Date: Thu, 17 Jun 2004 11:41:56 -0500
Reply-To: John Rodgers <jh_rodgers@BELLSOUTH.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: John Rodgers <jh_rodgers@BELLSOUTH.NET>
Subject: Re: waste no time rebuilding
In-Reply-To: <20040617155021.181.qmail@web41309.mail.yahoo.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed
I agree here.
Waste no time on rebuilds on small components. They are a PITA!
I had to replace the brake master, clutch master, and the rear brake
cylinders. I went for "new" parts. No remanufactured stuff. In my case I
got brand new from Ken Wilford at Vanagain.Com. In other cases I have
gotten brand new from Ron Salmon at Bus Depot. I have had good service
from both.
I expect to keep my van a very, very long time, and I hate having to
repeat an action on it, especially one that is time consuming and
aggravating. Changing the clutch and brake masters are not the easiest
tasks in the world, though not that difficult. But I don't want to have
to go there again. I expect to get a lot of miles on the new parts .....
more than on rebuilt stuff. So I don't like to use re-built.
However, as an old immigrant craftsman from the "Eastern Bloc" in Europe
told me one time in a conversation " Do vot you t'ink is right and maybe
it v'ill v'ork!!"
But always carry spare parts just in case "it didn't v'ork!"
Regards,
John Rodgers
88 GL Driver
gary hradek wrote:
>jonathan,
> Installing is an easy job. May want to buy
>the right size brake wrench for the brake fittings so
>you get a better grip on the fittings. Check around
>for a local rebuild. I was in a pinch and got mine
>at Kragens. Stilling going two years later. I
>think it is a lifetime master. Spend the extra time
>you have bleeding the system and checking your rear
>cylinder. Oh yes, if you wheel cylinders are leaking
>waste no time rebuilding. regards gary
>Date: Thu, 17 Jun 2004 02:30:45 -0400
>From: Jonathan Farrugia <jfarrugi@UMICH.EDU>
>Subject: Brake Master Rebuild
>
>so i would like to get the opinion of the people out
>there that have
>rebuilt vanagon brake master cylinders. this is my
>situation, on
>monday i
>had to make a super panic stop with a load and
>internally blew the
>seals
>in my master cylinder. the history of the van is
>this. the master is
>probably factory (84). it worked well for the year
>that i pushed it
>hard
>including mountain passes and such. it showed no
>signs of internal
>bleed
>down before the sudden failure. the whole system was
>flushed twice
>last
>year. one very through flush when i put the van on
>the road and once
>about five months later during a clutch master r&r.
>
>i drove the van with the internally leaky seals for
>about another
>hundred
>miles to get it home. i would guess that there is not
>much pitting in
>the
>casting given the good performance over the last year
>and the fact that
>it
>was flushed twice during that interval. my theory is
>that the old
>seals
>gave out under the sudden drastic pressure, so this
>"should" be a
>decent
>core to rebuild.
>
>my question is if you have rebuilt a vanagon master
>cylinder how long
>did
>you get out of your rebuild and what did your cylinder
>look like inside
>when you took it apart? if you have rebuilt cylinders
>to but on the
>shelf
>for spares what lube did you use as brake fluid is
>hydroscopic and will
>attract water and promote corrosion?
>
>jonathan
>
>
>
>
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