What proportioning valve should i be running. I have asked alot of people and no one really has a straightforward answer. Im working on setting up my brakes so i think this is a big factor. I have a 96 civic ex with 00 civic si rear disc's. Im using the ex proportioning valve. I have an oppurtunity to get a 00 si proportioning valve...so i figured i would find out.

 

I am curios as to why you want a proportioning valve? whats wrong with the brakes as of now?

 

they are squishy...ive bled and bled and bled.....i didnt know...because the EX has abs and when i put the rear disc on there it eliminated ABS.

 

Best advice, either go and get the ENTIRE braking system from the 00 si, master cylinder, front/rear discs, front/rear calipers, or go back to the drums. When you mix/match, the drum system will never get enough braking pressure to lock up the rears, and that means that the fronts will never get enough pressure to give you a pedal. You could go screw with an adjustable prop. valve, but 1. you have to test it, 2. these are your brakes, and stop you from having an accident, 3. unless you live near a big empty parking lot, you have no where to fine tune everything.
Brake pedal effort and pressure proportioning are all a function of master cylinder stroke, fluid displacement, and caliper size. The Honda engineers put a lot of work into getting your braking system right. Don't mix and match.
Besides, this is a front wheel drive car. What do you need rear brakes for? All the rear wheels do is keep the bumper from dragging.

 

what pads and fluid are you using?

 

madhatter....i think this a VERY common swap....if your statement about having brakes in the back is true then why do they even exist? you ever watched a nascar race? dont all 4 rotors get hot? by god if they arent doing some work. My brakes on the front are the same as the 00 si....so....thats what led me to question.....proportioning valve.......

Urban....stock pads and fluid right now...i just ordered the new bobcat pads from carbotech and am putting some good ol' super blue in today...


[Modified by who00knows, 7:02 AM 3/3/2003]

 

I was somewhat tounge-in-cheek when I said that.
BUT, that swap still isn't that great of an idea unless you take the master cylinder (and it's built-in proportioning) with the deal. But hey, it's your car, your brakes, and ultimately, your butt on the line if you don't do it right. And by the way, the only time a NASCAR driver even *notices* the middle pedal is at a road course. Whether or not they use it correctly is still debatable at that point.

 

we got a small circle track here they run redneck races on...but they are still stock cars and all 4 rotors a smoking! small track....that was exactly what i was trying to get at in the first place....do i need the proportioning from the si.....

 

do not worry about a proportioning valve as of now, the fluid and pads should eliminate all mushiness for your use, also remember that NASCAR is running 180 mph in a 3500 lbs car

 

I'm going to agree with madhatter - get the Si MC/booster and prop valve. And be sure to bench bleed the MC before install. A soft, squishy pedal is fairly common with rear conversions (when done without the corresponding MC and prop valve).

 

You don't need the porp valve from the SI, they are the same part numbers on all 96-00 Civics. Believe me, I did a lot of research into this. The reason they feel mushy is probably because drum brakes are more responsive.

If you want upgrade to the ITR M/C and booster, plug and play. This is what I did and it makes the brakes very responsive. Almost too responsive.

Part # for 2000 Civic SI proportioning valve 46210-304-902
Part # for 1997 Civic CX proportioning valve 46210-304-902


[Modified by 6ghatch, 11:14 AM 3/3/2003]

 

how much can i pick up the MC and booster for? any ideas? I had heard that the prop valve were the same and i have heard they were different cause one is ABS and one isnt......thank you 6g. By they way, nice car...i saw it at VIR.....


[Modified by who00knows, 8:18 AM 3/3/2003]

 

Thanks!
Just cross check the part numbers of your porp valve against the 99-00 SI.
I got my ITR M/C and booster from Import Auto Salvage for about $100 used.

 

according to my helms there is an extra line running to the prop valve in an abs civ. on a non-abs civ, I know that the booster/mc in an EX is the same as that in the SI. I don't know how ABS changes it all. If I were you, I would have tracked down some rear disc brakes from a teg with ABS.

 

i swapped 99 si rear disks into my 96 non-abs ex - i used goodridge 99si stainless lines (front and rear), AEM pads & powerslot rotors, 99si ebrake cables, russell speed bleeders. no mushiness whatsoever, with honda brake fluid. i read several places that swapping MC/prop was not necessary, and i found that to be true. of the few cars i do work on and/or drive (my wife's, my neighbor's, my friend's etc) i think my car has the stiffest feel.

describe for us your bleeding technique - perhaps that is the problem. i try to bleed brakes after each track session, which is much easier now with speedbleeders. right/rear, left/rear, right /front, left /front - there are other variations, but this works for me.

and yes, front calipers/rotors/pads/lines are the same (ex vs si).

hth. good luck.

 

bzzzt.......

RR, LF, LR, RF

 

the rear disc's were basically free. They came off my wrecked si....

 

Can't speak for the later cars but on the CRX I did the rear drum to disk swap and had locking problems on the front until I changed to the rear disk prop valve. The disK brake caliper requires more fluid flow to get them working than the drum's wheel cylinder. This meant that the rear brakes just weren't hardly working with the old prop valve and the fronts were being asked to do all the work. Also before I switched to the larger bore MC, the car was stopping with a low feeling pedal.

So on a CRX you need to change both to get good stopping and pedal height. Later cars may likely be different.

 

i consulted the almighty haynes manual ( )when i got home from work, and for all civic models,

RR, LF, LR, RF is the proper way.