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Installing New Master Cylinder

Old Jul 17, 2025 | 12:51 AM
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Default Installing New Master Cylinder

2001 DRV 3500 5.9L

I”ve been chasing down a problem of overheating front wheels which appears to be caused by the front disc pads not pulling far enough off the rotors on both sides when the brake pedal is released.
The disc pads, calipers, rubber lines and rotor/bearing units have been replaced on both sides.

So a new MC is going in this weekend and I’ve been made aware by the kind responders on this site that the length of the rod which exits the booster and goes into the MC may be slightly too long and the cause of the brake drag.

My question is if that rod, the length of which can apparently be adjusted, is in fact too long then shouldn’t I be able to verify that by “feel” when I slide the new MC onto that rod? It seems to me that if the rod is the correct length then I shouldn’t feel the MC make contact with it and if the rod is too long I should feel that contact just before the MC is seated all the way onto the mounting bolts. What “seems to me” is often off though.

Any thoughts appreciated in advance.
 
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Old Jul 17, 2025 | 09:05 AM
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A reasonable assumption..... I would fully expect though, that it will contact before the m/c is fully seated, but, if it's more than an eighth of an inch, that's probably too much.....
 
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Old Jul 17, 2025 | 01:45 PM
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Originally Posted by HeyYou
A reasonable assumption..... I would fully expect though, that it will contact before the m/c is fully seated, but, if it's more than an eighth of an inch, that's probably too much.....
thanks

a little bit would be like depressing your brake pedal a very tiny bit- no big deal
 
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Old Jul 30, 2025 | 08:37 AM
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Originally Posted by HeyYou
A reasonable assumption..... I would fully expect though, that it will contact before the m/c is fully seated, but, if it's more than an eighth of an inch, that's probably too much.....
I finally installed my new mc. When the original mc was unbolted the rod from the booster did not push the mc away from its flush mounting contact with the booster.

Same thing on installing the new mc. It could be pushed by hand over the 2 mounting bolts all the way flush with the booster with no contact felt with the push rod in the booster.

My wheels overheating has not been caused by a bad mc or a booster push rod that's too long.

With all front wheel parts replaced I'll start a new post asking what new part should should first be replaced again to try and solve this problem.

thanks
 
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Old Jul 31, 2025 | 03:01 PM
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booster push rod that's too long

FWIW in my 25 years of wrenching, I have never come upon that...

Is that really an issue for our vans? I would say no...
 
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Old Jul 31, 2025 | 03:19 PM
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Originally Posted by ElkCon
booster push rod that's too long

FWIW in my 25 years of wrenching, I have never come upon that...

Is that really an issue for our vans? I would say no...
Thanks and no, it wasn’t the problem per my comment just above yours.

The m/c and that rod were an attempt at a “Hail Mary”. My front wheels over heat bad and with that last hope of a booster rod too long or bad m/c every component has now been replaced in the entire front brake system.

With that failure I started a new post on Hubs, Rotors and Bearings to try to figure out which parts might have been purchased defective although all were new and installed by a good mechanic. This has been a long expensive process and if re-replacing everything doesn’t work I’m left with a big piece of junk in my drive.

thanks again.
 
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Old Jul 31, 2025 | 10:18 PM
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Originally Posted by arty4444
Thanks and no, it wasn’t the problem per my comment just above yours.

The m/c and that rod were an attempt at a “Hail Mary”. My front wheels over heat bad and with that last hope of a booster rod too long or bad m/c every component has now been replaced in the entire front brake system.

With that failure I started a new post on Hubs, Rotors and Bearings to try to figure out which parts might have been purchased defective although all were new and installed by a good mechanic. This has been a long expensive process and if re-replacing everything doesn’t work I’m left with a big piece of junk in my drive.

thanks again.
it would be very easy while working under the van for a socket or wrench to dent a line and cause an issue...

I had brake issues too...I ended up replacing calipers, hoses, and bypassing the ABS...when I bypassed my ABS all the weird pedal issues went away...now I didn't have overheating issues, which could be cause from chinesium also (too thick of rotor or pad), but there is something there...I went through something similar to you and ended up replacing those parts along with new shoes in the rear...then I finally got it...



 
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Old Jul 31, 2025 | 11:49 PM
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Originally Posted by ElkCon
it would be very easy while working under the van for a socket or wrench to dent a line and cause an issue...

I had brake issues too...I ended up replacing calipers, hoses, and bypassing the ABS...when I bypassed my ABS all the weird pedal issues went away...now I didn't have overheating issues, which could be cause from chinesium also (too thick of rotor or pad), but there is something there...I went through something similar to you and ended up replacing those parts along with new shoes in the rear...then I finally got it...
The lines- those tiny little lines. Not only is that a link in the system that hasn't been checked yet but over the last half a year I had most of the front suspension and steering linkage replaced with plenty of opportunity to dent a line. I'll know what I'll be checking tomorrow.
Thank you.
 
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