Date: Tue, 29 Apr 2003 09:29:48 -0600
Reply-To: John Rodgers <j_rodgers@CHARTER.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: John Rodgers <j_rodgers@CHARTER.NET>
Subject: Re: Clutch cylinders
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii; format=flowed
I'm with Stan on this one.
If you are going to change the master, you are going to have to bleed
the system. If your wallet can stand it, change them both, bleed the
system this one time, and be done with it. You likely will not break
down on the road somewhere for a very long time. On the other hand, if
the wallet is not fat, waiting may be the order of the day, and you will
just have to live with the impending leak and inconvenient breakdown and
the 2nd bleeding of the clutch system.
For myself, when I changed my clutch master recently, I opted to wait to
change the rear slave cylinder.
When I changed the clutch master, I found it easiest to cut the rubber
tube that feeds the cylinder, rather than try an pull it off. It was a
"Mo -tha!!"
Use a turkey baster with a clear plastic tube on it and withdraw as much
of the break fluid out of the reservoir as you can.
When you remove the fittings at the bottom of the cylinder, be very
careful as there is a narrow, thin copper washer there that you DO NOT
want to lose. The new cylinder will not have that washer, and without it
you are screwed!!
Open end, box end, socket, extension, and rachet are all handy to do
this job with. But it is not hard. Just a bit of a PITA.
If you are very careful, and you are NOT going to replace the slave
cylinder, once the cylinder is installed, fill the fluid tank, and then
pump the pedal 25 -30 times in reasonable fast succession. or until
there is a good solid pedal. The cylinder should self bleed of any air.
Good luck.
John Rodgers
88 GL Driver
Jeffrey Earl wrote:
>I need to replace my clutch Master Cylinder (MC) soon.
>How do I know? The little drip on my shoe told me so.
>The clutch Slave Cylinder (SC), on the other hand,
>exhibits no leakage or other signs of impending
>failure.
>
>Some Vanagon owners claim that when the MC goes, the
>SC isn't far behind, so one should replace BOTH.
>Others say that the new, strong MC will blow the seals
>on a marginal SC so, again, replace them both.
>Yet others say (who ARE all these people, anyway?),
>"No, that's only for BRAKE slave cylinders, which
>endure far higher levels of heat and dirt and abuse.
>Don't fix what ain't broken."
>
>So what to do: replace them both, or just the leaker?
>
>Thanks in advance!
>
>Jeffrey Earl
>1983 diesel Westfalia "Vanasazi"
>
>
>
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