Master Cylinder Rebuild Kit

[ParadigmCrime]

So my brakes are going out, pretty sure its the master cylinder because there are no leaks. Im positive I can rebuild it myself (ive already done alot of engine work), so Im looking for a rebuild kit.

UNFORTUANTLY I doont know who made the master cylinder so I cant just go into autozone or something. I'll have to goto an International shop, and they are always overpriced.


If anyone knows what a 1986 6.9lD ThomasBuilt/International has for the master cyclender it would be very helpfull. (Mine is also a short bus, not full size).


Anyone know a good place to find this out? apart from going to an international parts dealer. I usually find that if I know who makes the compenent its ineveitably been in some standard vehical and I can find the parts at an autozone or what-not which is usually way cheaper than the internationla dealership

[the_experience03]

Have you tried goign to Autozone yet? I can get just about anything for my bus at Napa, Champion, Auto Value, etc. I just tell them it's a Ford B700. As for whether or not they have the parts (like fuel filters ) in stock is another issue.

[frank-id]

The easiest place to get brake parts is at a brake store. A bus is a big vehicle, so go to a big vehicle store. Take the master cylinder with you. Having the unit apart is good too. I like to rebuild my cylinders myself and save some money. These type stores can supply about any brake parts needed. Brake supply stores usually know a great deal about all types of brakes and can supply many other bus parts. Frank

[wmah]

I never minded international prices they are cheap compared to what the ford dealers want for the same parts. (refering to engine parts)

Around in my area http://www.catcoparts.com/ often has some of the stuff we have needed for buses and they are a little less then other places such as napa for brake pads. And the calipers that napa didn't have a listing for catco had them too.

[the_experience03]

Like those Ford stealerships, Wmah? Atleast I can't complain about the customer service at the local dealership. Even though the mechanics might argue with me that I havea 6.9 or 7.3 and not a 6.6, they're more than willing to print me any diagrams and specs I want after they learn Ford had two diesels of its own. I really should just get the microfiche from them....

[ParadigmCrime]

so I ordered the kit from international, it was like 60bucks


So I get home and take apart the master cyclender and start tearing it apart. I look at the parts in my kit and realize the guy ordered the kit for rebuilding the Power Assist (for the brakes).

Frustrated I figure might as well inspect the master cylender AND the power assist. Not seeing anything worn on the master cylinder, I tear apart the power assist, the O-ring was a bit worn down, and figured maybe that was causing the problem. So I rebuild the whole Power Assist and reconnect everything bleed the brakes, and tada! It works.

Irony works in your favor sometimes. Guy orders the wrong kit from what I told him, but in reality ordered the right kit that I needed.

go figure.

[the_experience03]

Cool. Fun when stuff works out like that. Too bad it ended up being a $60 o-ring.

[ParadigmCrime]

Originally Posted by the_experience03

Cool. Fun when stuff works out like that. Too bad it ended up being a $60 o-ring.

yeah seriously. although I did replace everything else the kit came with. So I replaced lots of o-rings, and little metal parts seals, etc. So its practically new.

[lapeer20m]

i'd be perfectly happy to spend 60 bucks in order to have brakes that work.

parts for big trucks are expensive

the water pump for my old ford 6.6 liter was over $400

[ParadigmCrime]

Yeah, but if the part is $60 @ International, then the part is probably 30 or 40 at autozone/kragen/napa. The only problem is you have to know the part number, because most of the people at autozone./kragen/napa/etc are braindead.

Parts Guy: "What year is it?"
Me: Its not in your computer
PG: Well I need the year
Me: ok, but its not in there... 1986
PG: What make?
Me: Its not in there, but its International
PG: its not in here... what model is it?
Me: Its not in there, but its in an S1700 School Bus
PG: ohh, we dont have parts for that
Me: yes you do, in fact the part in need is a GM Master Cylender Rebuild kit
PG: we dont have school bus parts
Me: yes you do, its the same parts used in other vehicles
PG: well I cant help you. we dont have parts for a.. uhm school bus


ARRRGH!!

When I goto an autozone, I make sure I KNOW EVERYTHING possible. Occasionally I can get them to look up the part. All they need to do is open this book they ahve behind the counter. I know, because the few times I got someone who wanted to help me instead of jerk me around he pulled the book out and flipped through it. Only took him 5mins to find my part.

But yeah heres me at an international dealership.

Me: I need a master cylinder rebuild kit
PG: whats the vin
*I hand vin over
*tap tap tap on keyboard
PG: We can get that.

So sometimes 20-30bucks is what you pay not ot have a headache. Occasionaly the international guy will help me out and give me the part number so I can go get it elsewhere, when he realizes that Im just a joeschmo with a schoolbus

Ironically the first part i ordered from International was this kit, and he ordered the wrong kit from what I thought I needed, but in the end was the right kit. lol
I feel dizzy now.

[lapeer20m]

i agree about braindead people at the fast food stores. i was at some store in elko nevada trying to find an alternator for my bus on a sunday @ 6pm.

At most bigger truck stops, napa stores, ect, i could tell them i want a leece neville alternator for a big truck, they would ask me how many amps do i want it to produce, then hand me the part in exchange for a few hundred $$$ They make varieties from around 100-350 amps. All have the same housing, just different internals.

at this store, which looked just like an autozone inside (was actually a parts usa or something) the poor guy behind the counter could't helpe me because he couldn't find the part in his computer. I gave him a few different engines that are used in big buses to see if we could come up with the right one, ie: 7.3 litre or 6.9 litre ford, 5.9 litre cummins, but no luck. finally i convinced him to let us come behind the county and look through the boxes of alternators. Didn't take too long. only about 2% of the boxes were big enough for my alternator, but they did't have what i was looking for. I was really suprised too, since that alternator is used on ton's of big trucks and pretty much every diesel bus i've seen.

[the_experience03]

Originally Posted by lapeer20m

the water pump for my old ford 6.6 liter was over $400

For that price, I think I'll just mount up a pony motor powered water pump if mine goes out

I know all about trying to get parts and how hard it is. I have a list of VIN numbers for various vehicles for when I go to the Toyota stealership so they can look up the various parts for my truck. I also have a list of parts numbers (more than one for the same part) because it's just too darned hard otherwise. I tell them I need rotors for a 1983 FJ-40 (poor man's brake upgrade swap on a Toyota truck) and they give me a blank stare saying the FJ Cruiser just came out.....but I didn't ask for parts for an FJ Cruiser....I asked for parts for an FJ-40. Such is life I guess.....

[busone]

I am in need of rebuilding my master cylinder. I took it off to make sure it was what failed. Of course I was about sure it was since it was peeing all over the frame.

I called NAPA which is just down the road. I told the guy I have a school bus and the make, model and year. He put me on hold for about 30 seconds and gave me a price for a new one. I told him I would be in on Saturday to get the rebuild kit (much less).

Around here a lot of people have skoolies to for farm use. It has been very easy to get parts. In Denver it was almost impossible. I had to tell them I had a GMC box truck.

[Jarlaxle]

Mine having a gas 460 makes it easier...however, the big-truck (F-700, etc.) 370/429/460 water pump was something like $275. However, a pump for a md-70's 460 LTD police car is about $75. IT'S THE SAME BLEEPING PUMP! (IIRC, the pre-serpentine-belt big-block F-250/350 also uses it.)

For chassis stuff, many places, even pretty good ones, don't have buses in their system...I tell them it's an F-700 (and it really is...just happens to have a bus body on it ). That worked for brakes, hoses, and a master cylinder. My second alternator (charging the deep-cycle T-105's) is a regular GM 12SI (IIRC, the application is an early-80's police car), $45 at any part store. The alternator on my APU is something like Lapeer's bus has...a big-truck unit, probably rather pricey new (it came from a wreck).

As for the FJ-40 brakes, try asking for brake parts for a 1983 Land Cruiser.

[the_experience03]

Sorry for hijacking a thread here, but how do you have that 12SI wired in? Grounded through the housing.....main power to the battery bank, field voltage from a 12 volt toggle or do you just have it wired into the ignition somehow? Also...do you have to do anything with that third idiot light wire or no?

[Jarlaxle]

My entire conversion, except roof air and shore power, is 12V. The 12SI grounds to the engine through the case, powered to the battery bank (chassis & house share a ground...also lets me easily use the T105's as jumpers if I kill the start battery). It's wired like a regular alternator so it's energized with the key on. I'd have to check to be sure (neither the bus nor the paperwork are with me now), but I THINK that is also wired to the T105's. Other than the common ground, chassis & house 12V is completely separate.

The third wire...I don't recall. It's been about a year since I wired the thing. I have a voltmeter on the bank so I'll know if it stops working.