TheSamba.com :: View topic - master cylinder

Mon Dec 13, 2010 10:33 am

hi - having an issue with leaking brake fluid. Read on prev post that it was the master cylinder so I am trying to get help on the best place to get one. I also read to avoid the china, mexico, brazil crap parts. I did find one for FAG out of Europe, but its around $135 with freight. Is there a cheaper one that is still German made?

Thanks!!!

Mon Dec 13, 2010 10:35 am

http://www.oeveedub.com/vw/bug-brake-master.html

Mon Dec 13, 2010 10:36 am

try www.oeveedub.com Probably in your front yard :wink:

Mon Dec 13, 2010 10:47 am

Thank you both! That is pretty close!

Is there anything else I would need to get in order to stop the leaking brake fluid?

Mon Dec 13, 2010 11:01 am

Well Jbugs is out in Kali, but their price for German quality (FAG) is good:

http://www.jbugs.com/product/113611015BD.html?Cate...-1969-1977

bogrady wrote: ... Is there anything else I would need to get in order to stop the leaking brake fluid?
Well, you need to "go through" your system & check all - hoses, hardlines, wheel cylinders, etc

Mon Dec 13, 2010 11:05 am

Wow - Jbugs is half the price! :)

What is the front/rear wheel cylinder for?

Mon Dec 13, 2010 11:05 am

marcodelat wrote:
Well, you need to "go through your system & check all - hoses, hardlines, wheel cylinders, etc
Definitely replace all four hoses. Guaranteed they are internally collapsed if more than a few years old.

Mon Dec 13, 2010 11:20 am

bogrady wrote: Wow - Jbugs is half the price! :)

What is the front/rear wheel cylinder for?

Don't get hung up on price. Be certain to search for feedback on the vendor your choose in the Buyer/Seller Feedback Forum.

Mon Dec 13, 2010 11:22 am

Thanks! sorry to sound so non-mechanically.....

How hard is it to replace everything? I know the brakes and all hoses and anything associated with them haven't been touched in about 8-10 yrs. Would it be better to take it to the shop?

Mon Dec 13, 2010 11:36 am

bogrady wrote: Thanks! sorry to sound so non-mechanically.....
Would it be better to take it to the shop?
Don't know your situation... I mean as far as your car being your only transportation, if you can take your time working on it, etc. ; but, in my opinion it'd be better to start learning "go for it" and begin here.

Of course, seek advice (here or elsewhere) and maybe have someone "check" your work... esp on a brake job.

Any VW clubs in your area? Folks in these are often very willing, even eager to help out.

If you own a VW you are either going to have to learn how, to begin with - service the car every 1500 - 3000 miles and also do a lot of other stuff to it yourself.

That or be prepared to spend some $$$ to have it done "professionally".

I hear that the "going rate" for turning wrenches on an AC is about $80 an hour (minimum) nowadays

Mon Dec 13, 2010 11:55 am

So has anyone heard anything negative about Oe Vee Dub? I searched Jbugs and doesn't sound like they have the best reputation.

Mon Dec 13, 2010 12:08 pm

I have ordered from OEVeeDub a few times and with the exception of one part* everything else has been top quality OE stuff. I'll be ordering all my brake parts from there in the Spring. I'd rank them right up with WW (Wolfsburg West) as a top VW vendor.

[*Since I mentioned it, that one item was simply no longer available and rather than letting me know that, they shipped the only available replacement part which I thought was not OE quality. They were fine with returning the part, so no problem]

Mon Dec 13, 2010 12:11 pm

I just got a European master from cip1.com. It appears to be great quality, and is functioning fine so far.

Thu Dec 16, 2010 10:07 pm

Why not just get a kit for your Master cylinder and rebuild it. It's very simple and inexpensive to do, it's nothing more than a few rubber parts and a spring. You will also get to keep the original German master cylinder.

Joe

Fri Dec 17, 2010 3:51 am

Gary wrote: bogrady wrote: Wow - Jbugs is half the price! :)

What is the front/rear wheel cylinder for?

Don't get hung up on price. Be certain to search for feedback on the vendor your choose in the Buyer/Seller Feedback Forum. good advice!!! price is why the VW world is so over run with made in Taiwan junk! if people would just git the good parts the first time the companies making the good stuff would stay in business and the cheep junk would go away :D

Fri Dec 17, 2010 6:44 am

velvetguru wrote: Why not just get a kit for your Master cylinder and rebuild it. It's very simple and inexpensive to do, it's nothing more than a few rubber parts and a spring. You will also get to keep the original German master cylinder.
Joe

I did this twice at least, but over 25 years ago.
(1) I couldn't find a hone small enough for the VW master.
(2) The rubber seals were in a separate bag, pain in the butt to get those on to the pistons, and to make sure they were in the right direction.

Maybe things have changed since. My '71 Convertible has been using the same CSK-O'Reillys or AutoZone rebuilt dual master for over 20 years !!!

Fri Dec 17, 2010 5:04 pm

My 72 std has no brakes, I recently discovered on first test drive after replacing locked up engine, just about the time the post about collapsed brake lines hit the forum...

So I shopped - Wolfsburg West for master cylinder, blue hose then Vertex auto for rubber lines Myele (sp?) and wheel cylinders,

Got suspicious of Jbugs cheaper price on German cyclinder so I shelled out the extra bucks at Wolfsburg - wise or not?? don't know.

The ATE wheel cylinders I thought I had read were German but they have some oriental hen scratching on the box! Arrgh! We shall see, its all sitting on the table in the garage - I'm so far behind on Christmas it'll have to wait.

Good luck!

Fri Dec 17, 2010 6:59 pm

VWLIFER64 wrote: My 72 std has no brakes, I recently discovered on first test drive after replacing locked up engine, just about the time the post about collapsed brake lines hit the forum...

So I shopped - Wolfsburg West for master cylinder, blue hose then Vertex auto for rubber lines Myele (sp?) and wheel cylinders,

Got suspicious of Jbugs cheaper price on German cyclinder so I shelled out the extra bucks at Wolfsburg - wise or not?? don't know.

The ATE wheel cylinders I thought I had read were German but they have some oriental hen scratching on the box! Arrgh! We shall see, its all sitting on the table in the garage - I'm so far behind on Christmas it'll have to wait.

Good luck!

Beware online retailers stating Made In Germany. I've been through it many times.
Why do they say Made in Germany when they are not? They tell me that the company (i.e ATE, VDO,etc) are German companies. False advertising-yes- but that's the game they play The parts are usually European-but not German. I don't know what the hen scratch you have is-I've haven't seen any of these "German" companies manufacturing in China (yet). Usually it's italy or Eastern European.
That said-I've found the "German"parts to be as good as real German. If you compare a VDO fuel sender and a non-VDO sender you will see the difference and you will see the difference in how long it lasts. It also costs 2x

German companies are heading the same direction as USA companies. Looking for cheaper labor outside their borders, Stock up if you find quality parts and plan on keeping a quality car

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