JR's Sabre Update

[John Ross]

Progress has been very slow but I finally was able to get the motor to fit. Mostly, I still have not been able to mount the a/c compressor. I am thinking it will have to be remote mounted some how, maybe electric.

I finally have some time off so I can work on the car. Next is the clutch and plumbing then the trans. It is actually looking like a car now.

Here is a pic of the progress, if I can get it to upload.

[Lynn]

John,

I had to make mounts, but the little short Sanden will fit in front of the driver's side head (302) and line up with the water pump. (I have a short, reverse rotation water pump.) The back of the pump is about 1/8" from the head/valve cover, so I used a piece of aluminized silicone fabric as a heat shield.

Lynn

[John Ross]

Lynn,

Any chance you know the model number of the compressor. I went to sandens website and they have about 30. I would love to see a pic of the bracket you made so I can duplicate. I am running a std water pump with vbelts so my bracket would need to be able to adjust belt tension.

Thanks

[Ron Earp]

Is that Jay's old Sabre, or another one? Might not even have the name right but I remember a Sabre being in Texas years ago.

[John Ross]

Yep, its Jay's old Sabre.

[Ron Earp]

Cool! Glad to hear someone is on it and maybe she'll see the light of day here shortly. Keep on keeping on!

Ron

[Lynn]

John,

I got it from VintageAir and I believe it is the Sanden SD7. Go to VintageAir Catalog, then go down the page to number 48 and select.

I think I have some drawings of what I fab'ed up. But it is pretty basic: 1. bolt with spacer into the larger head threads and then an arc adjuster coming off one of the water pump bolts (as I recall.) I'll see what I can find for you.

Lynn

[John]

John,

I have a Sabre (aka Integrity) - see member rides for pictures! They come with corvette rear hubs. I was curious to know whether you have or intend to install parking brakes - I'm in the process of doing that but it's not going smoothly!

John

[Lynn]

John & Ross,

You can put '88-'92 spacers, hubs, rotors and calipers on; the advantage being that the parking brake is built into the calipers. All you should need to do is have a spacer ring made for the boss on the upright. (The later model spacer has a slightly larger diameter than the C4 boss on the uprights, but the height is the same.) Putting the calipers on the opposites sides, from normal, and on the back side of the wheel makes routing the park brake cable very smooth. If you want to go all the way, then you will want to machine the ports (slightly) on the calipers to reverse the bleed and pressure line ports (when swapped the calipers will be upside down; I just take mine off when I bleed them, but it is a bit of a PITA.)

I have written on the subject several times here.

Lynn

[John]

Lynn,

Do you have any pictures of that '88-'92 parking brake setup - I've having trouble visualizing it!

John

[Lynn]

Here you go. Front of the car is to the left (this is the driver's side rear.)

Lynn

[Lynn]

Picture added but post didn't register?? Some funkiness was going on during the creation of the post and upload of the photo.

Lynn

[John]

Originally Posted by llarsen

Here you go. Front of the car is to the left (this is the driver's side rear.)

Lynn

Lynn,

I can see only part of the driver's side rotor and caliper at the bottom of the picture - part of it is chopped off! If you're having trouble uploading the photos, would it be easier to email them to me: john_douglass@comcast.net

As I understand it, you say the later model calipers have both the regular and the parking brake built into the caliper - mine has place for a parking brake shoe built into the hub!

Is there a kit to allow the conversion form the '84 vette type to the one you recommend? Or do I get the parts from a 88-'92 Vette?

John

[Lynn]

John,

All the important bits are there. Starting at the bottom of the picture you first see the rotor and then the edge of the bearing/hub assembly flange, you will need to buy the bearings and rotors, I bought mine (Federal-Mogul) from NAPA for a very reasonable price. I am not positive, but it may very well be that the bearing/hub assembly you have is the same.

Next, you'll see the nearly 1" wide spacer/caliper mount bracket with the caliper mount bolt just started and, obviously the caliper to the right. Now this spacer/caliper mount and short shaft can be purchased through GM (fairly expensive), but I'd check a wrecker, Corvette shop or possibly eBay. Then next thing you see is the upright. Now, where the spacer/caliper mount interfaces with the upright is the only thing you'll have to get fabricated. The spacer has a groove cut around the edge of interior opening which faces the upright. Your upright should have a raised boss that centers and holds the spacer. The boss on your caliper is going to be a lesser diameter than the recess in the adapter. I had a local machine shop make mine and it was less than $30.00 for both spacers. As I recall, they cut two ≈¼" discs from a 4" round billet and then machined out the inside, now these are rough numbers not exact, so you end up with a ≈¼" x ¼" ring of aluminum. You'll need to mic what you have to get exact dimensions.

Now for the two SS connections going to the caliper. The one with the rubber sheath on it is the brake line going to a banjo fitting. (I bought the stuff from Pegasus and fab'ed them up.) The larger one going over the top of the brake line is a Lokar SS parking brake setup. The caliper should come with the hard point which you see (the arm with the round head pointing towards the center of the car) and the actuator arm for the parking brake (just to the right of the rubber cap on the speed-bleeder.) The spring on the cable between the two comes with the Lokar kit.

Edit: I guess I should explain that the parking brake works by mechanically engaging the disc brakes through the cable. Yeah! No damned shoes to fool with!

You may have to buy the 6 (3 per side) bolts that mount the hub/bearing/adapter assembly to the upright, but that will depend on your upright I suppose. Now the only part I am not sure about is the short shaft and the cross for the ½ shafts. You see I planned mine this way from the beginning so I knew what I was going for. If the bearing/hub assembly is the same, I think you are golden. If not, you'll need the short shaft to match it. I am nearly posititive that the universal is the same because I spec'ed my ½ shafts by part nos. based on all C4 stuff (as it just dawned on me) and it worked fine.

Lynn

[Lynn]

Here is another photo that gives another angle on the caliper hookups.

Lynn

[John Ross]

Thanks for the info Lynn. I am not quite ready to change out the calipers but I may have to do it if I want a hand brake. The other option I have been looking at is to use a line lock setup.

[Lynn]

John,

Make sure you check with Texas DOT first: some states demand that the parking/emergency brake be a totally different system, some even require that it is mechanical and not hydraulic.

Lynn

[Mike Dozier]

Here's a view of the DRB upright before the 1988 adapter is installed

[Mike Dozier]

And after installation....