Parking brake warning light for a 71?

[Stanglover]

  I'll post what I do later, but in the mean time, I'm all 'ears' for other ideas.

Geoff.

Oh, my MIL will take care of your ears.  She's very good at biting them off every moment she gets....

She's still available if anyone is interested.

 You crack me up!!

And no, I don't need yours, got one of my own.

 

[Stanglover]

Another thought, by using the mechanical brake light switch and a pressure switch, only a failure in the brake circuit (front or rear) that the pressure switch is connected to would trigger the warning light.

This may be more inline with what's needed to reconnect the disabled brake idiot light, but I also wondered if I could simply reconnect the rear brake line from the m/c and then to the remote bias valve. SSBC say to disconnect the prop valve's rear circuit and plug it off. By doing this, the idiot light will not work, on all the time, so to unplug the switch wire.

From personal experience, the two times in my life I have had a complete brake failure, the idiot light coming on to warn me was the last thing on my mind! It really is only useful as a warning when you start the car and before you drive off...…….. so you know your brakes are shot before you hit the ditch!!

Geoff.

 

[Don C]

I know what you mean, I had the brake pedal to the floor once, before dual master cylinders (no warning lights back then). I've only had the brake light on once, and that was due to a leaking wheel cylinder, still had some brakes, though.

 

[Stanglover]

I know what you mean, I had the brake pedal to the floor once, before dual master cylinders (no warning lights back then). I've only had the brake light on once, and that was due to a leaking wheel cylinder, still had some brakes, though.

You got lucky!

One of the times mine failed, I was approaching a busy 3 lane highway in the UK. I started to hit the brake pedal at a normal distance expecting to stop at the junction. Instead of that, the pedal hit the floor, I filled my pants, grabbed first gear then the HAND BRAKE and cranked the wheel to the left and slid the car across three lanes without hitting anyone, coming to a stop on the verge. Fortunately I also missed a car turning into the junction. Very scary and not something I'd ever want to repeat.

I had a steel brake line rupture. I also had 3 fully charged scuba tanks in the trunk (Boot).

Geoff

 

[Moose]

Last weekend, ******* drove from a show with the parking brake (slightly) on. The car was on an incline downwards, so I applied the P/B (why??) and totally forgot about it when I left. It was not until I smelled something, that I realized the P/B was still on. Fortunately I had not fully applied it and no damage done. Yes, I did take the wheels off and checked the drums and shoes!! I dodged a bullet for sure and not the first time I'd forgotten the damn stupid thing. (European cars ALL have HAND BRAKES!!!)

On the 71, I don't believe there was an optional parking brake warning light, or at least not on my low optioned car. So, my question to the knowledgeable is, is there such a thing and can it be added to my basic 71 Mach 1 and where can I get one?

If I were not too worried about authenticity, I'd put in a HAND BRAKE. My car is a manual trans 4 speed, I have 3 pedals and only two feet, making hill starts a bitch. Fortunately there are not many hills around where I live, so I can avoid them most of the time.

 Coming from England, I was taught how to do hill starts using the hand brake. In fact the hand brake is/should be used almost all the time when starting off. You just get in the habit as most cars when I lived there were all manual trans. Just a side note, when I did my driving test (in the sixties) the instructor actually had me stop on an upward incline, got out and placed a match box behind a rear wheel. If I'd rolled back and crushed the match box, I would have failed my test. I passed!

The dumbest thing is they call it an "emergency brake" Been there, tried that, didn't work!! Fortunately I had a box full of gears to get me slowed down before I hit someone. This type of brake is (well maybe) fine on an automatic car, but on a stick shift, no way, but I'm stuck with it.

Thoughts?

Geoff.

 

[Stanglover]

Last weekend, ******* drove from a show with the parking brake (slightly) on. The car was on an incline downwards, so I applied the P/B (why??) and totally forgot about it when I left. It was not until I smelled something, that I realized the P/B was still on. Fortunately I had not fully applied it and no damage done. Yes, I did take the wheels off and checked the drums and shoes!! I dodged a bullet for sure and not the first time I'd forgotten the damn stupid thing. (European cars ALL have HAND BRAKES!!!)

On the 71, I don't believe there was an optional parking brake warning light, or at least not on my low optioned car. So, my question to the knowledgeable is, is there such a thing and can it be added to my basic 71 Mach 1 and where can I get one?

If I were not too worried about authenticity, I'd put in a HAND BRAKE. My car is a manual trans 4 speed, I have 3 pedals and only two feet, making hill starts a bitch. Fortunately there are not many hills around where I live, so I can avoid them most of the time.

 Coming from England, I was taught how to do hill starts using the hand brake. In fact the hand brake is/should be used almost all the time when starting off. You just get in the habit as most cars when I lived there were all manual trans. Just a side note, when I did my driving test (in the sixties) the instructor actually had me stop on an upward incline, got out and placed a match box behind a rear wheel. If I'd rolled back and crushed the match box, I would have failed my test. I passed!

The dumbest thing is they call it an "emergency brake" Been there, tried that, didn't work!! Fortunately I had a box full of gears to get me slowed down before I hit someone. This type of brake is (well maybe) fine on an automatic car, but on a stick shift, no way, but I'm stuck with it.

Thoughts?

Geoff.

 Moose, sorry, no reply posted.