Leaking Brake Fluid

Ok, I am baffled on this. I am loosing brake fluid. There is a stain on my driveway, around where the master cylinder is. Cannot see any evidence of a leak there. Followed the lines down the the pressure mod, and no leaks there. The lines crossing over were fine. Checked the line for the left front. Dry as can be.
It is as if the fluid is just being transported from the car to the ground.
Anyone see this, and have any ideas to offer me?

probably a leak inside the master cyl. try pressing the brake peddel to the floor and if it slowly just keeps moving then you've got a leak...or air in the lines (but thats another problem )
how much is leaking? also did you recently have the brakes serviced? (maybe the resov overflowed with new pads?)

Brakes are working just fine, good pressure on the pedal, and it does not go all they way to the floor. Already tested that part. No service on the brakes recently either. Other than missing fluid, and a stain on the driveway, the brakes appear to be just fine.

Check lines going to rear brakes?

There is no leaking in back at all. It is all up front.

You're going to have to park it over a clean spot of pavement and wait for a drop. Get under it and look up directly from the point of the drip. Don,t move the car except for up. The leak may not be in a direct line with the drip. Looking up from underneath you should be able to at least see a wet spot and then trace the leak from there. Since you said that it seems to be in line with the M/C, a small crack in the resevoir may be the problem.

Hi all,

I haven't been around much lately, but I've been creeping on people's posts now and again . Anyway, I have a brake fluid leak! Yay! I'll get a picture, but it appears to be coming from the rear section where the reservoir meets the master cylinder. All the paint around there is flaking off and the fluid is running down the booster underneath where the two bolt together. Luckily, it's not a bad leak.

My question is, is it possible to replace the reservoir only? I wonder if there's a seal that can be replaced between the reservoir and MC. I'll replace the MC if I have to, but the cheaper the better .

Picture in a little bit...

Thanks!

-Andrew Z

Yes i believe you can replace just the reservoir, but if its leaking from where the MC and the booster mate then it's not the reservoir. Sounds to me like the internal seals of the MC are leaking.
Not a difficult or costly repair. i did mine about 6mo ago and it took about 30min to change it out and another 30 to bleed the full system.

Here's the pictures:




Looks to me like it's coming from that rear connection between the reservoir and MC. Thoughts? Seems like I'll have to replace the MC no matter what, but I'm still curious as to what you all think.

well the reservoir is $42 and the entire MC with a new reservoir is $93. I know cost is always a factor, but if it were me i'd just replace the whole thing and be done with it.
I dont know how its setup, but what happens if you get the new resov, pull the old one and the seal on the MC is torn...

Mr.Riviera wrote:

well the reservoir is $42 and the entire MC with a new reservoir is $93. I know cost is always a factor, but if it were me i'd just replace the whole thing and be done with it.
I dont know how its setup, but what happens if you get the new resov, pull the old one and the seal on the MC is torn...

That's what it looks like is leaking to me!!! Buy the whole Master with the resrvoir.

Z-type wrote:

Hi all,

I haven't been around much lately, but I've been creeping on people's posts now and again . Anyway, I have a brake fluid leak! Yay! I'll get a picture, but it appears to be coming from the rear section where the reservoir meets the master cylinder. All the paint around there is flaking off and the fluid is running down the booster underneath where the two bolt together. Luckily, it's not a bad leak.

My question is, is it possible to replace the reservoir only? I wonder if there's a seal that can be replaced between the reservoir and MC. I'll replace the MC if I have to, but the cheaper the better .

Picture in a little bit...

Thanks!

-Andrew Z

...if you look on RockAuto.com you'll see that MCs are not *that* expensive, probably the best bet is a 'sleeved' reman like an A-1 Cardone. Reservoirs are available and replaceable, a Delco is $43 from RockAuto, but the whole MC (a Dorman) is $38. For my money I'd grab the 'wholesaler closeout' Kelsey-Hayes MC, they were made by TRW, will be about $50. I bought a couple of the "autospecialty" brake calipers on wholesale closeout, they were eye-poppers: came loaded with good (albeit dusty) pads, and were *plated* so I did not have to paint them. The boxes they came in, however, looked like they'd been in the sun way too long, faded graphics and stuff. Which in consideration of the quality of the parts is a huge 'so what?'

Albertj

What do you guys think about the Cardone Select version on Rockauto? $48-ish and it appears to come with the reservoir. Would that be the 'new' equivalent to the A-1 Cardone version? Just making sure I don't buy crap...

Z-type wrote:

What do you guys think about the Cardone Select version on Rockauto? $48-ish and it appears to come with the reservoir. Would that be the 'new' equivalent to the A-1 Cardone version? Just making sure I don't buy crap...

IIRC the new Cardone is an import from guess where, and the rebuilt is a rebuilt from NY. Again, for my money - I would def get that TRW "wholesaler closeout" I mentioned. You might want to look at the Cardone site (I don't have link) then decide.



Albertj

I'll throw another vote of "replace the whole unit". Don't try and do anything less.
And I would take Albert's suggestion on what unit to buy, he is the most knowledgeable when it comes to knowing who built what and where.
Don't know where he gets the info but I trust him and his recommendations.

I am on Cardone's email list for product updates and Service Bulletin's, don't remember how I did it, but it can't be hard if I did it.

The following came from one of their latest emails, but I still would imagine that they can have parts manufactured in China and not be lying when they say the following.
CARDONE Industries Production and warehouse facilities in: USA, Canada, Mexico, UK, Belgium


I still try and buy Cardone for new and re-man locally unless Albert has a better solution.
In this case the TRW, if still available will be a better unit NEW.

Thanks for all the opinions guys. I appreciate it. Albert - did your Kelsey-Hayes come with a new reservoir? I can't honestly tell from Rockauto's info. Only reason I ask is because my reservoir may be the root of my leak anyway.

You can try contacting Rock Auto, if that's who you are going through.
I have had good luck with them in the past answering my Email in a timely fashion. Very Quick.
Don't know if they have a phone number listed, if so, go that route also.

Z-type wrote:

Thanks for all the opinions guys. I appreciate it. Albert - did your Kelsey-Hayes come with a new reservoir? I can't honestly tell from Rockauto's info. Only reason I ask is because my reservoir may be the root of my leak anyway.

ask rockauto; odds are it does but there is no picture. If not the Kelsey-Hayes then I'd take the *reman* Cardone.

Albertj

Thanks guys...I'll send them an email and see. I'm not sure how much farther I'm going to trustthis MC. I just wish there was nicer weather! Then I wouldn't mind letting the Riv sit until it's fixed and using my Lesabre T-type! I'll report back.

Well, the leak got pretty bad the last few days so I had to skip out on Rockauto and get one local. Had to get a Cardone Select after all. Hopefully it was an OK decision and it'll last me a long time. Came with the reservoir and whatnot too, so that was a plus.

Anyway, the leak was bad enough that when I'd get to work and park, a small puddle would form. And by small I mean, 'good god what else is broken?' . I'm trying my hardest to get this thing fixed by tomorrow evening. I have a good guy to help me, so it'll get done right at least. Mostly I'm trying to avoid using the T-type in the rain .

Cool, you will get her done!!! James say's hello also.

What's wrong with using the T-Type in the rain.????

Do you just prefer not to or is their some mechanical reason not to run it in the rain.?

Low-pH rainwater --> rust, in industrial Pittsburgh and surrounding area.

Albertj

Don't forget to bench bleed the Master Cylinder before you hook up the brake lines!

Rick - I just want to avoid the acid rain as much as possible, also, I'm lazy:). It has a layer of dust on it right now, so I'll wipe off the whole thing, but if I can avoid rainspots and stuff, I try to. I just put too much hard work into that car inside and out to get it rusty or something of the sort. Therefore, Albert is right .

Thanks for the reminder Scott, but the job is done! I trust my mechanic to do it right. He's done some complicated stuff for me in the past so I have faith that he did that. I'll ask him tomorrow anyway since I'll see him.

I checked out the inside of the old MC and I can see why it was leaking. There's a couple O-rings inside there, and they have just about disintegrated. That's about it. Thanks for all the advice as always everyone!