[Silly Little Cars] brakes

[Charley via Silly_little_cars]

Sorry, but I don't have a part number for the master cylinder. I just took my old master cylinder to the forklift repair shop and they got one off the shelf for me. It wasn't in a box or even a bag, so no number. If it has a 1" bore and it looks the same, then it should fit. I think I paid about $40 for the one that I have, way cheaper (about 1/2) than the price it's being sold for on the internet.

Your brake system, including the master cylinder is full of rust, isn't it? Ever want to know why?
 
The DOT-3 brake fluid that's used in the Trucksters is "alcohol" based and these master cylinders have a vent in the cap. Every time the air temperature/pressure changes, air is drawn into and out of this vent. Along with the air is a small amount of moisture (humidity). The alcohol in the DOT-3 brake fluid readily absorbs this moisture, just like Dry Gas (which is also alcohol) does in the gas tank. When enough moisture has mixed into the brake fluid it begins rusting the steel parts of the brake system from the inside out. I searched for an un-vented replacement master cylinder (like used in the newer cars) but I could not find one that would fit my Cushman Truckster without a lot of modification. My solution, and I'm not satisfied with this, is to just bleed out all of the DOT-3 brake fluid and replace it with new fluid every year, before the moisture builds up enough to do any serious rusting. There is a silicone based fluid available that will not absorb water, but to use it, every last bit of DOT-3 fluid must be removed from the entire brake system before installing it. So it's a nuisance, but I've decided to just replace the DOT-3 brake fluid in my Truckster every year.

Charley
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: via Silly_little_cars 
  To: silly_little_cars at lists.sillylittlecars.com 
  Sent: Wednesday, September 30, 2015 1:27 PM
  Subject: [Silly Little Cars] brakes


  Hello,
  On July 29, 2013 you posted information about a master cylinder for a forklift. Would you mind sending me the part # so I can find one for my 81 Truckster?   
  Thank you,
  Bob


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