pluck a duck!

[babywag]

So couple weeks ago brake light came on getting off the freeway then turned off, but pedal felt little weird. Checked fluid, checked for leaks, didn't see anything. Fast forward to other day brake light on when 1st start truck pump pedal few times brake light goes out. The back of the master cylinder where bolts to the HB is wet with fluid.
Well, there's your problem.

So yesterday bought a new master, not a reman, but a new made in China POS. I say POS because it was bad right outta the box.

This morning exchanged it for another one, and that one worked.
Brake light off, pedal felt good.

Took it for a test drive, all seemed well. On the way home, you guessed it light came on again. Stayed on all the time again.
So crawled under the truck and it appears to be the RR caliper.
Appears the seal blew out and it's leaking from the adjuster arm shaft.

[FSJunkie]

Reminds me of your water pump fun. Remember those GMB water pumps you love so much that I said I never had a problem with? I discovered the bearing is going out on mine yesterday. I can wiggle the shaft all around in the loose bearing. Not leaking yet or making any noise, but it won't be long before it does. Bloody thing only has 30,000 miles on it. Now suspicious, I checked the GMB pump on the 232 six in my AMC Hornet and sure enough, it too is getting loose with only about 30,000 miles. Cheap aftermarket . Fortunately I have some used original AMC pumps on the shelf that I will send down to Phoenix for rebuilding from now on rather than buy these POS new ones.

By the way, you could have it worse on the master cylinder. My Wagoner has all drum brakes and uses the same master cylinder as my 1965 and 1966 Ramblers, oddly enough. The new replacement master cylinders do not contain a residual pressure check valve under the outlet tube seats. These brakes ABSOLUTELY MUST have residual pressure check valves or a random low pedal results. I drove my Jeep with a random low pedal for nearly a decade before I thought to make sure the new masters have check valves. They're not even machined to accept a check valve! I've had to drill them out myself and rebuild them myself to put check valves in them. Now I rebuild master cylinders myself and ship them to New York for relining when they get bad.

Also when I buy new brake wheel cylinders, the store gives me the wrong size half the time. I have to physically measure them to make sure before I install them. I wondered why the brakes on my 1965 Rambler pulled right for years before I thought to double check the wheel cylinder size.

I don't trust any new parts any more, and that's a sad indictment since I used to be a parts store counter sales man. I don't buy new starters, alternators, master cylinders, steering gearboxes, or water pumps any more. I rebuild my own or ship them to someone who does.

[babywag]

it’s just beyond ridiculous on this new aftermarket stuff.
seems every job i have to do 2 or 3 times due to bad stuff.

I’ve had better luck rebuilding my old parts or JY parts!
I could write a book on all the new crap that was bad, failed quickly, etc.

I’d willingly pay more for quality, problem is 99% stuff is offshore and nobody makes “GOOD” stuff it seems.

[FSJunkie]

You have to be meticulous, obsessive, and borderline paranoid on this stuff. Assume everything will be poor quality, messed up, screwed up, done improperly, and that the only way to get it right is to do it yourself. I've learned to be all that.


I studied in college to become an automotive restorer and historian. As odd as that sounds, I am serious. I have a bachelor's of science in automotive restoration and history. I've thought about opening my own restoration shop where things are actually DONE RIGHT for once but the trick is coming up with the initial working capitol to open the business and whether people are actually willing to pay the extra cost to have it done right rather than done crappy. Buying and installing a $30 new master cylinder is cheaper for the customer, but won't work right and the customer will want to convert to disk brakes. Meanwhile shipping the old master off to New York for relining and then rebuilding it myself with my labor cost can run upwards of $200, but at least it WORKS RIGHT. The question is who would pay that extra price?

[wiley-moeracing]

Just rebuild your old stuff, they still make and sell rebuild kits.

[babywag]

Just rebuild your old stuff, they still make and sell rebuild kits.

Ever try to rebuild a pair of caddy calipers, it's a nightmare!
Been there, no chance I'll ever try again.
Caddy calipers are going back, got some regular calipers I can live without an ebrake for now.

PS stuff I do myself because it's virtually impossible to get good parts there.

Far as the master I didn't know what it was from so easier to just replace.

[ShagWagon]

Did you determine your leak behind the master cylinder? Might of had 2 problems... Might still be there...

[babywag]

Did you determine your leak behind the master cylinder? Might of had 2 problems... Might still be there...

Huh? The leak behind master was the master leaking.

[ShagWagon]

Well you said brake light on. Checked the MC. Leak behind it. Replaced MC. Didn't fix it. Brake light came back on. Found bad rear brake cylinder. Replaced it.

I wouldnt declare victory till I checked for leak at the MC because replacing it didn't solve the original problem. Just a double check.. Could be hose fitting or something warped or??

Make sense?

[babywag]

Well you said brake light on. Checked the MC. Leak behind it. Replaced MC. Didn't fix it. Brake light came back on. Found bad rear brake cylinder. Replaced it.

I wouldnt declare victory till I checked for leak at the MC because replacing it didn't solve the original problem. Just a double check.. Could be hose fitting or something warped or??

Make sense?

No, it doesn't, if you read the post it says the MC did fix it initially, and then the RR caliper started leaking.
Calipers have been replaced, all is working as it should now.

[wiley-moeracing]

actually I have rebuilt those and many others, not bad if you know how and tricks of the trade.

[letank]

too common

The last MC I bought is still in the oe package, it was leaking inside the shipper's box... Yes I need to return it... and get a rebuilt kit



As for Starter, the same they fail withing a week if bad, we need some tips on how to rebuilt the mf...

[babywag]

Problem is rebuild kits are offshore junk sometimes too.
Last PS box I made mistake of using the new cover seal in kit.
Leaked like a freakin waterfall.
Had to pull box, rip it apart, reused old seal, no leaks.
Replacement seal was thinner and lacking.
NAPA didn't want to take it back, but I made them.

98% stuff seems to be offshore or what I like to call cheapnese.
Some is okay and works, lots is just crap.

[babywag]

Well these didn't last long! Didn't expect much but few hundred miles is kinda ridiculous.
Sigh...

[joe]

As for Starter, the same they fail withing a week if bad, we need some tips on how to rebuilt the mf...

Buy the parts from an auto electric shop. They have access to quality parts wholesalers we don't.