Stephonovich Posted March 3, 2013 Share Posted March 3, 2013 Several months ago, my brake pedal went to the floor when I was backing out of my driveway. It had some stopping force, but barely. Determined that the rear-most cylinder on the MC was empty. Refilled it, and eventually got pressure back. I never got around to bleeding the system or doing any more troubleshooting because I was moving soon. I decided to try a rebuild kit, on the basis that it's the original MC, and the seals are probably shot. I haven't taken it apart yet to check the piston. I found this page, which mentions the two brands being Tokico and Nabco. Mine is a Tokico. Well, I ordered a rebuild kit, which is Beck Arnley, and the interior package says Seiken on it, with a P\N of 071-3511. Googling hasn't turned up very much about Seiken. Does anyone know if this is compatible with a Tokico MC? Also, I found this thread, which holds the opinion that it's a waste of time to rebuild a MC, and also discusses the difficulty with the vacuum booster. I don't intend to touch the booster - when you unbolt the MC from the booster, is the spring referenced in the thread exposed? Bottom line, if this isn't worth the time or energy, I'm probably going to do the Wilwood 1" swap. Otherwise, I was perfectly happy with my braking system when it was working (Brembo front rotors/calipers, stock drums rear). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stephonovich Posted March 5, 2013 Author Share Posted March 5, 2013 As a bump, and also some more info, I do plan on honing the cylinder while I'm at it. I know throwing new rubber into a possibly scored cylinder is useless. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NewZed Posted March 5, 2013 Share Posted March 5, 2013 I think that you confused people when you said that you were perfectly happy with the stock setup, but might go with a Wilwood 1" master cylinder. That would just give you less pedal travel with more pedal force required, to get the same braking effect. It would be different from what was working fine. The cheapest, fastest way to get right back to the system that works perfectly would probably be to buy a rebuilt stock MC. Take it apart and clean it up before installing to be sure there's no honing residue inside. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beermanpete Posted March 5, 2013 Share Posted March 5, 2013 The first thing you need to determine is where the brake fluid went. Why is out of fluid? If it is the master cylinder there will be brake fluid in the cavity between the master and the booster. If that cavity is dry you should check the wheel cylinders, hoses, fittings, etc. You will have to open the master and compare the old parts to the new parts to verify if your kit is correct. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stephonovich Posted March 8, 2013 Author Share Posted March 8, 2013 I think that you confused people when you said that you were perfectly happy with the stock setup, but might go with a Wilwood 1" master cylinder. That would just give you less pedal travel with more pedal force required, to get the same braking effect. It would be different from what was working fine. The cheapest, fastest way to get right back to the system that works perfectly would probably be to buy a rebuilt stock MC. Take it apart and clean it up before installing to be sure there's no honing residue inside. I had heard bad things about rebuilt Z MCs. Not sure how much truth there is to that (I've bought reman parts with no problems), but I was basing my pricing on a new MC. Wilwood 1" is cheaper than a new OEM. The first thing you need to determine is where the brake fluid went. Why is out of fluid? If it is the master cylinder there will be brake fluid in the cavity between the master and the booster. If that cavity is dry you should check the wheel cylinders, hoses, fittings, etc. You will have to open the master and compare the old parts to the new parts to verify if your kit is correct. I concur, especially after I drove it today - started pulling like crazy to the right under braking. With luck, the two are related, but I highly doubt it. Pull was too strong for it to be a rear brake, if it's a brake issue at all. Could also be a tension rod. Sigh. Thank you all for the advice. I'll get it sorted out one way or another. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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