[T3] Master Brake Cylinder

[Jim Adney]

On 28 Oct 2013 at 15:28, J. Jonik wrote:

> Re/ 71 Std FI

>    I have one from my 73 parts car.  It's rusty but, just being pulled
> from the car, it's full of brake fluid. 
> 
> Question....Is the only option now to just do the work of installing
> it to see if it works?  Any way to get an idea if it works before
> doing that?   Parts car has been sitting for at least 8 years.  Does
> that spell probable doom for the master cylinder?

It's probably rebuildable, but I would have NO confidence in it 
as-is. Sitting like that is hard on them, and there's no knowing what 
condition it was in when the car was parked.

Given the symptoms you're describing, however, I'd suspect something 
has gone wrong with one system or the other, front or rear. If adding 
the parking brake helps, it's likely that the rear system has failed. 
My first suspect would be the long brake line rusting thru under the 
gas pedal, but you didn't find any fluid under there, so I'm puzzled. 
Check there again, and also feel for fluid dripping under the boot 
over the mouth of the master cylinder. It's also possible that 
something has gone wrong inside the MC, but I've never seen that 
happen.

I rebuild most tandem MCs for $45 plus return shipping.

-- 
*******************************
Jim Adney, jadney at vwtype3.org
Madison, Wisconsin, USA
*******************************