Roscoe on your Porterfied brakes?

Clois Harlan · #1 (**permalink**) 07-03-2003, 04:59 AM

Roscoe,

I receieved my R4S Porterfied brakes and installed them last night but I didn't notice a lot of difference in the two mile drive I took. They are better than my stock brakes. I have a few questions for you that might be the reason.

1. Are you using a power booster? If so what kind?

2. Are you running a Mustang II front end w/Granada or GM
Metric disc brakes?

3. Are the Porterfied brakes more effecient once they have a little heat in them?

4. Are you running a portioning valve?

5. Are your rotors drilled and vented?

By the way good morning!

Clois

Pete C · #2 (**permalink**) 07-03-2003, 05:27 AM

Clois,

I have stock rotors and Porterfield brakes on my Cobra (Tilton master cylinder and proportioning bar). The brakes work great once hot. In fact, they are incredible. A word of caution however, you've got to be careful on the street since you never get them hot enough to work as they were intended and you will find that your breaking distances are greater, under normal street driving conditions, than for stock brakes. Anticipate and dont follow too close! I kept "stock rotors as a compromise. My thinking was that they may well get hotter on the track but that the extra heat could be a benefit in street driving. I'm not certain of the wisdom since I have not done the control experiment.

Cheers, Pete

Clois Harlan · #3 (**permalink**) 07-03-2003, 05:39 AM

Thanks Pete,

Tonight after work I will take them for a little cruise and put some heat in the breaks and see if they perform better.

Clois

Roscoe · #4 (**permalink**) 07-03-2003, 08:22 AM

Clois,

1. Are you using a power booster? If so what kind?
NO!

2. Are you running a Mustang II front end w/Granada or GM
Metric disc brakes?
Mustang spindle, Grenada Rotor and Wilwood Dyno II Caliper.

3. Are the Porterfied brakes more effecient once they have a little heat in them?
YES! Most pads are.

4. Are you running a portioning valve?
NO! Balance bar. Dual master cyl's

5. Are your rotors drilled and vented?
Not drilled or slotted! Stock Grenada vented rotors

Roscoe

Clois Harlan · #5 (**permalink**) 07-03-2003, 09:32 AM

Thanks Roscoe,

I just wanted to be sure I was comparing Apples to Apples.

Are your Wilwoods significantly better than the stock calipers you replaced?

I am trying to get my brakes as good as I can before I go to Road America September 12-13. Since that is a long 4 mile course I want to be sure I can get whoaed down getting into the corners at speed (all 14 of them).

Clois

Roscoe · #6 (**permalink**) 07-03-2003, 11:23 AM

The wilwoods are a 4 piston caliper and far superior to the GM single piston. Also check Outlaw calipers. Same as Wilwood.
Roscoe

a427sc · #7 (**permalink**) 07-03-2003, 03:57 PM

Just a couple of notes:

Race pads need to be bedded in, even if they have been furnace heated by the mfg. They have to burn out the solvents, seat to the surface of the rotor, and actually transfer a layer of material onto the rotor. See your mfg instruction on the bedding in process, it is VERY important. Two street miles isn't enough unless you get rather aggressive on them.

Street driving doe not normally get them into their heat range. This will build up a glaze layer. Every so often, give them a good run and a couple of HARD stops to clear them up.

Rotor size matters (he!!, size always matters), but the easiest/cheapest way to improve race track brake performance is to use a top quality race fluid such as Wilwood 550 or Motul 600 etc. The problem is they will need to be bled often and aren't very good with moisture. And don't forget to add some cooling ducts, at least for the fronts. Don't use plastic dryer hose as it melts, Get some flexable metallic heater duct hose from Home Depot and aim the air into the center of the rotor from behind.

One more thing. On the track, don't go for long medium pressure stops, and several "safety taps" as you get to the brake zones (a common rookie approach). This will build up excessive heat. Apply the brakes smoothly but aggressively (don't just stomp them) and stop hard until you get to the speed you need to turn in. You'll probably find yourself a long way from the turn-in point the first few times, so wait a little longer next time, and try to be consistant. Remember, the longer you wait, the faster you will be going, so work up to it gradually.

Have Fun

McFEz

BTW, Want some track time at DVSFIV? Let them know.

dlowe01 · #8 (**permalink**) 08-07-2003, 08:50 PM

Clois, don't know if you remember me but I talked to you over the phone last year. I am in Broken Arrow and would like to get together with you some time to compare brakes. I am using a tilton dual master like yours. Not stoping as well as I would like. At least not good enough to take to the track!

Roscoe · #9 (**permalink**) 08-08-2003, 08:23 AM

Y'know guys...sometimes you have mismatched master cylinders and sometimes you have the balance bar set up wrong and sometimes you have both. I would check, one by one, all your specs and setup measurements to make sure everything is proper.

Roscoe

Clois Harlan · #10 (**permalink**) 08-08-2003, 08:35 AM

D. Lowe.

Was that your Cobra over at Rogers that had the hand made beautiful Walnut Dash?

Anyway, give me a call on my Cell 633-5336 when you get time. I will be glad to come to your house or you can come to mine.

My brakes are much better now. I have installed a under the dash Brake Porportioning Valve, The Porterfield kevlar pads, changed out my rear brake lines (the were 1/4" and I replaced them with 3/16" stainless lines) and flushed all my dot 3 brake fluid and replaced it with dot 4. But I think the biggest change was a good bleeding of the brakes.

Clois

dlowe01 · #11 (**permalink**) 08-08-2003, 09:46 PM

Yes, that was mine. Have it back now and on the streat. Finally!!!!! Lots of detail work, tuning and adjusting left to do before I get it painted this winter. Want to drive it and get it dialed in before the paint goes on. I will give you a call as soon as I can get a few days off to work on it. Where in B.A. are you?