AND...

on my 84, you cleverly lose the clutch funtionality before the brakes.

Tricky, them German design N_gin_ears.

tim in san jose

----- Original Message -----
From: "Scott Daniel Foss - Turbovans" <ScottDaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Wednesday, February 04, 2004 2:52 PM
Subject: wisdom of brake fluid res. location

> hey.except for it being 'hidden' .I think it's a great location.
> and I'm always thinking engineers are stupid.
>
> with this location.
> you can check the brake fluid easily anytime..right from the driver's
> seat.
> of course I wouldn't recommend it while driving.but you could.
>
> secondly.and this is pretty darn handy :
> when you take a bone-dry new master cylinder you have to 'bench bleed'
> it first before it will start to pump fluid out to the wheels for
> regular bleeding.
>
> you either do this in a vice on the workbench by yourself, hence the
> term 'bench bleeding' ..that's like put the reservoir on, fill it.push
> the piston down with a screw driver, and then when you let the piston
> return back up, you cover the output holes ( where the pipes screw on )
> with your fingers, so air won't be sucked back in there, but fluid will
> be pulled in from the res.
> when you've done a few of those..and fluid is coming out when you push
> the piston down.then you can mount it on the car.  And then bleed the
> brakes normally.
>
> if you put it in the car dry, you have to pre-bleed it like that in
> place.and if the brake master cylinder is mounted on the firewall, under
> the hood like on a regular car..then you need a helper to 'bench bleed'
> it on the car.
>
> On a vanagon you can bench bleed it in place by yourself.  It's the only
> vehicle I can think of like that offhand.
>
> you want a complaint about dumb design ????/  Ever adjust the length of
> the push rod on the clutch master cylinder in a vanagon ??
> it is the single most difficult adjustment on the whole van !
> almost never needed, fortunately.
>
> scott
> www.turbovans.com <http://www.turbovans.com/>
>