Power brakes available on '68 442 4-speed?
#1
Power brakes available on '68 442 4-speed?
I've got a one-owner '68 442 4-speed convertible (my best friend gave me the car; see my other posts for the story) and after reading the thread about the W-30 power brake availability, I'm curious whether power brakes were available as an option on my 4-speed. The W-30 thread says no because the 4-speed motors didn't generate enough vacuum to power the brake booster. I've already learned, like my buddy who bought the car new told me, that A/C wasn't available on a close-ratio 4-speed convertible. This site is a wealth of good info.
#2
I've got a one-owner '68 442 4-speed convertible (my best friend gave me the car; see my other posts for the story) and after reading the thread about the W-30 power brake availability, I'm curious whether power brakes were available as an option on my 4-speed. The W-30 thread says no because the 4-speed motors didn't generate enough vacuum to power the brake booster. I've already learned, like my buddy who bought the car new told me, that A/C wasn't available on a close-ratio 4-speed convertible. This site is a wealth of good info.
#4
The lack of A/C on W-30 cars was entirely due to the lack of vacuum on the 328 degree cam. For the 1968-69 model years, both manual and auto trans W-30s got this cam, so neither were available with A/C (or power brakes). Starting with the 1970 model year, AT W-30s got the lesser 285/287 cam, so there was enough vacuum for those options. How that cam made the same HP as the manual trans motors is a mystery of the marketing department.
None of this applies to your non-W-30 motor, which came with a 286/286 cam. A/C was available with rear axle ratios of 3.23 or lower (numerically). The close ratio MT cars required an axle of 3.42 or higher (numerically) to provide acceptable off-the-line acceleration with the 2.20:1 first gear in that trans, thus the restriction on A/C. It had nothing to do with the motor.
#5
It really wasn't a W30 thread. It started out as a thread about whether you could get A/C on a 68 4 speed 442. Some you could, some you couldn't
https://classicoldsmobile.com/forums...nvertible.html
#6
It really wasn't a W30 thread. It started out as a thread about whether you could get A/C on a 68 4 speed 442. Some you could, some you couldn't
https://classicoldsmobile.com/forums...nvertible.html
https://classicoldsmobile.com/forums...nvertible.html
#7
OK, thanks, guys. That clears it up. I've got a '68 close-ratio 4-speed that doesn't have A/C, and my buddy who bought the car brand new told me he tried to get A/C on it, but was told it wasn't available in a 4-speed convertible. Apparently the dealer made no distinction to him regarding close-ratio vs. wide-ratio designations, nor of the rear end gearing ratio.
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