Clutch master question

[Bitsyncmaster]

What holds the master piston in? Can you replace the leaking seal from inside the drivers foot well?

[Jeffu]

Well, I am not sure if you can replace it with the unit still installed in the car??

I looked at my replaced unit I took out of my car last year and here is what I see. The inner rubber boot is held in place by an outer ring that it squeezed onto the outside of the cylinder. If you pull the boot out you cannot reuse it. After I pulled the boot out, when I look inside I can see that there is an inner "plate" that the shaft comes through and it is held in place by an expansion "c" clip of some sorts. I did not try to remove this clip and I am not sure what "fun things" lay behind it?? Anyway, not sure if this even helps to answer your question or not? But, I figured I would try to offer what I could see on my old unit. Hope this can help.

92269225

[Bitsyncmaster]

Well, I am not sure if you can replace it with the unit still installed in the car??

I looked at my replaced unit I took out of my car last year and here is what I see. The inner rubber boot is held in place by an outer ring that it squeezed onto the outside of the cylinder. If you pull the boot out you cannot reuse it. After I pulled the boot out, when I look inside I can see that there is an inner "plate" that the shaft comes through and it is held in place by an expansion "c" clip of some sorts. I did not try to remove this clip and I am not sure what "fun things" lay behind it?? Anyway, not sure if this even helps to answer your question or not? But, I figured I would try to offer what I could see on my old unit. Hope this can help.

92269225

Thanks. Looks like you need to pull the unit to get at that C clip.

[Jeffu]

If you think you want to tackle the task of rebuilding one I would be happy to give you my old unit. Just pay for shipping. Just let me know!

[Bitsyncmaster]

If you think you want to tackle the task of rebuilding one I would be happy to give you my old unit. Just pay for shipping. Just let me know!

Thanks. It's a friends car,with a leaky master. We installed the new SS line last year and it developed a leak shortly after. Guessed it was the slave so we replaced it. But turns out the master is leaking.

So if you ever bleed your clutch and it has never been done before, you will probably be needing a new master and slave shortly.

[David T]

You won't know for sure till you get it apart but in most cases the bore is too pitted to hone. No sense rebuilding a master (or slave) with a corroded bore. The new seals will just get chewed up in short order. The only fix besides replacing is to send it out to be sleeved. Takes a while and is not cheap. I have not compared prices but besides the time it is probably cheaper to just replace. Even cheaper is to just flush the fluid every other year. If one is leaking the other will soon so they should be replaced in sets (master and slave together). I would not recommend trying to rebuild the master cylinder without removing it from the car. Besides being harder to do you cannot properly inspect the bore. Probably easier to remove it than to try disassembling it in the car (if it can even be done?).
David Teitelbaum

[DMCMW Dave]

I believe that you can "replace the parts" (not exactly a rebuild!) with the master in the car, although I'd never try it. At the price of a new one it seems a bit of a waste and risk. You won't be able to get a good look a the bore, and you won't be able to recondition the bore. It will be a good dexterity test.

You may want to remove the carpeting (because brake fluid is going to go everywhere) which certainly doesn't save you any work over just removing the master.

But - it's your time vs. money.

Do it right or do it twice......