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Subject:Re: Slave cylinder RIP ?
From:The Bus Depot
Date:Sun, 26 Mar 2006 21:14:04 -0500

> Last summer (on a trip north) the master cylinder went out on 
> our former 85 Westy weekender. I replaced it and on the way 
> home the slave went out. I tried and tried to bleed it but it 
> was gone. Led me to believe the theriories that when one 
> fails the other isn't far behind.

I've said this before here on the list several times myself. I wish I had a
dollar for every time someone ordered a master or slave cylinder alone, only
to order the other a few weeks or a month later.  It's almost as common as
someone ordering a single rear hatch strut, only to replace the other
shortly thereafter. (The surviving rear hatch support had been doing
double-duty for so long that its failure was eminent.)  A local Vanagon
repair specialist whom I trust has had the same experience so often that he
will only replace a master or slave cylinder alone if the customer
absolutely demands it (and understands that he is probably setting himself
up for another eminent AAA tow and another labor charge). In terms of
duplication of labor and shipping cost, not to mention breakdown risk, cluch
hydraulics and hatch struts are two items that are best replaced in pairs.

- Ron Salmon
  The Bus Depot, Inc.
  www.busdepot.com
  (215)  234-VWVW

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