Date:         Tue, 12 Feb 2008 17:38:08 -0500
Reply-To:     Kenneth Wilford <kenwilfy@COMCAST.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Kenneth Wilford <kenwilfy@COMCAST.NET>
Subject:      Re: Clutch Master Cylinder- to rebuild or buy new?
Comments: To: David Bohannan <fjazzbass@GMAIL.COM>
In-Reply-To:  <2008fb6d0802121313x4f993f89j2d64218d0e32473b@mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed

Dave,
In order to do this job properly you would need a cylinder hone.  Then
you would need a cylinder rebuild kit.  I haven't seen the kits for
years.  The hones are special tools that you would use only once every
three or four years at most.  Why would you want to do this?

A new unit is a little more expensive if you feel that your time is
worth nothing and you don't mind doing the job over a few times.  I
would rather spend my time doing something that makes money or makes me
happy (rebuilding these doesn't fit into either of these categories for
me and I work on these Vans all the time).  We offer the highest quality
German cylinders and they do hold up much better than anything else out
there.  The original cylinders probably lasted for over 15 years.  These
are of equal quality and should last as long unless the system is
contaminated.

Take it from someone who doesn't want unhappy customers coming back with
defective parts, buy the best quality new unit and move on with your
life.  It will save you time and money.
Buy the cheapy one or try to rebuild it yourself if your life is going
to good and you want some heartache to spice it up :-)

I have found that it is best to replace both the clutch slave and master
cylinders at the same time unless one of them has been recently
replaced.  It seems that they always go very close to each other.  If
you just buy one you will need the other one in a few weeks, mark it down.

Let me know if I can help you further,
Ken Wilford
John 3:16
www.vanagain.com

David Bohannan wrote:
> Has anyone had any success in rebuilding the clutch master cylinder? The
> FLAPS have them for like 20 bucks- special order, but the cylinder is 100...
>
> List vendors have the cylinder for ~50-70, but why pay even that if its a
> case of a simple rebuild? I hate tossing out old parts that I can re-use...
>
> Dave
> 85 GL "Baby Bus"
> 85 Goldy
>
>