Proportioning Valve

brotherGood

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Looking for some sort of help with finding an aftermarket adjustable valve. I'm tired of dealing with the 30 year old valves that crap out whenever I have any sort of brake issue. I'm on my 3rd one in 8 years with this car and its not working properly since replacing lines to the rears.

Fortunately all thats left to replace are the front brake hoses, but Im tired of changing these valves out.

Help and/or links are greatly appreciated,
Thanks.
 

volare 77

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I would replace the hoses before doing anything else. I had many a hoses look good on the outside but go bad inside and cause braking problems.
 

Aspen500

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My car had front hoses that looked perfectly fine until,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,in a deluge, going 20 mph, a dead car suddenly appeared in front of me. Hit the brakes, pedal went to floor, fan hit radiator, and I said something to the effect of "oh darn". Left hose blew right out of the crimp. That was in 1989 when it was still a S6. Their bumper went over mine and shortened the poor Aspen by a foot.:oops:
 

AJ/FormS

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You can take those valves apart and clean them. They are simple as all get out and unless they were submerged in crappy fluid, they should last forever; Mine is circa 1973, and was last cleaned in 1999. Really, they should be trouble free.
Oh wait, I gutted mine in 2004, and now it is just a distribution block.
If you have big and littles with factory brakes, and tires 275 or bigger, you don't need it. Or rather I guess I should say I discovered that I didn't need it. Car stops straight and hard with the rear drums actually doing something.
I have seen many rear hoses make trouble, but never a P-valve.
 

Aspen500

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One thing that can prevent many brake hydraulic problems is to change the fluid every couple years. Nobody ever does for the most part, myself included and I should know better, being an auto tech. It's even more important on cars with ABS. If changed regularly, it's very rare a car will ever have caliper, or wheel cylinder problems or need a new $1,200 (plus labor) ABS hydraulic control unit. They won't leak, and the won't stick. I don't own an ABS equipped vehicle (my '08 Mustang included) so changing the fluid is low on the priority list, right or wrong.

I imagine that Summit adjustable valve is about the same as the old Direct Connection/Mopar Performance adjustable unit. Not sure if that's made anymore.
 

AJ/FormS

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I have one of those valves I purchased from the local Chrysler dealer, nearly two decades ago, thinking I would need it. It's still in the pkg on a shelf, somewhere in the shed. IIRC, it looked just like so many other aftermarket ones. I just bought it there, cuz, I got a good deal; namely no; 1.33USd exchange rate, no brokerage fees, and no freight.
 

BudW

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I don’t recall ever having to replace a combination valve in my life – except for ones that were left outside in the elements (disconnected) or damaged from dropping an engine on it, etc. (which I, um, have been guilty of doing both . . .).


Brake hoses – I have had more than a few burst on me.
If a hose is 10-15 years old (or exact age is not known) and I’m servicing the brakes – I will replace the hoses, no questions asked. Most cases, they are cheap ($10-15 each) – which is a whole lot cheaper than body work and/or getting your britches cleaned after one busts.


I heard someone mention that a good way to prevent ABS problems on cars, it to use the ABS system about once every month or so (ie: slam on the brakes).
Most people do not apply brakes hard enough, often enough to make sure it all works.
It is my belief that some ABS components die from non-usage.


Also – it is very important to change brake fluid every couple of years or so because brake fluid attracts water moisture.
Water and metal = rust (or corrosion).
Rubber seals rubbing against rust (or corrosion) = seal wear.
I can tell when working on brakes – if the owner changes his fluid every couple of years (or not). The “not” owners are the ones who also has to replace calipers, wheel cylinders, etc. a LOT more often those people who change fluid more often.
Fluid is a lot cheaper than calipers and wheel cylinders and so forth.


BrotherGood, you have me wondering, now. What or why have you been thinking your combination/proportioning valve(s) have been failing?
I’m not disagreeing that you have bad valves – but trying to understand what is going on (or possible mis-diagnosis).
BudW
 

brotherGood

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The issue I have is they will not reset. The first one went bad after I blew a rear line. Got it to reset but then the rear hose crapped out and that locked the valve. I replaced it and that one locked when the wheel cylinders were bad. Replaced all of that and put another valve on and then blew the line running to the rear of the car. This valve acted locked as well, so it was taken off and "rebuilt" which come to find out means gutted. That explains the little pressure I've got back there.

The only thing left to change are the front hoses, which I might as well do before putting the new valve on it.
 

Oldiron440

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Hoses will hold presser also, they look great on the outside but have degraded inside.
 

brotherGood

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Fronts have great pressure..its the rears with the pressure issue and that hose has been changed
 

jasperjacko

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When I put my car back together, I replaced all the rubber hoses, calipers, wheel cylinders, drums rotors, rebuilt the master cylinder, disassembled and cleaned the p.v. , have had no issues.
 

jasperjacko

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I do need to replace the pads however. I guess 20,000 miles and numerous 100-0 stops will do that!
 
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