Brake line part-- What is this?

Alright, I started to replace my MC today and ended up breaking a brake line getting the fitting off, twisted the line off... my brakes were shotty to begin with so I decided to take the oppritunity to redo the whole brake system (don't you love these ideas ) anyways, I've come across this thing

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And I think its a proportioning valve, but why is it there? I have 11 drum brakes on front and back (gift from PO) I've looked up what its supposed to do, but part of my problem was the rear brakes were always locking up, not the front, no matter how I adjusted the front and back brakes. And why in the world did they make one of the fittings 1/4 instead of the 1/8 like everything else when ALL the lines are 3/16 :? Its making my life a pain right now, that and the fact that none of these fittings have come out without loss of blood from me or a decimated fitting. Anyways, I guess my question is, do I need this thing in my system for some reason, especially consitering it may be faulty or cloged...

 

Thats not a proportioning valve its a distrubution block. Thats factory on the jeep. It has nothing but holes drilled in it, no valving what soever.

 

Oh, than doesn't that defeat the purpuse of having a dual cylinder resevore if its just going to flow between the distrubution block anyways?

 

I neglected to mention the old MC and the new MC are both dual, does the block need to be taken out then?

 

There's one of those on my 71. I think it is indeed a proportioning valve,least that's what I called it. I think with the dual resovoir master cyl. you DO need it. Not sure where to get a replacement should yours indeed be faulty. .........but, I could be wrong.

 

Please allow me to retract my previous post.

 

Wait, So is it just two holes that go like = to hold the brake lines in place or does it have a cross over in it like an I?

 

That is not a proportioning valve at least not in the traditional since. It was stock on the dual MC units thru 71. If your lines are stock, the line will come from the Mc , plug into this and then spread to the lines on the wheel cylinders. it is more like a flow control. The flow is controlled by the size of the ports. It should be hooked up like this:

 

Yep, thats how it was hooked up... I guess I probably should leave it in then... Work resumes on monday with some trips to the auto parts stores for a few more brake lines with proper fittings. So, if flow is controled by the part of the brake line with the least diamater, then there should be no problem with putting in a 1/4 in line between the MC and block to make my life easier, Right?