I redid it. It leaked again. I redid it again this time without crushing the fitting so much, I allowed it to crush a bit while I was tightening it, no leaks! If needed some parts stores may be able to do this for you, or a brake shop can, ask around if you don’t want to do this.

From the master you just need to worry about the two lines that run to the proportioning valve.

Does that help?

[Pete68]

Ran across this old pic of the master cylinder and booster:

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2011/09/MC252520and252520BoosterJPG-1.jpg

[ctsvmongo]

Rear / Front

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2009/12/25431990044_medium-1.jpg https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2009/12/25431990045_medium-1.jpg

Ive got to ask, maybe they arent made anymore, but this is the look I want- the wheels and tires, and I cant find good performance tires with a redwall/line on them- How did you accomplish this or are these actually tires you bought this way?
Great looking car!

[Pete68]

Ha! Its actually not the tires, the red stripe is on the wheels. Its $5 pin stripe kit from local car parts store. But stuff is amazingly durable and easy to apply. I like it cause I can remove it if I want and it also pays homage to the old school red line tires. : )

[bczee]

Vicinity and Pete.. for the 4th Gen Booster. Do you know the Rod's travel is ?.. I have mod'd my 4th Gen Booster as you did and now have it mounted up. I have two holes on my 71 Nova Pedal and want to make sure it will travel the correct amount..

Thanks..

BC

[Vicinity]

Vicinity and Pete.. for the 4th Gen Booster. Do you know the Rod's travel is ?.. I have mod'd my 4th Gen Booster as you did and now have it mounted up. I have two holes on my 71 Nova Pedal and want to make sure it will travel the correct amount..

Thanks..

BC

I checked before I put it in, but I do not recall what it was. I do remember welding the threaded portion right on the end of the booster rod and mounting it against the firewall provided more than enough travel.

[csouth]

Ive got to ask, maybe they arent made anymore, but this is the look I want- the wheels and tires, and I cant find good performance tires with a redwall/line on them- How did you accomplish this or are these actually tires you bought this way?
Great looking car!

You can get them from Diamonback Tire, but they won't be cheap. www.dbtires.com I would do like Pete68 did though in case you don't llike the look it can be easily reversed.

[chevnut55]

I just Installed c5 brakes on my 69 camaro.
I used kor3 brackets. I added 1/2 wheel studs. I also mounmted the c5 booster/master and the stock 4 wheel disc prop valve.
It came out great and with a few problems it was quick and easy.
My problems were #1 the drumb hubs were off a 69 firebird wich is 5/16 wider thanks to pontiac widetrack, I would not have known if I did not call tobin at kor3, he knew right away.I had to use spacers to bring the adaptor bracket to the caliper bracket.( I would have replaced the hubs with chevy hubs if I had not already machine it down and install new bearings and studs.
#2 the master to prob valve lines were tough to bend and flair because they are a hardened steel.
#3 the left rear caliper I bought from auto zoned out sucked , the top pad clip does not even fit. check it in store before you take it home and paint it!
This was the best and cheapest way to upgrade the brakes ,its all gm parts .
The big brake companys should be ashamed of the price they are asking for brake kits that are about the same as a stock c5 brake upgrade. It only cost me under $400.00 total for the complete system.

[Pete68]

In case you are wondering here is the finished look with the C5 brakes:

114038

114039

[Josue]

Pete - Do you have any pictures of the C5 booster/master cylinder mounted up?

The firewall is all I have left to do with my swap, but I was having a hard time trying to figure out how to mount this unit. I have manual brakes though, so it looks like I don't have these brackets you (guys) are talking about.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2016/04/DSC_0259_zpst3w30sdt-1.jpg (http://s153.photobucket.com/user/josue309/media/1968%20Firebird/DSC_0259_zpst3w30sdt.jpg.html)
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2016/04/DSC_0264_zpsnphe5qvk-1.jpg (http://s153.photobucket.com/user/josue309/media/1968%20Firebird/DSC_0264_zpsnphe5qvk.jpg.html)



Do you (guys) have straight brackets, or angled ones? Looks like if I went with straight brackets, it should keep the unit well away from my hood without the need to shim. Or, will I still need to shim a straight bracket?

[ryeguy2006a]

I am interested in the answer to this question above as well! Look like the DSE 050302 reduced angle bracket that they sell would be a close match to the studs on that booster.

[Josue]

Got mine done this week, here are some pics for anyone else interested in this swap!

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2016/04/DSC_0274_zps3cjvfpbk-1.jpg (http://s153.photobucket.com/user/josue309/media/1968%20Firebird/DSC_0274_zps3cjvfpbk.jpg.html)

I got some $15 brackets from Summit. I liked the reduced angle ones like DSE, but I was apprehensive about trying them since they say "for DSE booster only". These worked perfectly, and I didn't even have to open up any holes. I just used 2 nuts as shims, and it gave me the perfect angle I was looking for.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2016/04/DSC_0276_zpsaq7ltdgf-1.jpg (http://s153.photobucket.com/user/josue309/media/1968%20Firebird/DSC_0276_zpsaq7ltdgf.jpg.html)
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2016/04/DSC_0279_zpsi5dxg5xa-1.jpg (http://s153.photobucket.com/user/josue309/media/1968%20Firebird/DSC_0279_zpsi5dxg5xa.jpg.html)
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2016/04/DSC_0277_zpsc15cliy3-1.jpg (http://s153.photobucket.com/user/josue309/media/1968%20Firebird/DSC_0277_zpsc15cliy3.jpg.html)
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2016/04/DSC_0280_zpst7bidpmf-1.jpg (http://s153.photobucket.com/user/josue309/media/1968%20Firebird/DSC_0280_zpst7bidpmf.jpg.html)

And my Wilwood adjustable proportioning valve.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2016/04/DSC_0278_zpspbkzy0lb-1.jpg (http://s153.photobucket.com/user/josue309/media/1968%20Firebird/DSC_0278_zpspbkzy0lb.jpg.html)

[camarodude87]

I used the same exact master cylinder and apparently It wasn't pumping fluid to the rear drums. So I had to get a disk/Drum master from a 69 Camaro and it worked with that booster. Kinda pissed me off.

[Nicks67GTO]

I used the same exact master cylinder and apparently It wasn't pumping fluid to the rear drums. So I had to get a disk/Drum master from a 69 Camaro and it worked with that booster. Kinda pissed me off.

Me too. Then Tobin @Kore3 told me that the front port is for the rear brakes and rear port is for the front brakes. I flip flopped my lines and it worked perfectly.

[Pete68]

Hi guys, sorry for the slow response. Im sorry but I did forget to mention one thing in my original write up, way back in 1991 when I was 19 I swapped in the early 70's Nova disc brakes, at that time we also swapped in the master cylinder and power booster from the Nova...and Im pretty sure we also swapped the firewall bracket from the early 70's Nova. Sorry for the omission but that was a long time ago!! Anyway, hope that helps.

[Josue]

All good! It's just a matter of digging into it for yourself, and learning as you go. Like you and others have said, it's really not bad at all, and surprising how well all these parts fit and work together!

I ended up having a bad booster, so I ordered and installed an ACDelco reman unit from Rock Auto for $99. There was a very LOUD sucking/vacuum leak type sound coming from around the rod under the dash? And while driving a few weeks ago, the brakes were dragging by themselves very hard! It took a LOT of gas to keep the car limping so I could get it the few miles to the barn to work on it! Let it sit for a bit, and then it was fine again? During that time, the pedal was really hard, like something was inside the booster preventing me from pushing the pedal, so I said screw it and ordered new. Fixed everything though, they feel great now! I didn't even have to cut and thread the rod on this one...I just put it on the lower hole on the pedal bracket, I believe that's the "power" location anyway.

This talk about the front port being for the rear lines, and the rear port being for the front lines has me concerned. lol I'm still dialing in the adjustable prop valve though, so it's tough to say if the rears are working, or how much. I know I had TOO much bite in the fronts, adjusted the valve per the instructions, and got that to go away some, so I take it the rears are working to help even that out?

[Nicks67GTO]

All good! It's just a matter of digging into it for yourself, and learning as you go. Like you and others have said, it's really not bad at all, and surprising how well all these parts fit and work together!

I ended up having a bad booster, so I ordered and installed an ACDelco reman unit from Rock Auto for $99. There was a very LOUD sucking/vacuum leak type sound coming from around the rod under the dash? And while driving a few weeks ago, the brakes were dragging by themselves very hard! It took a LOT of gas to keep the car limping so I could get it the few miles to the barn to work on it! Let it sit for a bit, and then it was fine again? During that time, the pedal was really hard, like something was inside the booster preventing me from pushing the pedal, so I said screw it and ordered new. Fixed everything though, they feel great now! I didn't even have to cut and thread the rod on this one...I just put it on the lower hole on the pedal bracket, I believe that's the "power" location anyway.

This talk about the front port being for the rear lines, and the rear port being for the front lines has me concerned. lol I'm still dialing in the adjustable prop valve though, so it's tough to say if the rears are working, or how much. I know I had TOO much bite in the fronts, adjusted the valve per the instructions, and got that to go away some, so I take it the rears are working to help even that out?

I also had a "bad master cylinder" The pedal got rock hard and I couldn't bleed the rears well. I tried for hours to make it work. I called Tobin, he straightened me out on it, I bought a new master cylinder because I ruined the other one, swapped lines and it works perfect. My Delco MC is for a 2002 RHD S10

[Nicks67GTO]

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2016/04/20141116_143038_zps60ef1qcc-1.jpg (http://s239.photobucket.com/user/novaguy73/media/Brakes/20141116_143038_zps60ef1qcc.jpg.html)

- - - Updated - - -

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2015/02/20141116_143003_zpsnwx5nc4y-1.jpg (http://s239.photobucket.com/user/novaguy73/media/Brakes/20141116_143003_zpsnwx5nc4y.jpg.html)

[Josue]

I was able to bleed my back brakes no problem though, which is why I'm torn on what to do here? I was getting plenty of fluid coming out the bleeders back there, and even tested it out a bit while the car was on 4 jack stands with the wheels off. I'd put it in drive, let the wheels get going, then cram on the pedal, and they were stopping as they should.

If it's not right, it's not right. But, I'm getting a "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" feeling too. hahaha

[TheBandit]

.... shim the booster at the firewall to get the correct spacing and to make sure it clears the hood, takes a bit of measuring and trial and error but is easy. You may need to shim the booster a bit so it angles down more, mine hit the hood a little. Be sure to use two nuts to hold the rod where it attaches to the pedal and use red Locktite to make sure it does not come loose.

C5 Brake Booster (eBay/craigslist). Get the master cylinder and booster together if you can, it’s almost a direct bolt in. Almost! I think I got booster and master cylinder on eBay for ~$140?


Can anyone elaborate on what changes are needed to adapt the C5/C6 booster to a 3rd gen '68-'74 Nova (should be similar to 1st gen '67-'69 Camaro)? Do I understand correctly you can cut and rethread the input rod and simply attach a new clevis end? If so, what size do you thread it with? I know DSE has brackets 050302 to angle the booster down - do those work as-is to bolt up the booster? I'm curious also if the firewall hole needs to be enlarged.

[Pete68]

Yes, cut and re-thread original rod.

From a previous post:
Hi guys, sorry for the slow response. Im sorry but I did forget to mention one thing in my original write up, way back in 1991 when I was 19 I swapped in the early 70's Nova disc brakes, at that time we also swapped in the master cylinder and power booster from the Nova...and Im pretty sure we also swapped the firewall bracket from the early 70's Nova. Sorry for the omission but that was a long time ago!! Anyway, hope that helps.

Firewall hole did not need to be enlarged for me. I just used the early 70's Nova firewall bracket, C5 booster/master, and original rod.

[TheBandit]

Yes, cut and re-thread original rod.

Thanks Pete. Any idea what thread size you used? Did you have to cut the rod diameter down prior to threading or did you just run a threading die over it directly? What clevis did you use?

[stab6902]

I know this is an old thread, but for reference, the old school A/F/X body clevises have 3/8"-24 threads. The C5 input rod is the perfect diameter to run a 3/8"-24 die right over it.

[Pete68]

Sorry I cant remember, it was over 10 years ago I think. Im pretty sure if was the same diameter and thread pitch as the original rod. As Ryan said I simply cut the C5 rod and then ran the die over it to thread it. Use 2 nuts with some blue loctite. Good luck.

[STAYBG]

Hey guys maybe I missed it, I’m using the c5 master in my 71 cutlass and can’t find the fitting for the rear port. 12-1.5 I believe. I need either an adapter or just the fitting for a 3/16 line.

[stab6902]

See post #5 here: https://www.pro-touring.com/threads/133259-What-Size-Threads-on-2003-corvette-m-c

[CapSS92]

Found some part numbers for you here as well.

https://brakequip.com/products/hardware/male-tube-nuts/

Alex

[JuStBlAzIN]

Old thread. But doing the swap in my 69 camaro. I have a 1/4 gap between the boot and the firewall hole.

Using
C6 booster DSE brackets

What are you guys doing to properly seal the gap/firewall hole?
198892