replacement for master brake cylinder questions?

[AnotherOne-via]

my master brake cylinder is slowly leaking at the back seal. so slight that there is no drip marks or anything but tiny bubbles appear if you push it up and down. the car is a 91 non abs s13. i have two questions...

1. who should i get it from? i've searched a bit online and have found a few that sell them( i.e. cardone, raybestos, bendix, beck/arnley, tokico, and more). i'm thinking not all brands are equal. are any better in terms of reliability, longevity, and performance?

2. does model type affect the master brake cylinder? SE, LE, Base. since we are on the topic what is the difference and how do you tell? i know it has to do a bit with options but would like to be more sure.

these might seem like dumb questions to some of you but i would really like to know and soon. especially since it is concerning the brakes and i would like to have the peace of mind that can only come from properly working brakes.

[teddy]

Just buy one from autozone or wherever that comes with a decent warranty. Some should come with lifetime warranties so you wouldn't have to worry if something goes wrong with it. Most of them are going to do the job just fine.

Also, as far as non-abs s13's go, the brake master cylinders should all be the same, well, kind of. Automatic s13 bmc's are a little bit longer than the 5 speed bmc's. I believe you could use either of them, but aside from that, all non abs bmc's should be the same.

[Imissmyturbo]

Any of those brands will do just fine. I am partial to raybestos but that's what we install on our customers cars. Make sure the brake fluid is throughly flushed from the system while you are at it.

[AnotherOne-via]

alright then. thanks guys for the help

[S14KoukiMonster]

I assume you know to "bench Bleed" a new M/C?

[skydragoness]

I for one will give you the opposite advice. When it comes to master cylinders and clutch cylinders ... ALWAYS BUY NISSAN OEM. Believe me, I've gone thru several cheap-o master cylinders that were rebuilds. They've failed after one cycle of bleeding. I ending up tossing the aftermarket clutch slave for a Nissan slave:no more problems.

[ArticDragon192]

I assume you know to "bench Bleed" a new M/C?

I don't. Care to explain please?

[AnotherOne-via]

oops i forgot about this post. i already did the change on saturday. it got the cardone rebuilt oem MBC. $100bucks with a $30 core and lifetime warranty from the kragen website. i compared the new one to the old one and it looks exactly the same. right down to the markings that say nissan or japan or f f r.....w/e it was i forgot already.

I for one will give you the opposite advice. When it comes to master cylinders and clutch cylinders ... ALWAYS BUY NISSAN OEM.

happy skydragoness?

and i didn't know how to benchbleed till i read the instructions that came with the replacment MBC. its really simple. take the MBC and put its front side againsts something that won't move. plug the holes that connect with the brake lines on the mbc, preferably with the plugs that came with the replacement. fill resevoir with proper brake fluid. leave the cap off. then using a wooden stick or something similiar press the MBC piston in about an inch. wait 15 seconds and repeat till u see no more bubbles. put cap back on. and remount in car. clear enough articdragon192?

my dad had me do a different kind of bleeding. its where u put the MBC on car and u reattach the brake lines but not all the way. jsut tight enough so nothing leaks out due to gravity and u press on the brake petal until you don't hear any air leaking past the brake lines. is that okay to do? one of his first jobs was as an automechanic, he did that for about a year or two so i wasn't going to argue with him. he and i both drove the car around for 5-10 minutes abusing the brakes and they held steady so i guess its okay in my case. but normally is this okay to do? i'm thinking there is still air in the brake lines near the MBC. pedal feel does seem to be smoother and its contact point is lower but it still stops the car. i've been driving it to school and friends house in the meantime too....

i plan to bleed them properly anyways this weekened. no leaks or complaints otherwise, cardone is a good choice in my 5 day experiance.

[skydragoness]

$100? $30 core? Ouch.Good luck with the Cardone. I got my advice from a senior tech @ Nissan (my bf works there so I get all the 'real' info from the fellow techs about whats good) to get a Nissan slave after the one my bf had dropped off by the local Napa (parts guy left) fail after one bleeding (bench bled before install as well). There's something about those cheapo cylinders that they have crappy seals and leak all over under pedal pressure. Hopefully for the amount you spend you won't have to be taking it out for another one anytime soon.

[AnotherOne-via]

maybe i worded the price wrong. its $70 if you include the core. how much did you pay for yours then?

There's something about those cheapo cylinders that they have crappy seals and leak all over under pedal pressure. Hopefully for the amount you spend you won't have to be taking it out for another one anytime soon.

well its definately not cheap as u pointed out and they do have a lifetime warrenty, hopefully those two = good quality . how long did it take for the seals to start leaking on yours and where did it happen? asking so i know when and where to look for it.

[skydragoness]

My stock oem slave cylinder had a slow leak (like I could see old stains on the firewall underneath the clutch pedal) I bought the car in June 05, and it didn't actually start to lose pressure/leak profusely until December 05. I just forgot to address the issue since so many other things were being replaced as 'prevention' in the first few months of ownership. Just check the firewall in the interior of your car for stains.

The Nissan OEM slave I got was $60 I think (w/ my bf's discount) vs the creepy cheap $30 reman slave cylinder of unknown brand.