Seems like I got a leak coming from my wifes 74 and the brake performance isnt good.
Those could be related, or not. But only a thorough going through will tell you for sure.
It can be gear oil back there too, but since you say the fluid level goes down, that's a pretty good indicator of the wheel/slave cylinder.
Easy fix.
Im not going the hydroboost route for a while so dont ask.
So non-power assist at all right now? I had manual brakes and thought they stopped really well. Was glad too, because as nice as boosted brakes are, I prefer simplicity.
The fact that it was cheaper didn't escape me either, but that wasn't the driving force.
So, do I just replace everything with a new drum kit for around $150 or do I go disc setup for a lot more?
Depends.
Disc brakes are not necessarily more powerful unless you up-size them. I waited until I needed new drums too, before I went with discs. Up until then it was just too easy to replace the normal service items like shoes, and then renew the old cylinders with a $4 kit.
You can buy a whole kit with drums of course, but until you open up the old ones for inspection you can't know what's needed. And speaking of that, don't forget to factor new rear wheel bearings into that mix. If it's never been done, then now's the time.
Will I notice a performance difference?
I know maintanence will be a lot easier. Is there a drum upgrade available?
Again, depends.
Does this '74 have big brakes, or small? Are they in good shape with good quality shoes? Are the drums worn beyond their service life, or are they still good? Lots of things can make disc's "better" but it's not automatic.
As for a drum upgrade, that depends on what you have now. But big or small, you can install a larger diameter slave cylinder for more power-per-pound of pedal pressure. But it's a crapshoot whether it'll be a good improvement or will be too much.
I did the larger wheel cylinder thing when I went to disc up front while keeping my H-block instead of a prop valve, and it seemed to balance well. I had the big drum brakes though, so your results may vary if you have the smaller rear brakes.
Because it's not that much work, if you're doing your own work anyway it's a good idea to give it a quick inspection to see what you're in for. Maybe you don't need new wheel bearings. Maybe you only need new wheel cylinders and you're done. Maybe you need it all after all.
But you'll only know once you look.
Paul