Ever Had a Single Reservoir Master Fail?

Okay, someone else posted about this topic, and it pisses me right the **** off every time this comes up, because a fair number of idiots always say "It's never happened to me, they're fine if you service them regularly, etc."
********. New parts fail--ever install a water pump, starter or any other fresh part from the store that didn't work?
Anyway, without going into all the drama, I just wanted to run a little poll here to see how many HAMBers have had a single reservoir master cylinder system fail.
Just BTT the post after hitting the poll. All I want to see is a raw number of how many people have had one go out--I don't want to hear from all the people who have run them and never had a problem. Because millions of them didn't fail. But I'd like to find the number from our relatively small community that has had them fail.

A lot of people don't wear eye protection either, and are fine. But a lot of people do get hurt. I think if 100 guys said "hey, I'm blind because I didn't wear my goggles" it'd make us all sit up and take notice. That's what I'm looking for here.

Thanks,
-Brad

 

don't see the poll yet....

but the one in my ex's '66 fairlane went out and she ran the car into a coke machine.

 

I had brake problem with a one line system, - but it went slow see, so you knew something was up and I found what was wrong before a major catastrophy

 

thats why you have a WORKING E-brake.

 

doesn't matter how many other people haven't had one fail if yours does. For the record yes I've had one master fail, plus had a line break on a single set-up. The line failure happened right in front of the sheriff standing on the courthouse steps and he'd seen me stop less than 1/2 block away. Those two failures are the only ones I've had in 45 years of driving.

 

'62 Impala went out and I ran into my '47 Chevy. '65 Mustang went out, I ended up in a garden. '50 Chevy truck went out and I just turned down an ally and coasted to a stop. Not fun. Never again. Everything gets a dual M/C now. BTT

 

Between 16 and 22 I had a 63 T-bird single fail 3 times in 3 years (rusty line, bad master and a NEW wheel cylinder blow), a 65 Catalina 2+2 single fail (bad master) and a 64 Catalina single fail (rusty line).

After the 3rd time the bird failed I converted it to daul. After the second failure I replaced everything and the wheel cylinder blew about 6 months later.

I ALWAYS convert to a dual system when I get a car with a single system.

The reason the feds mandated the dual system in 67 was to many people were killed.

I don't know if I count as 1 vote or 5 votes (5 failures).

Carmak
Iowa

 

Didn't have the master cyl fail but it might as well had......on my friends 66 mustang we had total wheel cyl failure........no fluid no brakes......

 

I used to have a '64 SS Impala. It had the original "fruit jar" master on it. Long story short, one of the brake lines let loose. Talk about a HANES moment. Lucky for me it happened in my parents driveway @ about 15-20 mph. Hate to think what would have happened if that line had let go on the highway! Granted, the reason that it happened in the first place was just plain neglect, but it was a real eye opener. The following week, that car got all new lines, hoses, wheel cylinders and a dual master cylinder.

My '54 still has the original master cylinder on it with drums on all 4 corners. After a near miss on the way back from the Hunnert Car Pile Up this year, I've decided to update it to a dual master and front discs. Just because your drum brakes work properly doesn't mean that the disc brakes on that little plastic car that pulls out in front of you won't work better!

 

1950 Chevy pickup, very exciting but not much fun. Had to do some ditch running to avoid rearending my buddys Cougar.

 

Never had a single master completely fail - cause I don't run them!! That said brake failures I have had include:

1. I've had hoses fail - one split - another collapsed internally rendering that
brake useless.
2. I've split a Steel line - I also blew a rusty steel line (my fault for sure)
3. I grenaded a Driveshaft -flying pieces parts cut rear brake line clean.
4. I had a master cylinder blow 1 piston seal - inner one.
5. Wheel cylinder failed oiling down the shoe. this has happened more than
once. I never considered how useless this would make a Ebrake until someone
here mentioned it.
6. I put a fresh single master once on only to have it leak after a week - now
THAT inspires confidence - NOT!

 

52 chevy pu... blew a line, luckily i was on a rural road and just coasted down and turned around. I got lucky, the stop before that was getting off the interstate, and i probably would have ended up going off a 20 ft embankment.

replaced the lines, drove it like that for 2 more years and ever had a problem. I will probably use duals for anything i build from here on out, mostly just because it really doesnt cost you that much more for a lot more safety. just common sense.

 

oh, the e-brake worked....and a pump or two on the pedal would have worked too.....but she "was scared and didn't know what to do." The car now has disc brakes and a dual MC. Granted, I probably shouldn't have trusted the car with a 40 year old MC, but nevertheless....I don't like singles.

 

Put a rebuilt single in my stock forty (when it was still stock), manufacturer defect and it blew in the driveway. Needless to say, lucky I was driving in traffic or behind a $100,000 gold chainer ride at the fairgrounds.

 

Is it really a poll if you don't have both sides? Just have people answer "yes" or "no". What would be interesting is if 100 people answered, you would have a approximate percentage of potential failure/occurances. No arguement for pros or cons, thats obvious.
And yes, I have had one fail.

 

57 Volkswagen.

Brand new M/C, less than 1 year old. Not a rebuild, new.

It failed pulling down the driveway into my shop.

I pumped the pedal enough to slow down mostly. I wound up bumping into a workbench and a fire extinguisher mounted on the leg of the bench dented the hell out of my hood.

 

Volkswagen ? ?

Me too..........a 1961

Just a dumb 16 year old kid......out riding in the country.....drove it home, carefully by using the hand operated parking brake. I wanted to fix it but my Dad insisted I let a VW shop repair it. Looking back.....Dad was most likely RIGHT

 

I had a clutch master cylinder take a **** on the Bay bridge between San Francisco and Oakland in rush hour stop go and stop again traffic.
Similar "Oh ****" factor...

Usta ride around with friends in the 60's in lots of '50 chevy's that got stopped with just the parking brake.
They never drove fast enough to actually hurt anything though.

 

I started the other post about my single failing on saterday. It now has a 68 chevelle master and all near lines. My 50 chevy has a dual master and disk sitting on the shelf waiting to go on it. But thats off the road fo the winter any way.

 

I've been though about 3 master cylinders in my 66 Buick... 2 leaked out the back first, so I changed them before there was a problem. I had only 1 catastrophically fail, luckily it was at 2:30 am and there was little traffic. The next time it gets replaced, it will be dual reservior, and I think I'll ditch the drum brakes. I've busted more brake lines and wheel cylinders than master cylinders. Parking brakes are for wusses...The adrenaline rush isn't the same when the hydraulic brakes go out and you have NO brakes..

Andy

 

Mark me down for two fails. One killed the car, the other one I was lucky with and was able to repair the bumper, grill, fender, and replace the rad.

I've had partical brake failier on three different dual systems too. One a nearly new brake hose blew in a panic stop but was able to stop in time. One a rusted line to the rear broke (also in a panic stop, that one came out OK too). The last one was when my rear driveshaft on a 4x4 came apart under a heavy load and took out the rear steel line, was able to stop, but the shaft did enough damage I just parted the truck. Even those were scary enough. Out of 5 system or part system failiers, only one was from neglect, and that one was the rusty line. Gene

 

57 Chevy --master cylinder failed approaching stop sign--luckily no traffic either way.

 

my 64 corvette i could not put the dual master in because of the strocker tall deck block with tall valve covers to fit the good stuff. i took the precaution to have it sleeved and rebuilt. I know better then to have some out dated part get a generic hone and new seals rebuild. I am still trying to figure out some thing better to fit in like a dual master with remote tank.

 

The same night I finally got to put the 500 horse 440 in my '65 Coronet, I went out looking for trouble all over town. After summarily wipping everything I found, I went home for the night. When I stepped on the brake pedal to shift into the next morning, the pedal went all squishy, straight to the floor. At least it waited 'till morning and didn't go while I was doing 125 across the South Congress Bridge.Someone was looking out for me.

 

THREE TIMES.
It wasn't the reservoir, but, rather, one of the wheel cylinders and a front brake hose.

Twice, a wheel cylinder failed in my '54 M38-A1.
Getting it safely down the hill was quite the challenge. Just jammed it in reverse nailed the gas and m***aged it down the hill with the clutch. e-brake was not working.

Another time in a '74 Cherokee, a front brake hose failed. Emergency brake was weak. Parking brake just clicked until it was 1-2 mph -- then it locked up.

Lesson learned: always work toward replacing your single with a double M/C.

If given the choice, I will never build a car with a single M/C. Unless is has to be completely stock or period correct. And then every part of the system has to be prefect and the e-brake has to be perfect.

 

had a brake hose fail on two different old trucks with single systems. in the past 28 years of driving such vehicles.

Good thing I keep the parking brakes in good shape.

 

The point of this post wasn't to get an accurate ratio of people who have had one fail versus people who haven't. I don't care about the people who have never had a problem with a single jug system. Same way I don't care about people who don't wear a seatbelt and have never been in an accident.

The only way it'll let you do a poll is to put two choices in there. All I wanted was a count to see that X-number of HAMBers have had a brake system failure. Yet some jokers still managed to check the one that said "Don't Check this box."

And for the one comment about a WORKING e-brake: When you lose a rear wheel cylinder, you end up filling that drum with your brake fluid. When you do that, you have no front brakes, and only one rear drum will work, because the other is well lubricated with DOT 3. I know from experience that a 4000lb car will not stop with a single drum and slamming back down through the gears.

Look at all the guys on here who have blown a wheel cylinder--especially a new wheel cylinder (me included).

-Brad

 

maybe you should have put the choices:

1. have you ever had a single brake system fail and run into something

2. have you ever had a dual brake system fail and run into something

the only time I ran into something and it was brake related was driving into the garage door with the late model truck with ABS and it would NOT ****ing stop.

 

Had the battery tip over in my old 66 due to "aggressive" driving. The battery acid got on the brake hose and the first water puddle I hit, it disentigrated. Luckily, I was going down a back alley and not on the street, but rather coming up on the street. Pulled the e-brake and pumped the brakes for all it was worth, and came to a stop just before the street and hitting a cop car that was driving down the street. Then limped it back to the shop.

Not saying I wont have another, but it would be completely rebuilt first.

 

Smart, real smart.... you want a prize for building an unsafe pile??... You certainly sound like your bragging. I wouldn't be shouting that statement on the internet for all to read thats for sure.