Vanagon brake regulator

[flyboy705]

Hi all,

I installed the brakes/disks from a VW MK IV R32 front and back.( I was running a Smallcar disk brake kit before for years, but that's going to my wife's vanagon) And I thought for years that I knew the brake system of a '86 Vanagon ! Ha - not so ! I came across the brake regulator installed under the right foot well. Not knowing what it was I checked my Bentley manual. They only call it the brake regulator.
What does it regulate, I like to ask ? Is it a proportioning valve between the front disk and rear drum brake ? Did they install it because the master cylinder is designed for a drum brake system and then they added the front disk ? Do I need it having the appropriate front and rear calipers ?

As always, all help and comments are appreciated

[ALIKA T3]

It is to regulate the amount of fluid to goes to the rear brakes, there is a steel ball in there that moves with gravity ( wheel lock up for example)
_________________
Silicone Steering Boots and 930 Cv boots for sale in the classifieds.
Syncro transmission upgrade parts in the Classifieds.
Subaru EJ22+UN1 5 speed transmission
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=416343
Syncro http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=4...num+gadget

[timichango]

Yep, it's a proportioning valve, if memory serves. I recall being paranoid about ours because it's old and rusty, and I've heard they can fail, and are NLA, so replacement is apparently a bit of a messaround.


See: https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=319303
_________________
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Vroomhilde-San: Our 1991 Silver Vanagon Westy automatic + Subie EJ25

[burleymotorsports]

[timichango]

[flyboy705]

Thanks for the responses !
Well, having the appropriate front and back calipers, I think I'll take a chance on the master cylinder working with me by not locking up the rear first before the front and will take the regulator out. I'm hoping to get better braking out of the rear.
We'll see what happens ! Stay tuned

[burleymotorsports]

[70coupyel]

If you do not understand what the parts does in your brake system you are playing with fire. If you run that van is on a public road without that proportioning valve you will be putting everybody at risk on the street. What will happen is the rear end will lock up and come around on you in a blink of an eye.You will lose control. If you plan on going to a skid pad for testing and balancing your brake system before hitting the street then great.
There is a reason why that valve is there.
_________________

[burleymotorsports]

[Snort]

That valve is designed as an inertia-activated pressure release for the rear brakes under hard braking. There is a procedure in the Bentley describing how it is tested by tilting it 30 degrees which will simulate inertia moving the internal mechanism forward. Measuring 100 bar at the front calipers should result in 55-65 bar at the rear wheel cylinders.

[Jake de Villiers]

Please don't remove the propotioning valve - its a very important safety device.

Where the hell is Doug?
_________________
'84 Vanagon GL 1.9 WBX
'86 Westy Weekender Poptop/2.5 Subaru/5 Speed Posi/Audi Front Brakes/16 x 7 Mercedes Wheels - answers to 'Dixie'
@jakedevilliersmusic1
http://sites.google.com/site/subyjake/mydixiedarlin%27
www.crescentbeachguitar.com
www.thebassspa.com

[flyboy705]

Friends, thank you for the concerned messages.
Rest assured that I am not a brainless yahoo going for the Darwin awards. No, I'd rather read about participants me being alive and laughing. In my professional life it is all about assessing risk and how to mitigate it, about redundancy and safety ( No, I'm not in insurance). Let's face it, we all take risks and being part of this forum is looking for the mitigation of it. How many of you have different wheels that weren't original type certificate ? Or wheel spacers or brakes or engines or or or .... we all are willing to take risks comes to our Vanagons ! But the trick is to maintain a margin of safety.

So fully aware of what a prop valve does, with the relations of the master cylinder to different diameter of caliber pistons in mind, I took out the valve and conducted empirical and controlled tests. These were done on different surfaces except ice and snow of course with different conditions, speeds and application. No hunams, animals or property were harmed !

To report, the rear is much more responsive but not to the extent of dangerously locking up well prior the front. Part of that is the greater load due to my full camper, a 1.8T and 255/55ZR18 Michelin Pilot Super sports in the back. Speaking of margin of safety now, I am not comfortable with emergency brake applications on slippery surfaces or conditions comparable to that. Therefore I will re-install a proportioning valve. But not the original as I believe it is robbing too much brake pressure from the rear in my application. I'm thinking of getting an adjustable valve for trials.

However, I find one thought much more intriguing. As I have an ECU to run my 1.8T that had ABS programmed in it before ( which I deleted to rid the message) and I still have the ABS module and the modulator, why don't I try to install the entire ABS system with sensors on all wheels like it was installed on the donor vehicle ? The computer will not care if it is installed in R32, Jetta, Golf or Vanagon. All it cares is that the wheels are turning when I brake.

Any thoughts ?

[timichango]