Re: AAHH! No brakes!

[trnsfrma@ix.netcom.com (Shawn C. Meze)]

At 04:09 PM 2/9/97 +0100, you wrote:
>My car is really startin' to show it's age lately.  There have
>been many wear and tear items going in the last couple months.  
>But anyway, I was braking to take a left turn and the pedal went
>to the floor.  YIKES!  It really sucks they went out today 
>because EVERYTHING is closed in Germany on Sundays.  So, in
>the meantime I just thought I'd see if you guys had an idea
>of what it might be.  When they first went out, there was a 
>little pressure left if I pumped the hell out of them, but now
>there is nothing; just right to the floor.  What do ya
>think?  Booster?  Master cylinder?  How much do these parts
>usually go for?  I checked for broken brake lines and the 
>fluid level, and they are both good.  Any input is appreciated...


Hi Mike!
>From what you say, im 99.9% sure its the master cylinder. Since your in 
Germany, I dont think they will be too expensive for you but then 
again, one never knows these things. 
Something I picked up along the way is that at one point in the master 
cylinders failing, is you might have one episode of the pedal going to 
the floor followed up by the brakes returning to normal. This is a sure 
sign that the master cylinder is going out and a definate warning sign 
to be looking to replace it soon. In your case, its a done deal and 
replacing it should fix your problem. 
Now, if your looking for some added braking for a stock price, you 
could install a later A2 22mm master cylinder that will give you the 
feel of power brakes, unless you already have P/B or a brake booster, 
then you wont need this upgrade. 
The 22mm master cylinder bolts right up but the problem is, you will 
have to modify the lines since they mount to the master cylinder on the 
side, instead of the bottom. You could easily replace the lines or have 
them reshaped to fit but thats sorta risky unless you have the brake 
line tool for the job. Food for thought!



Shawn 
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