Brazilian Master Cylinders are $49.95 at www.busdepot.com P/N
is "251 611 021C OR". If you want the orig-equip ATE/FAG it
is $$99.95. You may want to check out their air cooled brakes
page at (Make sure you have the entire URL above or it won't
work):

http://www.busdepot.com/ASP/brakes.asp?
PartType=B&VehCod=D&B1=Search

It IS overkill, but when doing this type of job you may want
to have the clutch master (251 721 401A)and slave (251 721
263A) cylinders replaced as well ($49.95 each). They tend to
have similar service lives so if one is bad its not a bad
idea to replace all of them. Also, they are on the same
system so you would only have to bleed it once.

Thanks,
Chris

---- Original message ----
>Date: Tue, 23 Jul 2002 00:56:58 -0700
>From: phil hans <hansph_99@YAHOO.COM>
>Subject: '80 Westfalia: brakes: first steps to take.
>To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
>
>He everyone.
>I'm writing from Seattle.  I have a brake job to do.
>Tentatively, I am planning to replace the master
>cylinder, rear brake shoes and drums, rear wheel
>cylinders, and hardware.
>
>Maybe I should replace just the items on the back
>wheels and see how the brakes work.  I don't have
>fluid leaking from the master cyl, so I am not certain
>it is bad.  If the brakes, however, aren't great after
>the rear work, I'll replace the master cylinder;
>although this way, I would have to bleed the brakes
>twice.
>
>I was quoted this on the master cylinder:
>Remanufactured: $108.
>New, but made in Timbuktu:  $146.
>U.S. or German made, new:  $262.
>
>Which should I choose?  If the remanu'd MC is the
>original, shouldn't it be... OK?
>I'm not too interested in the off shore new MC.
>
>As for the brake shoes, they said:
>As cheep as $15.99ea; or $35ea for "better" shoes.
>
>Are better shoes worth it?
>
>Is there a better place from which to purchase these
>items than from the local auto parts place? Like, a
>specialty place, or on the internet?
>
>Should I get drums somewhere besides just buying brand
>new ones?
>
>Thanks everyone, ph
>'80 Westfalia, 167K miles.
>
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