Re: IML: Please Welcome sjak brak

["Frederick Joslin" <fljoslin@xxxxxxxx>]

Hi Sjak:

I just looked through my on-line sources for brake rotors and indeed none are listed for the 73 Imperial.

 

Here is an idea. I may be talking out of my a**, but it is worth looking at.

 

A couple of years ago I changed the front brake drums on a 1966 Newport to discs from a 1972 Fury. The rotors for a 72 Fury are very hard to find and expensive. I happened to be up in Canada on a visit and stopped by a Canadian Tire store to see if they had the rotors I needed. They said that they did and they were cheap (relatively) so I got them. Came back down to the US and tried to install the rotors a couple of months later and sure enough they did not fit. I finally went and purchased the expensive rotors here, figuring that at least I could take these back if they did not work. I got the new ones and took them home and they had the same casting number as the ones that I already had. I was pissed, but looked a little closer and noticed that machining for the races was different. Sure enough the new rotors worked.

 

I know that this is a long story. However, the point is that I believe the rotors I purchased in Canada were for a 73 C-Body and the ones that I needed for a 72 C-Body were the same casting, but machined differently. You seem to be very technically competent and have original rotors for your car. I would suggest getting hold of a 73 C-Body rotor and seeing if it can be machined to work on your car ($43 at Rock auto http://www.rockauto.com/catalog/raframecatalog.php; $42 at Autozone http://www.autozone.com/N,14400854//shopping/partTypeResultSet.htm).  

 

I just went through the 73 FSM on the Club site and the specs for the Imperial and C-Body rotors are the same (11.75" OD; 7.725"ID; 1.24-1.25" thickness etc.).  I believe that the bolt pattern is different and probably the machining for the races.  

 

Good luck.       

----- Original Message -----
From: "Steve B."
To: mailing-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: IML: Please Welcome sjak brak
Date: Sat, 6 Oct 2007 22:56:22 -0400


New Subscriber(s): sjak brak
Email Address is: imperial1973@xxxxxxxxx
Member Location: Netherlands

Car(s) owned: 73 4 door
73 2 door parts car

Self-Introduction: I am Sjak (short for
Jacques, phonetically identic in my own
language), 33 years old, and I live in The
Netherlands (Europe). I work as a
claims&liability expert within a leading
logistic company. I also assist at the local
speedshop in Belgium for computerwork and sales.

My car is a 1973 Imperial LeBaron 4 door
hardtop. Its supposed to be a (more or less)
rolling project. The engine was rebuilt some
20.000miles ago (the car was not mine at that
time) and is running smooth. I bought it in
June 2005.

Its a lot of fun to drive this huge luxusaurus
in Holland (where I live), its scaring for
other traffic

So far, I did the following to the car, the
very short version (some stuff caused a lot of
headache, like the brakes, non-AC conversion,
and making the carby fit):
- rebuilt PS pump + new hoses
- rebuilt the propane convertor
- new high performance probane carb (it was a
lot of work to find all parts to make it fit
under the hood)
- Edelbrock Performer intake
- MSD Probillet distributor + MSD 6AL box + MSD
Blaster SS coil + MSD adjustable timing control
- new aircleaner casing (dual snorkel, adapted to fit the propane carb)
- removed all emissions-stuff (propane runs
much cleaner than gasoline, so no need for it)
- removed AC stuff and other non-funtional
underhood components (a.o. some aftermarket
alarm)
- finding & mounting new pulleys and brackets
for crank/PS/waterpump/alternator for a
non-AC-configuration
- removed almost all gasoline parts (the tanks
still there, will be dropped soon)
- hi-torque starter
- rewired part of the engine bay
- blocked of heatriser crossover in the intake
and removed heatriser valve from the exhaust
- rebuilt front disc calipers
- new master brake cilinder and new power brake booster
- new stuff in rear brakes

A big help is that I got a 1973 Imperial parts
car, which has proved invaluable, not only for
the parts I already used, but the dismantling
of a similar car is very ineresting to learn
how stuff works on the Brakmobile.

I am now facing a tranny rebuild (more on that
will follow), and I purchased a set of 915
heads with NEW 1.81 exhaust and 2.14 intake
stainless steel Manley valves for only 300
euros (US$ 420!!). The car still has the very
sad 8.2 compression ratio combined with a
broomstick-camshaft. With a thinner headgasket
and the 915's, it will get to approx. 9:1. I
still can go a lot higher, but the
crankcase/rods/etc are in such a good (almost
new) condition that its a waste to tear it
apart again. The heads still need to be
reworked, it will need larger valve seats and
hardened exhaust valve seats (the combustion
temperature of propane is a lot higher than on
gasoline).

Performance is acceptable, my maximum speed so
far was 132-135mph, and while playing at the
track, it did the 8th mile in some 9-10
seconds. My cruise speed is usually 100 on the
highways, the car seems to like that speed.

BUT I am facing a huge problem now, I have a
bent brake rotor and somehow these things seem
to be made of unobtanium.... big issue since
this would mean that the car will be stuck
sooner or later because of no brakes....

Sjak
<< smiley4.gif >>

Fred Joslin