Bietrix master cylinder???

[Volksaholic]

I'm planning on replacing my brake master cylinder and I have noticed someone selling a Bietrix brand MC in the classifieds for quite a bit less than the "brand name" units. I did a quick Web search to see if I could find out more about this brand and find there are a number of folks selling it even cheaper... it appears to be a "closeout" item. Now I would rather pay $120 for a quality part if that's what I need to do, but if the <$50 part is decent quality I can spend the difference on something else.

Does anybody have any experience with this brand or know where they're made?

Thanks

[Wellington]

I can relate to your inquiry, if there is positive feed back great. I have just decided to stick with what is known brands. The time and effort to do a job twice just isn't worth the few $$ that might be saved.

[mightyart]

If you want to take a chance on cheap parts, don't do it with something that is a pain to change, or something you really need to work right (like the brakes).
Master cylinder is both.
Last time I cheaped out on parts was CV joints, and the same thing happended with all the cheap parts I've used in the past,
Started clicking 2 weeks after I spent a whole day putting them on the right way.
So now I have to buy the right parts and spend another day putting them on, cost more in the long run.
"Short cut runs deep"

[Volksaholic]

I agree that I don't want to cheap out on doing the brakes... that's why I said I'll spend the $$$ if I have to to get good quality. If I don't hear something good about Bietrix I'm not going to buy it. Bus Depot has a "European Made" MC for about $65 and Van-Cafe's and Bus Boys' are between $120 & $160 for a "German made" but neither of them tell the brand. At least the Bietrix sellers are giving a manufacturer's name. I'll probably get an ATE, Raybestos, or the like from one of the generic online parts resellers... at least I'll know what I'm getting.

[Busdepot]

Bietrix was a low-end brand, generally Indian made, marketed by a New Jersey based company called Brake Headquarters which went bankrupt some years ago. I haven't noticed any new Bietrix product in the pipeline since then, so this may be some old stock. My beef with Bietrix was that their packaging was somewhat misleading. The box looked like an Ate box, and the logo was stylized such that it could easily be mistaken for "Bendix" from a distance. If you didn't look closely, you could easily mistake it for a name-brand box rather than a low-end knockoff. As for quality, it was no better or worse than other Indian made brake hydraulics, which is to say decent but not exceptional.

All of the ones we carry are European made, not Indian or Chinese. We have two options. Our cheaper one ($64.95) is actually built by the Italian hydraulics firm Metelli, whose principal business is as an OEM supplier to a number of European auto makers. Our $99.95 one is German branded (variously ATE, FTE, or PEX depending on which I can get a better deal on at the time). I say German branded rather than German made, as all of these German companies source from various European countries these days. Despite the fact that some websites list them as German made, I have variously seen them come from Germany, England, and Italy, even if in "German" boxes. It wouldn't shock me if some are actually Metelli's anyway. That said, the quality is quite good, and I have noticed no difference in return rate between any of these brands regardless of which EEC factory produced them.

Link:

http://busdepot.com/view.jsp?model=58&category=5&group=56&prodgroup=463
_________________
- Ron Salmon
The Bus Depot
www.busdepot.com

[bucko]

Here's my take on this subject: that last master cylinder was of German quality yes? And it lasted how many years?

I'd stick with a good quality replacement. German if available. Could very well be the last time you replace it!
_________________
Current VW drives: 1984 Westfalia

Past VW drives: 1967 Beetle, 1973 Beetle, 1977 Bus, 1971 Military Type 181

[jseehorn]

Last week I ordered a Beck Arnley brake master cylinder from BusDepot. What arrived was a Bietrix brake master cylinder in a Beck Arnley package. After installing it and taking a test drive, the reservoir soon ran dry. I had to fill the reservoir 3 times to make it 10 miles back to the shop with marginal brakes due to air in the lines. Once removed, I found the vacuum chamber of the power brake booster contained about a pint of brake fluid. After further research on the BusDepot site I found they also advertise an OEM German brand called "FTE" on page 3. BusDepot offered to replace the bad master cylinder at no charge, no hassle and not even any questions as to what the failure mode was. I asked for the "FTE" brand master cylinder this time and I paid the difference in cost. I can not recommend the Bietrix master cylinder. Although this transaction was disappointing all others with BusDepot have been positive.

[jkallo]

[jkallo]

Bus Depot was exceptionally accommodating, offering to either replace the MC or give me credit toward the OEMish one. And they also promised to expedite shipping for no extra cost. Excellent experience overall (which has been consistent in my dealings with them).
_________________
I'm Joe
The bus is Gus, the 1982 Westy Diesel 1.6na

[jseehorn]

Update on the leaky master cylinder: The new one is working fine but my power brake vacuum unit started to leak vacuum soon after this incident. The van is 35 years old so I can't complain, but wonder if soaking it with brake fluid may have contributed to the failure.

[jseehorn]

New update: when replacing the power brake vacuum unit I noticed some rust around the master cylinder to vacuum chamber interface on the vacuum unit side. That may have been the source of my vacuum leak. I would suggest checking this before replacing. I probably could have cleaned it up and got it to seal.