Master Cylinder Stopper

[Old Paint]

I put in a new single circuit master cylinder, bled the brakes good pedal etc.. I come out this morning and there is a bunch of fluid under the master cylinder and the stopper on top is all wet. Is there another washer / gasket etc that goes under the stopper? Should I have put some tape, sealer around the pipe. Its a new piece of pipe going from MC to reservoir. (Idont have the old one)

Also flange on the stopper sits above the rim on the master cylinder, in other words it looks like it should push down another step, but no matter how hard I push it wont go down anymore, and I'm afraid to damage it with a screwdriver etc.
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Greg

1961 Ragtop
1961 Single Cab (Old Paint)

[Cusser]

What do you mean "stopper"? There should be a cap with a small, but important, air vent hole.
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1970 VW (owned since 1972) and 1971 VW Convertible (owned since 1976), second owner of each. The '71 now has the 1835 engine, swapped from the '70. Second owner of each. 1988 Mazda B2200 truck, 1998 Frontier, 2014 Yukon, 2004 Frontier King Cab. All manual transmission except for the Yukon. http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/album_page.php?pic_id=335294 http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/album_page.php?pic_id=335297

[PSScoots]

The problem may be the shape/hardness of the rubber stopper that plugs the feeder pipe to the master cylinder.

I have a 66 single circuit that had exactly the same problems that you describe and it took me months and a few MC replacements before I found out my problem was with my plug.

German made plugs are of a softer rubber and have a contour that EXACTLY fits the internal contours cast into the MC. Brazilian rubber is hard and the profile is only an approximation of the shape, hence the leak.

It's diffucult to tell what you have without a sample in hand, the differences are very subtle.

I was set on the right track by going to Wolfsburg West (I was right down the street at the time) and explained the problem to the guy behind the counter who clued me in and sold me three German stoppers.

My suggestion is call them on Monday and get their verbal assurance that they still have German stoppers on hand and order a few.

When you go to replace the old stopper, getting it out can be a problem, the top part can rip off leaving you with the bottom half jammed in the MC.

What I did was remove the gas tank (15 minute project) so I had perfect access to the top of the MC. Then I took a finishing nail and bent the tip (<1/8") at right angles to the shaft, placed it in a Vicegrip and inserted the nail point down the filling hole and lifted from the center as my free hand worked the rim to unseat the original plug. A surgical spatula is also helpful is prying the rubber, without causing it to tear.

http://wolfsburgwest.com/cart/DetailsList.cfm?ID=113611817
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Rebuilt to drive not decorate. -VOLKSWAGNUT
"Service the car and it will give you good service."

[Lil Lulu]

I too had trouble with the "stopper" until I got a German one and problem solved.

RB
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'65 Beetle "Lil' Lulu"- Ruby Red
1600 stock from '71 bus

'72 Deluxe - Niagara Blue w/pastelwiess Camper Special 2L dual 40 Webers 002

'74 Hightop Weekender "Dixie" 1800 34 Del singles

[Old Paint]

I pushed the metal pipe too far in, The flared tip of the pipe needs to sit in the stopper (no leak), all the way in fluid leaks around tube
_________________
Greg

1961 Ragtop
1961 Single Cab (Old Paint)

[jettaway03]

I am in the same situation. Do you have to install the plug over the metal pipe before installing the plug in the MC? My thinking here is that the flanged part of the pipe would sit flush into the MC and the rubber plug would surround it.

Did you get an answer to how flush this plug sits atop the MC? Like yours, my plug sits over the MC looking like it should sit deeper than it is.[/quote]