Clutch Master Cylinder

[bcmc33]

I'm in the process of removing the engine and gearbox. I removed the reservoir cap in order to drain it and found that the fluid was as blacks as the ace of spades.
Bought from a famous seller in August 2010 and filled with DOT5.1 fluid.
Seems to me like the fluid has eaten the seals. I'll take it out over the next few days to see what condition the seals are in. However, I shall replace them whatever I find - but from where maybe a good question.
As a matter of interest I removed the fluid from the reservoir before draining the slave cylinder of clear fluid.

Comments welcome.

[garyeanderson]

DOT 3 and DOT4 don't mix with DOT 5 and you will get the results that you have found. ALL of the SEALS are JUNK and need to be replaced all lines flushed and any residue of one or the other removed to use the other types of brake fluid. Seal dissolve and swell in a mixture of DOT 5 and either DOT 3 or DOT 4, DOT 4 and DOT 3 may be mixed without the problems. my guess is DOT 5.1 is still DOT 5 with some added Texas Droppings. I don't know the reasons but its been discussed here before. Posting these links is like pissing into the stiff wind is just getting me wet and its cold and freezing on my pant legs.

http://www.lotuselan.net/cgi-bin/search ... oom_sort=0

elan-archive-f16/brake-fluid-t7380.html

[bcmc33]

Gary,

The whole clutch system was new when fitted in August.
DOT5.1 is also known as Super DOT4 and recommended for my regular road cars.

Since I've had the Elan I've used DOT5.1 in the clutch and brake systems. Last year I had the rear calipers and servo refurbished together with a new brake master cylinder, and the system cleaned-out and replaced with the same DOT5.1 fluid as the clutch system. The brake reservoir fluid is perfectly clear.

My conclusion is sh1t seals from a Chinese or Indian back street outfit. So I guess my real question is where do I source guaranteed good seals?

[garyeanderson]

Hi Brian

My 12 year old Clutch Master sprung a leak a couple years ago and was leaking into the cockpit. It was a bit of a pain to deal with but no interior, jute or carpets. It just took the black base coat off, so I just filled and mopped the interior on each ride. Well after the season ended, I bit the bullet and Called Ray at RD Enterprises and a new Girling unit appeared at my door 2 days later, $60 and no messing about with seals from who knows where made out of I don?t know what. This is the way I do things, SPEND the money and do the job once. I used to rebuild them but when you pay peanuts you get monkeys. The Clutch slave is always a toss it in the spares pile, as I don?t like that job at all. If you can get rebuild kits that were made in the previous century you may have half a chance. I was ordering caliper pistons from John Farrell

http://www.fortunecity.com/silverstone/ ... 6/id21.htm

and he asked me where he could get ?Girling rebuild kits?, this was 10 years ago so it?s been a problem for a while. We have different environments in which we live, My Elan gets about 4 months of use a year, it sits a lot and there is no way you would want to use one year round. You may drive yours every day, I don?t know, it sound like many do in the U.K. What works for me may not work for you and vise versa. I don?t seem to have emergency brake or other brake problems that others on this forum do, I am not sure why, maybe I don?t expect as much as some I really don?t know.

Gary

[512BB]

Good morning Brian,

I bought a seal kit off ebay at the back end of last year, for a Europa. The seller showed the kit all nicely layed out with a Lucas or Girling box, i dont remember which. It duely arrived, but sat in my kitchen, unopened, for a few weeks. The seller left me feedback straight away, and after about a week, I left FB for him, as it seemed like the decent thing to do. When I eventually opened the parcel, no original box, and just a pattern kit inside, no nos on the seals!!!! I shant do that again, either buy kits off Ebay, or anything from that seller. I should have remembered Alex' experience, exactly the same. The only saving grace, is that I will be able use the elongated rubber boot that fits over the cylinder end and the pushrod.

I have plenty of ORIGINAL Girling seal kits for my Elans. They are all old, but perfect. If you would like one, send me your address via PM, and I will send you one.

All the best,

Leslie

[bcmc33]

Good morning Brian,

I bought a seal kit off ebay at the back end of last year, for a Europa. The seller showed the kit all nicely layed out with a Lucas or Girling box, i dont remember which. It duely arrived, but sat in my kitchen, unopened, for a few weeks. The seller left me feedback straight away, and after about a week, I left FBI for him, as it seemed like the decent thing to do. When I eventually opened the parcel, no original box, and just a pattern kit inside, no nos on the seals!!!! I Shanta do that again, either buy kits off Ebay, or anything from that seller. I should have remembered Alex' experience, exactly the same. The only saving grace, is that I will be able use the elongated rubber boot that fits over the cylinder end and the pushrod.

I have plenty of ORIGINAL Girling seal kits for my Elans. They are all old, but perfect. If you would like one, send me your address via PM, and I will send you one.

All the best,

Leslie

Hi Leslie,
I thought I was doing the right thing by buying from one of the usual suspects. The brake M/Cyl appears OK so why the clutch M/Cyl is not would be guesswork.
There was a thread on here a little while ago saying that we know where we buy from but there's no way of knowing where the seller buys from. Because it has a Girling name or logo is no guarantee these days.

PM on way