The old busses had the reservoir under the floor. Then in 72 with the magic power disc brakes it was moved via a hose to behind the driver's seat. Later it made it to the front above the pedal area. But hey remember when the spare tire was used to pressurize the windshield washer? I guess that was an improvement over the hand pump. 

Dennis

-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of Dave Mcneely
Sent: Sunday, November 16, 2014 8:53 AM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: brake and clutch fluid reservoirs

Someone on here recently asked what the brake and clutch fluid reservoirs on the Vanagon are, and someone else replied reminding us all of the location of the brake fluid reservoir.

Of course, for anyone who has ever owned any other vehicle, the location is truly odd.  As one who is compulsive about checking fluid levels, especially when preparing to depart for an extended drive, the location is quite inconvenient.  One might even say the location creates a safety hazard, as it makes it less likely that folks will check these fluids regularly.

Of course, others might say that so long as their is no operational problem, then why check them.  But both these hydraulic systems can operate perfectly well while experiencing a slow leak.  Then one day they fail as the level drops further.

Why are these tanks where they are?

David McNeely