Looking for advice on this situation: My 34 has a toe board mounted master cylinder, due to the severe channel this is how it was built in the late 50's. I recently fabed up a new toes board and installed a Wilwood master with remote reservoir, that one had a bad seat and leaked at the brake line fitting, it was replaced by Summit, I installed the new one and bleed the system. My car has been sitting for 2 months, today I was working on it and noticed that the master is leaking from the piston at the push rod, I haven't even driven it with the new set up. I want to get another brand of master any suggestions ? Thanks in Advance, Scott
I had one of the remote fill master cylinders from ABS. It started to leak after about a year of use. It did sit in the car empty for a couple years but it didn't last long after I started driving the car.. The fittings for the fluid lines are held in by rubber fittings, nothing else, and that is what started to leak. I replaced it with a GM style unit with a remote fill lid from CPP (#RRCK). So far so good. If you go that way you need to use the clamps that come with the new lid they fit SUPER tight and are a real pain to get on but without them the lid will leak.
We have used a remote fill from a Mitsubishi van, 15/16 bore great little units. I imagine there are similar units available in the US. These fill on the edge of the dash by. The door.
Call Wilwood. I've had very good luck with their dual remote cylinder, under the floor. I just bought another for my soon to be daily driver, also will be mounted under the floor. I made a "Y" pipe out of 3/8" steel brake line and run a single reservour to the dual cylinder. Been three+ years with no problems. Mike
Kinda defeats the advantage and purpose of a dual master cylinder. You really should keep the fluid reservoirs separate.
Many years ago I used to use Volkswagen dual cylinder master cylinders from the 1968-1974 beetles for doodlebugs and other off topic vehicles. The master cylinders were mounted low near the pedals but used a remote reservoir mounted under the front hood. The master cylinder had plastic fittings on the supply side that were connected to steel lines with a braided rubber hose. The VW dealer had the braided hose that wouldn't swell due to brake fluid.
V8 Bob - Why would you say that ? I "doesn't defete" the purpose at all..! I have exactly what I need, a dual master cylinder...! One section of the "cylinder" to the front and one section to the rear. Who cares where the fluid supply comes from, one or five reservoirs..? Mike
The reason for a separate reservoir is if you have a leak at one end of the system, it will leak out but the other part of the system will still have fluid..... basically the reason for having a dual system in the first place....
if you can get the lid off m/c just use a syringe for injecting food with hose attached. remote mirror to check level. honestly how often do they get checked?
You guys are funny. I fix leaks in my vehicles...! Hell, even factory cars have single fluid holders on double piston cylinders...! Mike
Modern master cylinder fluid reservoirs are divided or chambered internally below the fill plenum, although sometimes not as obvious as the older '60s-'80s masters.
Do I understand correctly, it is not the remote fill pieces leaking but the cylinder itself? I had the very same problem myself. It sat for a couple of years as I finished car [yeah I'm slow] and I noticed it leaking at the front of the cylinder. Pulled it off and replaced it with another new one. Now I am driving the car at this point and the second one begins to leak the same. I was telling the story to a friend with a repair shop and he said the he has more problems with new mc's than rebuilds. He suggested trying a rebuild. So I replaced the $100 [#2] mc with a $30 rebuild. Been on there three years now with no leaks. Go figure.
The Jalopy Journal
