[Guest]

Hi all, just found out i now need a new brake master cylinder, as my local garage think that its popped one of its seals, as there was so much air in the system since changing the bulk head brake pipes. Does anyone know if the brake master is the same on all models, mines a 2004 jtd 115, theres one on ebay second hand for a 2002 2.4 jtd. I'm already starting to regret buying an alfa, i need new upper wishbones as they are squeeking like mad and now this!!!
Any help would be appreciated.

Cheers

Mark

 

[rgwm]

Pretty unusual for master cylinders to fail - I've only ever sold two....don't bother stripping them out when I scrap a car these days....

Eper appears to show some different part numbers between 1.9 and 2.4 JTD, but some models overlap - so can't give a definitive statement - but part number looks like 77362074

 

[Guest]

cheers, i'm hoping it won't cost too much to repair, how much do you think?

 

[davealfa11]

I think there is air trapped and needs to be moved out by cracking unions and working down each till you get sufficient quantities to actually bleed system up........if master cylinder was okay before and it was corrosion thus the need for renewing pipe i would try with what ive said before the expense and time consuming of replacing mastercylinder

 

[Guest]

cheers, what do you mean by cracking the unions? I'm not very mechanical minded.

 

[davealfa11]

cheers, what do you mean by cracking the unions? I'm not very mechanical minded.

connections off mastercylinder ....etc ....if you got air lock youll never bleed system up because you need fluid for it to work ..if air is present it wont move

 

[Guest]

ahh, that would make sense, the two plastic/rubber pipes leading from the the master are what i replaced, so i'm guessing this caused an air lock. How would i "crack these unions"? or tell my garage this is what they need to do?

Thanks again for the help

Mark

 

[gammyleg]

i had same problem and bled it til cows came home i cured it by doing two things. . its not the plastic fittings - they just push into a grommit its the two awkward ones going to metal pipes on the sides



1. slightly undo both banjo bolts on the master cylinder outlets and you MUST initially bleed the master cylinder here or you wont ever get the air out.

2. you might need to get a free version of fiatecuscan and used it to cycle the abs valves while bleeding it. the abs valves seem to harbour air and take ages to bleed so cycling the valves gives you access to air pockets that dont get disturbed under normal operating conditions. youd need the cable to connect to a laptop too - its the part of the programme labelled " drain abs valves " on actuators section - rarebear on here does the right cable

it took me a couple of weeks of pratting about to get there and it was frustrating - its probably not your master cylinder despite what you think. if you are really unlucky some cars dont like the master cylinder piston being full stroked as a ridge of crud in the bore that builds up can turn the seals and make them leak giving a sinking pedal feeling. Air can also do this too though as it can be compressed slowly - persevere and above all bleed those banjos.

theres two master cylinder types one has 17mm banjos and the other has smaller one - maybe 13/14, on top of that there is also 2 bore sizes one is 20.5 and the other is 22mm although they show up as the same part number the bore think was just a slight tinkering with pedal feel with the 150 bhp models - its the banjos that are important - im 99 percent sure you wont need a cylinder - trouble is most people change them and because it works they assume its the cylinder whereas its worked because they bled the banjo bolts as part of the procedure

 

[Guest]

cheers, i'm not going to do the bleeding, my local garage are, i'll send a copy of the posts to them and ask them to try bleeding the cylinder and to use their computer to cycle the ABS.

Thanks for the help

Mark

 

[Guest]

all sent onto the local garage, they have quoted me £290 for a new master + fitting etc, i've asked for them to have a look at Gammyleg's and Davealfa11's comments re, airlocks and "cracking the journels" and bleeding the master cylinder, hopefully thats what they will do?

Thanks for all the help guys, i'll post the outcome.

Mark

 

[Simples]

Good luck, it seems that not many mainstream garages have the knowledge or expertise to work on Alfa's. This is my first port of call if I need advice!!

 

[Guest]

yes same here, the local said they rarely work on alfa's, unfortunately I couldn't get it to Alfa technico in Mansfield (15miles away) as the brakes were so poor.

 

[Guest]

Again thanks for all the help, the garage took your advice and managed to bleed the system, only costing me £45.

Cheers

 

[davealfa11]

yes same here, the local said they rarely work on alfa's, unfortunately I couldn't get it to Alfa technico in Mansfield (15miles away) as the brakes were so poor.

braking system noooo different to most makes out there so dont use them again :tut:

 

[Guest]

ur not kidding, shame though nice chaps who work there. I had them look at the front upper wishbones as I've got a creaking when going over bumprs. They greased them and said they are fine, but advised that the n/s ball joint is going. Think I'll pop to Alfa technico to have it checked out.

 

[gammyleg]

Alfas are not going to be like having a cheap runabout and in these times it is even more difficult for most folk unless you are in a job like investment banking, you will have probably suffered a drop in living standards like the rest of us. However you can afford it if like most of us you have a go at the jobs yourself with maybe some help from a couple of gifted amatuers who like working on something different and your into the realms of affordabilty - plus you have this website.

you will be rewarded 10 times over with the satisfaction of sorting it and getting to know your alfa.