Brake Proportioning Valve

[juniorhoss]

The brake-line evils on my 86 reliant wagon are almost done. Background info, all the brake lines were rusted and I nearly blasted through the back wall of the garage coming home one night as the one line finally gave way and sprayed brake fluid all over the exhaust pipe. Had to replace all the brake lines on the whole car, they were all rusted and most of the flare nut fittings were so rusty that the hex heads weren't even recognizable. Pipe wrenches and bolt cutters were the order of the day to remove most of them. Luckily a little patience and lots of P-B blaster penetrating oil got the fittings out of the fittings at the wheels and the master cylinder out without damage to any ports.

However, the brake proportining valve wasn't so lucky. It had some kind of strange reaction between the brass body and the steel fittings and nothing could get the rusted fittings off. I need a new one.

It has numbers on the body of 588 5281 (there is a symbol between these numbers of a "W" in a small hexagon, probably indicating what the manufacturer/supplier was who made these for Chyrsler).

Scouring Ebay and Craiglist, plus a few calls to 4 Chrysler dealerships, has netted only confused responses from "parts guys" that were probably born AFTER my K-car was built, or recommendations for using "universal" proportioning valves. The Universal type only have THREE outlets (front left, front right, and rear) - while my car has FOUR (one for each of the wheels).

I had (briefly) considered patching it together with tee fittings and just eliminating the proportioning valve, but that seems to be a recipe for disaster. If nothing else, the rears would be locking up every time I touch the brakes.

Could I use this "universal" deal for my car, and just install a "Tee" fitting for the rears ?

[MyDodgeDip]

I would do a search on Car-Part.com and find a local junkyard with a complete car. There were enough K Cars and derivatives that finding one should not be that hard. So long as it has the same brake setup as yours it should work fine. I wouldn't be surprised if the ones from other newer front disc rear drum cars (dynasty, acclaim ETC) are the same as well.

I used a Dynasty (rear drums) prop valve on my 4 wheel disc Imperial when I converted from ABS to the Non-ABS setup with no problems.

[88AriesLEwagon]

That W would stand for Weatherhead,a long time maker of brass fittings,and hydraulic hoses/fittings.
Obviously they supplied Chrysler.But dont go running down to NAPA.While they have sold Weatherhead for decades,a proportioning valve is a dealer only,never aftermarket available part.Even the mighty (?) Dorman/Motormite has yet to replicate any prop valves.Probably out of liability...if their Chinese manufacturers screwed up and somebody lost their brakes at the wrong time.
Used would be the only guess.Dont know for sure,but I bet 1983-1989 Ks would be the same (note if HD or LD brakes).
Later AA cars would be considered HD,as would Shadow/Sundance (??),so make sure what you have.
Its a dual diagonal system,not a LF/RF/R setup,its LF/RR,RF/LR deal.A system pioneered with VW with the Scirocco and Rabbit.

[nszotovich]

Ah! electrolysis! That is the chemical reaction between steel and brass,copper or bronze that occurs which is different than the normal oxidation (rust) that happens to steel alone,
The mixing of metals has its own problems. Call your problem a compound one. Glad to see you have found a solution.