Brake fluid reservoir

[1950split]

Hi,

I'm looking for nice solutions about how/where to fit the brake fluid reservoir of my restored 58 ragtop equiped with front and rear disc brakes.

First solution is to use one of these plastic reservoirs and mount it directy on the master cylinder. Looks, not really great and not very convenient for maintainance.

Second solution is to mount it to the stock location, however I need a split reservoir as I use 4 discs. Easy for maintenance but plastic reservoir are ugly.

Is there any good looking split brake reservoir out there I like very much the one used by Darrell Baker on his former 58 Ragtop. Any clue if it is custom made or from industrial production ??

Thanks in advance

Phil

[Eric Ellis (57HotrodVW)]

Hi Phil,

I'm not sure which reservoir that Darrell used, or which master cylinder that you have, but you may want to check out the setup that uses the "Volvo setup". It's a pretty clean/simple option, IMO:

http://www.cal-look.com/forum/index.php?topic=25719.0

--Eric

[Donny B.]

The one in Darrell Baker's car looks like one that Sil Modesti made for Buddy Hale.  I would bet that he did it.  That would make it a custom item.  You can reach Sil at : 602-265-0401.  I don't know what they cost, but it won't be cheap.  It will be beautiful though.  I have one of his breathers on my car.

[1950split]

Hi Eric,
Thanks for your answer. I would favor a solution without plastic reservoir and with stock location for the ease of maintainance.

Here's a link to Darrell's car brake reservoir ;

http://www.oldbug.com/El%20Diablo%20Gris%20020.jpg

[Mike Lawless]

The Chassis Shop has some aluminum reservoirs that attach to the MC with a hose and are surface mount

[1950split]

Thanks for these answers..

Does Sil Modesti have a website or email ?? I'm in Europe therefore it is not easy to contact him by phone

[Donny B.]

Sil doesn't have a web site, but here is his email address: 

silm@cox.net

He is a very old school guy and a talented fabricator.  He has worked on many race cars and used to race motorcycles and sprint cars back in the day.  He is a great guy, but he doesn't check his email very often.  I should see him this weekend and will remind him to check his email.

[1950split]

Hi Donny,

Thanks a lot for your help.

I'm going to send him an email right now..

[Mark Thompson]

Here's an aluminum unit that mounts to the master cylinder. Not a remote mount but for others that might be interested.

http://www.eisparts.com/211611301A.html

[HotrodVW]

That's for a single circuit m/c only.......he wants dual circuit.

[Mark Thompson]

OOps  Missed that part of the post. Oh well.....Maybe he could use 2 of them.... Room permitting of course.

[padexc]

what i did on mine was put a t in the line, not a duel circuit but it works

[HotrodVW]

OOps  Missed that part of the post. Oh well.....Maybe he could use 2 of them.... Room permitting of course.

Ha ha...........I gotta see this. 

A tee in the line totally voids the purpose of the dual circuit m/c.  Now you have a single circuit again. 

[padexc]

don't knock it it works

[J Dotson]

Ha ha...........I gotta see this. 

A tee in the line totally voids the purpose of the dual circuit m/c.  Now you have a single circuit again. 

How is that? As long as both inlets to the Master Cylinder have the gravity feed how would it effect its function? Unless you have a circuit total loss of fluid
(wheel cyl blow out etc)...it still works....

[Bullyboy]

i think that's the point, if you blow a line or cylinder you don't have separate circuits so you don't have brakes once the fluid is gone.
Sadly, I have my system hooked up like that because the Volvo/rabbit/Porsche dual reservoir doesn't fit on my master cylinder. Just not enough space between the firewall and the master cylinder. I would like to find a proper fix without it looking like crap.

[HotrodVW]

Because the idea of the dual circuit is that the res. is baffled.  The front circuit and rear circuit portions of the res are sepparate.  If you lose fluid in the fornt lines for some reason, the rear is an entirely different circuit, and you can still stop......since the rear circuit still has fluid.  With the tee like he wanted to do.....both cicuits use the same resivoir, the same fluid, etc......  you're back to the wokings of a single circuit again.  

This would be the reason VW went to a dual circuit m/c............SAFETY.  

[HotrodVW]

i think that's the point, if you blow a line or cylinder you don't have separate circuits so you don't have brakes once the fluid is gone.
Sadly, I have my system hooked up like that because the Volvo/rabbit/Porsche dual reservoir doesn't fit on my master cylinder. Just not enough space between the firewall and the master cylinder. I would like to find a proper fix without it looking like crap.

What is the issue w/ the Volvo res.??  Did you try turning the res. around 180deg.??  Mine fit pretty well.  You can always tap the bulkhead w/ a hammer for some custom clearancing. 

[J Dotson]

What is the issue w/ the Volvo res.??  Did you try turning the res. around 180deg.??  Mine fit pretty well.  You can always tap the bulkhead w/ a hammer for some custom clearancing. 

Yeah or get another master cylinder...This one shown was a chinesse job...did not bleed so I put it on a TRW and works great on my 62...stops on a dime.
No big deal servicing it...How often ya need to add fluid anyway...just jack up the front end and swing your wheel out or take it off...no big deal.

[HotrodVW]

Yeah, people scoff at them.............I like 'em.

[Bullyboy]

What is the issue w/ the Volvo res.??  Did you try turning the res. around 180deg.??  Mine fit pretty well.  You can always tap the bulkhead w/ a hammer for some custom clearancing. 

944 master cylinder, for my 944 4 wheel disc's. My 61 body sitting on the 69 pan has more overhang than the 61 pan so I would need a reservoir with the front nipple almost flush with the front hole. 
Believe me I've tried to figger something out, I figured I'd wait and watch the forums until someone came up with a better idea.

Oops fixed that
I have a couple different ATS reservoirs: early 944 and early rabbit, neither works

[HotrodVW]

I thought you were using a Volvo res. 

[1950split]

Thanks for all these interesting answers !

I think I'll use a remote reservoir with hardlines and AN6 fitings. On the reservoir side, no problem. But what about the master-cylinder ? I don't want to weld fittings on it, anyway  I don't have the skills to do it  . I was thinking of cuting a thread for the inlets and bolt on steel fittings (AN-Metric). What would be the size of the tap I should use ? Could I do this manually, without having to ask a machine shop ?

[HotrodVW]

You'll need #6 AN male X 10mmx1.5 adapters to make that work.  I've never seen them available......but I can make a couple for ya.  If it were me, I'd do it in 1/4" parts.  That would mean 1/4" tubing, and #4AN male x 10mmx1.5 adapters for the m/c.  Those, I do stock at work.     

[1950split]

Hi,

Thanks for your proposal. I found some 6an 10mm x 1.0 fittings. But according to you, is 3/8" tubing to large ? In fact I don't know what is the inner diameter of the blue hose which is usually used to connect reservoirs to master-cylinders ?!?

[HotrodVW]

I think the OEM hose is somewhere between 5/16" and 3/8" id....I bet 1/4" would work just fine though.  I can't say for 100% sure though.

[H67bug]

Sil doesn't have a web site, but here is his email address: 

silm@cox.net

He is a very old school guy and a talented fabricator.  He has worked on many race cars and used to race motorcycles and sprint cars back in the day.  He is a great guy, but he doesn't check his email very often.  I should see him this weekend and will remind him to check his email.

I just mailed him as well if you are catching up with him.

Many thanks