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MG MGA - Brake master Rebuilder?

Should I be looking at someone other than Apple Hydraulics to rebuild MGA brake masters?

Thanks!
Steve Simmons

Now Now Steve, don't be CHEAP. buy a new one for your safety and the cars..
JEFF BECKER

I've used Apple and was satisfied with the result. Two things- have them resleeve your original master, don't take one of theirs and send yours as a core. I did this due to time restraints and the one I received had been a rusty unit and was pockmarked. The other is don't use silicon fluid unless you resleeve with stainless steel. The brass sleeves will weep. I use DOT-3 anyway so brass was just fine.
Mark J Michalak

I used them on mine and when I received it back the brake side leaked. They were very nice about handiling it and repaired it quickly. The only thing that irked me was the shipping cost of sending it back to them. Although it wasn't much I felt they should of payed it. They also rebuilt my carbs and did a great job! I would use them again.
WMR Bill

Jeff, how is a rebuilt and sleeved MC different than new? Once sleeved and (properly) rebuilt, it's just as good if not better than new, no? The MC is just a metal tank with a plunger mechanism in it. I certainly understand the potentially negative results of just replacing the rubber bits. A new MC is nearly $500 USD and I have to wonder if it's another product of the far east.

Mark, what about the brass makes DOT5 leak? I'm planning to use silicon to avoid eating the paint off the shelf... again... should it ever leak... again.
Steve Simmons

A new MC in Europe is 135 Euro - or 200 USD. I can't believe that rebuilding is much cheaper than that. Shipping to USA is about USD 25.
dominic clancy

I'm with Steve on this one. There is no safety issue with a properly resleeved master that I have ever heard of. There have been a few reports of weeping especially with DOT5 fluid, but this is not a safety issue unless you let the fluid level get too low. In fact, I would suggest that a resleeved unit is actually "better than new" because the cylinder will never pit or rust; keeping the rubber seal in top shape.

I can recommend White Post Restorations for the resleeving.


Chuck
C Schaefer

Steve,
You may want to contact White Post Restorations,540-837-1140 www.whitepost.com .They have rebuilt many brake parts for my B and C. They did great work with fast turn around time. They rebuilt my B calipers in the early 90's and one developed a leak in 2003 they rebuilt it for free. So they do honor their guarantee. I do plan on having them rebuild my TD brake parts in the near furture.

Tony Shoviak
52 TD
58 A Roadster
66 B Roadster
69 C GT
Tony Shoviak

Thanks for the Whitepost recommendation. I had forgotten about them!

Dominic, I wonder why the huge price difference. Do you know if those are new originals or reproductions?

By the way, labor for a rebuild is $100. I don't know for sure if that includes sleeving but I suspect so.
Steve Simmons

Gentlemen,
I'm curious,why jump to the conclusion that re-sleeving is needed? Light honing and new seals is perfectly adequate most of the time. I've brought a number of MC's back to life this way. The exception is if there is scoring or pitting. Even then, I'm not a fan of sleeving. I think over-boring and larger pistons is the way to go if honing doesn't work. SF does this, but I'm sure any competent machine shop could.
Personally, I don't use Apple. Have seen and heard too many bad results. They do seem responsive, but their process seems to produce inconsistant results.

Cheers,
GTF
G T Foster

repro. see here:

http://cgi.ebay.com/GMC109-BRAKE-clutch-MASTER-CYL-ASSEMBLY-MGA-SPRITE_W0QQitemZ320177590830QQihZ011QQcategoryZ27380QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
dominic clancy

I had the master cylinder in my 1500 brass a coupleof years ago by Sierra Specialty Motors in Quincy, CA. They were good to deal with and reasonably priced. I switched to silicone fluid at the time with no leaks and I question why brass would be any more prone to leakage than SS if done properly.
Tom Heath

Sorry - should have said "had M/C sleeved in brass". (Problems with automatic overyping!)
Tom Heath

Steve,
I had Apple put brass sleeves in our A's master several years ago.No problems through probably 25000 miles. Guys in our club claim White Post is better by virtue of thier warrenty. I don't know what Apples slant is towards a warrenty.
Jim
James Wiebe

I recently contacted both Apple and White Post concerning their warrenty and DOT5. I had heard that they would not honor their warrenty if you used DOT5. That turned out not to have anything to do with the resleeving at all. They both said that the seals made these days were inferior and that DOT5 caused them to soften and self destruct. I've been using DOT5 for 14 years and have never seen a problem with the seals. So I wonder what they are concerned about using DOT5.

Any thoughts?

Joe
Joe Wiley

The only seals I have had wear out with DOT5 were 12-15 years old, and had more to do with wear and tear than swelling from the fluid. They all looked just like new, but didn't hold pressure in the clutch Master any more. The replacements are fine and have also been in place for a few years. The cylinders will never need resleeving either :-)

I guess its time for the annual Si Fluid is great / Si fluid is terrible thread, even though it's all been said many times before.
dominic clancy

Silicon is great.
My vote here on election day.
R J Brown

The only topic worse than politics, religion and race is Dot3 versus Dot5. ;)

My MGB GT has been running silicon since 1995. The master was replaced in 1998 and then again just this year. That suggests to me that when silicon was first introduced to the system, it had old seals which did not like it. 1998 seems like a reasonable date when newer seals may have been introduced to the market.
Steve Simmons

I agree. I would never go back to DOT3 05 DOT5. I guess my point was totally missed. Why would Apple or White Post void their warrenty if one used DOT5? It has nothing to do with the resleeving but rather the seals that they have no control over. Makes no sense to me.

It's like someone recently told me my clutch slipping was because I used the wrong octane gas. Huh?
Joe Wiley

I guess my first sentence made a lot of sense. I meant to say "I would never go back to DOT3 or DOT4".
Joe Wiley

Your first sentence was "I agree." That made perfect sense to me. :-)
Andy Bounsall

So far 14 years of 100% success with silicon, has my vote!

Neil
Neil McGurk

Me and my big mouth....
dominic clancy

LOL! Dominic, that was like walking into a meteorologists convention and asking, "How's the weather?"
Steve Simmons

Drum Garden
824 W Pacific Coast Hwy, Wilmington, CA 90744-2550
(310) 830-9100

Steve These guys have been around for a long time. Give them a call. Mark
MLS Somers

Thanks Mark. I didn't realize you were so local. There's a fun run this weekend in the Malibu area. Shoot me an email for info if you're interested.
Steve Simmons

I am also an advocate of honing and rekitting.
It will only cost you a few bucks to see if your cylinder will hold up rather than spending hundreds on sleeving or a new cylinder. It worked for me!

Cheers,
Rich
Rich McKIe

This thread was discussed between 03/11/2007 and 11/11/2007

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This thread is from the archive. The Live MG MGA BBS is active now.