If it's like the Mercedes I've worked on its attached to the master cylinder
through two rubber plugs. And they all will wobble if you move them back and
forth.

I don't think you sucked air in through one of the plugs, I think your
master cylinder has just failed.

I know it's new but new part failures happen more often than people realize.

Tom

www.towercooler.com

From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM] On Behalf Of
Gregg Carlen
Sent: Wednesday, February 23, 2011 10:00 PM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Loose brake master cylinder resevoir

So there's no suprise that my new van has more suprises in store for me.

Driving the other day and the brake pedal goes almost to the floor. Thought
I might have lost a brake line or a brake piston or some other oriface that
fluid would leak out. When I got home (yes, it still stops, just the pedal
goes almost comletely to the floor). The braking also became very
squishy/soft.  I first checkd the master brake fluid resvoir. It was normal
(just below the max line). Just to be sure, I did the usual crawl around
underneath looking for leaks and under the master cylinder for anything that
might be leaking. Nothing. Dry everywhere.

Then I noticed the master cylinder resevoir itself was loose. Kind of
wobbling on top of the master cyclinder. This is a new master cylinder (PO
said he had it replaced and the old one is in a box in the back with other
spare parts).

I'm suspecting that I wasn't leaking any fluid, but that I've sucked air
into the brake lines. I think when the PO had the master cylinder replaced
that the resevoir plugs (Bently 47.2) were reused and not replaced with new.
If I gently/carefully rock the resevoir, I can see that one of the plugs has
moisture around its edges.

So, besides asking your collective opinion as to what might have failed in
the brakes, is there a way that the master brake resevoir is SUPPOSED to be
secured? Or, is it just held in place by the 2 resevoir plugs?

Cheers,
Gregg
90 Westy

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