Hi all,

I bought a Ford Escort MK2 (1979) Sedan Project car recently and am trying to work something out with the pressure differential. The one that the escort has is the one for late models 2 to the Master cylinder and 1 from rear and 1 from front. I have the rear connected up but am trying to work out how the front brake lines connect up to a single outlet to connect into the pressure differential valve?

I know this probably fairly basic but this is my first project car and any help or photos would be greatly appreciated.

Regards,
Yan

maybe im just over tired, but that was a little confusing.

ill explain how both work.
the 2 outlet master cyl has 1 line for front and 1 for rear.
the front goes to the pressure differential which has 2 outlet's for the front. and 1 rear.

the 3 outlet master cyl has one line straight out of master to front right caliper, and 2 to the pressure differential which has 1 outlet for front right and 1 for rear.

hope that makes sense

Not quite correct James...

The 3 pipe master cyl you described is correct and was on the later Mk2 Escorts.

The 2 pipe master cyl however never came with the pressure differential switch. They had a front line that with a T piece about where the pressure differential switch is on later cars. I have wrecked a number of early and late Mk2 Escorts and this is what I have found in all cases (At least half a dozen of each too...) Early Mk2 Escorts with the 2 pipe master and the T piece did not have the additional brake fail light either as there is no wiring for it.... I have an April 76 with a 2 pipe master, T piece and later model (79 Ghia) loom - and the wires and plug is there, however there is no pressure differential switch to plug it into.... (the 8 I have had and the 2 I have pulled totally apart have 2 inlet's (1 front and 1 rear) on top and 2 outlet's (1 front and 1 rear) underneath... They use different sized connectors so no idiot mechanic (home or other wise) can incorrectly connect them up the wrong way (It is impossible unless you specifically try to and custimise lines or redirect lines)

Not sure when it changed from early system to late, but I would suspect about mid (August ??) 77 when a few other chages like the strut top PCD changed... Swapping the wrong master cyl a couple of cars over the years had produced some weird brake bias and I would not recommend it....

quote:

---

Originally posted by na.charrett

Not quite correct James...

The 3 pipe master cyl you described is correct and was on the later Mk2 Escorts.

The 2 pipe master cyl however never came with the pressure differential switch. They had a front line that with a T piece about where the pressure differential switch is on later cars. I have wrecked a number of early and late Mk2 Escorts and this is what I have found in all cases (At least half a dozen of each too...) Early Mk2 Escorts with the 2 pipe master and the T piece did not have the additional brake fail light either as there is no wiring for it.... I have an April 76 with a 2 pipe master, T piece and later model (79 Ghia) loom - and the wires and plug is there, however there is no pressure differential switch to plug it into.... (the 8 I have had and the 2 I have pulled totally apart have 2 inlet's (1 front and 1 rear) on top and 2 outlet's (1 front and 1 rear) underneath... They use different sized connectors so no idiot mechanic (home or other wise) can incorrectly connect them up the wrong way (It is impossible unless you specifically try to and custimise lines or redirect lines)

Not sure when it changed from early system to late, but I would suspect about mid (August ??) 77 when a few other chages like the strut top PCD changed... Swapping the wrong master cyl a couple of cars over the years had produced some weird brake bias and I would not recommend it....

---

well Nicholas, thats how my car is.
its an October? 77 build.
it came with a twin pipe master cyl, and it has a pressure differential switch with brake fail light.

The rear circuit has a single outlet from the differential valve and a T piece down the rear of the car on the diff housing. I think this is from the rear lower port on the valve.

The fronts have their own left and right outlet. One from the front lower and the other from the port at the front of the valve.

Front and rear master cylinders feed into their own seperate ports at the top of the differential valve.

Admittedly I have not wrecked an early Mk2 Ghia (which are not that common) - so maybe they had a different (hybrid) system that was in between the early and late braking systems.

Looking through the Early and Late original FORD workshop manuals the late model (1977) manual (including 2Lt) shows a 2 pipe master with a 5 pipe PDWS... The early manual makes no mention or reference at all to one and only shows a 2 pipe master. So it may appear that there is a very uncommon mid life (1977ish) braking system, used for a short time.

I have had about 25 Mk2 Escorts, and been through lots more in wrecking yards over the last 20 years, and have never seen a 2 pipe master with a pressure differential warning switch (PDWS). I have never seen a pressure differnetial switch with 5 brake line connections on it either. (I have at least 6 with the 4 connections on them here)

Does anyone else with an mid Mk2 have a 2 pipe master cyl with a pressure differential valve with 5 brake line connections. This sounds intriguing. Does it look factory (smooth bends and not rough irregular bends ?

I have seen ones modified with Volvo masters, Cortina masters and all sorts of boosters and extension housings, but the "original" systems have always either been early or late with no mid or "hybrid" system ever seen - to date.

The Gregories Manual (1977-81) also shows a late model 4 pipe PDWS and 3 pipe master phots, but there is a drawing of an early (mid) 5 pipe PDWS also - obviosly it was not common as they could not photgraph one of them, however had photographed the early 2 pipe master cyl....

If they exist, then I should get a 5 pipe PDWS as I have a late model (79) loom in my 76 Escort, with the early braking system - currently the warning light switch connector is not connected (to anything as there is nothing to connect it to) and has not been for 16 years since I built the car...

That's the original master in my 78 Mk2. The pressure switch had 4 connections, two in, two out. I'll have a look in the 77 tomorrow if i get a chance.

hers an old pic of mine.

Checked the 77 today. It has a two circuit master with the 5 outlet pressure switch. Same as JamesR.