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Master Cylinder: Rebuild or Replace?

Redbob

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 5, 2001
Messages
239
Location
Cross Roads, Texas, U.S.
Corvette
'89 dk red coupe
Driving around town yesterday, just about the time the aux cooling fan gave up, my brake pedal starting getting softer and traveling farther, until finally the "Brakes!" light came on. Checked the fluid reservoirs, and both are full, no signs of leakage onto a wheel, so I'm certain I've got a bad master cylinder.
Boy, are those things expensive! I could buy a 6-pack of them for my Ford for the price of one from the Chevy $tealer!

Has anyone rebuilt theirs? Where'd you get the rebuild kit? Did you have to hone the aluminum cylinder bore?

Alternatively, who has the best price on a rebuild? Best I've found so far is $165 at Auto Zone.

Thanks;
- R
 
The master cylinder usually has a problem with the plastic cracking... What you normally would find after removing the thing is a big crack on the main housing somewhere, usually on the back of it... this is why it breaks so quickly... you push the pedal that one more time and it makes the crack start... a few pushes later the crack is 4 inches long and you have brakes no more...

Funny that you had both problems (fan+brakes) at the same time (although I am convinced it has to do with the extreme heat)... because my '93 had the same thing happen... No brakes, No aux fan (which equals no AC)... At the time I was going to college, so I had no garage and no tools with me... Ended up driving the thing home in the middle of the night so there would be no traffic for the 6 hour drive, and dropped it off with my corvette tech... On top of the brakes and fan, I went ahead and had him put in plugs (GM, 8 bucks each).... I tell you, that was a BIG bill.......
 
Well, I checked for leaks; no leaks, fluid level is fine.
What I DO have is a pedal that will slowly go all the way to the floor if I maintain pressure on it, and the brake failure light stays on, indicating that the proportioning valve has shuttled.
 
I replaced mine and it only cost 65$ canadian on my 76.
I purchased it at Carquest.

At this price it was better than trying to rebuild it.


Craig
 
Here is the address and email of the folks I got my rebuild kit from. Got it for 9.50... a considerable deal compared to a new or rebuilt one. Took all of 30 minutes to do and works perfectly. Parts are GM.

RJ Performance
3303-114th Ave SE
Calgary, Alberta
T2Z3X2


rjperformance@telusplanet.net
 
Contacted RJ Performance, they said they don't have rebuild kits but would be happy to get me a rebuilt M/C.
I did that locally, $80 and a couple hours work, and I'm back on the road. Toughest part was putting th reservoirs on the rebuilt master. I improvised tools for doing this - from wood scraps...
All is fine now, 200 miles later. I didn't even need to bleed the system after thoroughly bleeding the master itself.
Regards,
- R
 
Just had one replaced a the shop this week - $ 378.00 CDN

For some reason the 88's have a different part number from the 87's and 89's... Go figger... :mad
 
I bought one from Corvette Central.. NEW with reservoirs for under $200 for my 89


89-91 Brake Master Cylinder PN 194206 $189.00

www.corvettecentral.com
 
RedBob....
That is funny...cause I just won a rebuild kit from them on EBAY. Now they do have 2 locations...I think the other is in Dallas. I will check...

and the email I have is from.... kevin-rj@telusplanet.net
 

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