Has anyone rebuilt the Kelsey-Hayes metering and proportioning valve? I'm going to give it a try. The brass replacement seem to have spotty record and I know the OE KH cast iron valve worked well for many years. When the rear wheels started to lock up I knew it was time to rebuild it.
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Rebuilding a '77 metering/proportioning valve
- Thread starter jckkys
- Start date
SteveL
Huge chevy guy
Never dug into one of those. Are parts available to rebuild it? I just have the h-blocks with rear disc.
Yes they are. I'm going to restore it and paint it with Eastwood's brake grey that resists the paint eating and rust promoting effects of brake fluid. They make it mostly for master cylinders. The cast iron rusts in months without protection.
SteveL
Huge chevy guy
Theres on for sale in the classifieds
I couldn't find one in the parts for sale but a walk through the junk yard showed me the Kelsey-Hayes valves are common on '70s Fords, Chevies, and Mopars. They likely all need rebuilding given 40+ yrs. on the road. Muscle Car Research has the parts including O-rings made of ethylene propylene diene monomer that won't degrade in brake fluid. I remember the metering and proportioning valve worked very well when new and for 30 yrs. after that. I hope to get that out of a rebuild.
SteveL
Huge chevy guy
Mnido with the pile of parts with hydroboost in the title has one there. Sorry dont know how to post up the link
tirewater
Sr. Member
Yes, please keep us updated. It would be good to know if the rebuild kit is compatible and comes with the correct o-rings, etc...
Post some pictures if able as well. It would be interesting to see if the inside of the combo valve is in good condition. Hopefully not too pitted or corroded.
Post some pictures if able as well. It would be interesting to see if the inside of the combo valve is in good condition. Hopefully not too pitted or corroded.
- Joined
- Nov 3, 2003
- Messages
- 48,103
Does the kit include a new delay valve too? I think that's what went wrong with mine on the pickup because only the rear brakes worked.
Luckily they were the size of a small car themselves, so I never noticed there was a braking issue until I was driving in the rain and anything more than a light pedal would lock up the rear brakes.
Very stable, but disconcerting nevertheless. And I'd want those big expensive front brakes to do something at least!
Pretty sure that, other than a physical clog, the delay valve seems the most likely suspect.
Paul
Luckily they were the size of a small car themselves, so I never noticed there was a braking issue until I was driving in the rain and anything more than a light pedal would lock up the rear brakes.
Very stable, but disconcerting nevertheless. And I'd want those big expensive front brakes to do something at least!
Pretty sure that, other than a physical clog, the delay valve seems the most likely suspect.
Paul
While this video does not cover the specific model of distribution block, it still has a lot of useful information on how to tackle a project like this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9kOCpaFGWGw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9kOCpaFGWGw
It does include the delay valve spring and seals. That should be all I need. My days are eaten up sending back wrong parts and getting correct ones. Three mechanics and body guys are hard to keep up with. They shift from chassis to interior to sheet metal. I'm all over town and the net. They tell me getting the right parts is always a PITA on 40-60 yr.old vehicles. They're right.
SteveL
Huge chevy guy
They came with the right parts. When you start upgrading the problems begin.
Well now I've completely disassembled the valve. The whole interior was full off hardened crud. This made getting the pistons and other parts a real PITA to get out. Some small parts in brass and copper were partially dissolved and will need replacement. There's still plenty of hardened crud inside too. I'm trying an overnight soak in white vinegar, an idea from a youtube video by a commercial combination valve rebuilder. They have since pulled the video. I can't think of another solvent or acid that may work. Spray brake cleaner doesn't work neither does carb cleaner. I've seen more of the Kelsey Hayes combo valves in the junk yard. So I'm going to buy one an see if the small internal parts I need are are there.
I'm in the middle of a frame off professional restoration. So the whole brake system is going to be new. The rear brakes would lock up 20 yrs. ago. Not knowing the problem was the combination valve, I installed a Kelsey Hayes adjustable metering valve, from Ford Racing, on the rear brake line. That worked, but now I know the combination valve was the problem, so it's time to rebuild or replace. If the rebuild can't be done, I'll have to go with a Wilwood adjustable combo valve. I won't take a chance on a Chinese unit. When I got the OE valve apart, I could see there were no moving parts that could move at all. With the rust free Az. environment this thing looks new. It just won't work yet. So I'm off to the junk yard.
Here you go;https://www.musclecarresearch.com/
Surprisingly the junk yard came through. I began looking for Ford cars and trucks from the mid '70s through the mid '80s. Then I remembered Kelsey Hayes sold these to all the big 3 and American Motors. Soon I found '91 Dodge Dakota with a slightly different looking valve. Got it out (a real PITA) and found it could work. When all the internal parts came out, it turned out to be completely serviceable as it was and the internals will work in the '77 Ford cast iron body. As I left the junk yard I found 2 Chevy pickups with KH valves that look identical to the Ford valve. These are far easier to remove. They're on the core support below the radiator that was gone along with the engine. If your '76-'77 metering and proportioning valve stops working, there is a good fix. Be sure the junk yard is willing replace what you bought if it's NFG.
