Last week pedal went to floor a few times randomly, so I thought maybe it was time for a master or slave cylinder to be replaced.

While bleeding the system it turns out the hardline from the master that connects to a hydraulic hose has rusted out where it is exposed outside of the car and is leaking.

Question- I've replaced brake lines in the car and found them to be the same size as the ones in my '59 vw. Is the clutch line the same size?

Having extra spanking new brake lines in the barn for the vw, which is away for the winter, is it possible to use a brake line for this application, or is the clutch line a different size/diameter??

__________________
95 E300D gave away
77 300D, 227k, station car
83 300CD 370k, body gone away to the rust gods, engine is in a Yota pickup, going strong
89 190E 2.6- 335k, no more
79 VW FI Bus- 154k summer driver
59 VW Beetle ragtop- 175k
12 VW Jetta- 250k
74 MG Midget-78k

Due to engine movement, a hard line is NOT a good idea.

You need to get a new OE line that has a molded rubber line that allows for movement.

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MERCEDES Benz Master Guild Technician (6 TIMES)
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It looks as if the hardline screws onto the soft line, much line the hardline on brakes screws onto the softline to the wheel.

Just spoke to Phil
It is two piece - BUT
the hardline is NLA, the softline is available.

Now to see if application of PB blaster and patience can get the hardline off without destroying the softline connection..... and then see if the VW brake line fits.

__________________
95 E300D gave away
77 300D, 227k, station car
83 300CD 370k, body gone away to the rust gods, engine is in a Yota pickup, going strong
89 190E 2.6- 335k, no more
79 VW FI Bus- 154k summer driver
59 VW Beetle ragtop- 175k
12 VW Jetta- 250k
74 MG Midget-78k

You can bend and flare a new hard line from scratch pretty easily.

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CENSORED due to not family friendly words

That looks like what I'll end up doing.
Buying a double flare tool to do one line is kind of a pain for one hardline.

__________________
95 E300D gave away
77 300D, 227k, station car
83 300CD 370k, body gone away to the rust gods, engine is in a Yota pickup, going strong
89 190E 2.6- 335k, no more
79 VW FI Bus- 154k summer driver
59 VW Beetle ragtop- 175k
12 VW Jetta- 250k
74 MG Midget-78k

Hardline all good now- but bleeding shows other issues.

Pressure bleeder on brake fluid reservoir, fluid pours out thru slave out bleeder valve. No clutch though once pressure is removed though.

Try to reverse bleed from right front brake thu slave back to reservoir is no go. Bleeder line pops off slave after a few stokes on the brake pedal- no matter what the position of the clutch pedal.

After laying on the ground staring up at the slave, feeling for the mounting bolts and later reading some threads here, I'm leaning top calling Phil in the am and ordering up a new master and slave for my indie to install.

The only good part is the car is facing out of the driveway, and the garage is less than a quarter mile down the street. Time for a 1st gear drive.

__________________
95 E300D gave away
77 300D, 227k, station car
83 300CD 370k, body gone away to the rust gods, engine is in a Yota pickup, going strong
89 190E 2.6- 335k, no more
79 VW FI Bus- 154k summer driver
59 VW Beetle ragtop- 175k
12 VW Jetta- 250k
74 MG Midget-78k

you're lucky to have a W201/M103 combo with a manual transmission anyway

__________________
'02 BMW 325i
'85 300D 450k
'93 190E 2.6 170k(killed by tree)
'08 Ducati Hypermotard 1100S 6k
'06 Ducati S2R800 14k(sold)

Indie shop took a look, and figured trying to bleed would be the place to start- no good, the system is sucking air somewhere. New master and slave cylinder going in, and they are going to change the line from the reservoir to the master and take a look a the hardline flares I did.

Nice thing about a lift- for the first time sice I got the car I could examine the underside all at once. A new exhaust system is now on my christmas gift list.

__________________
95 E300D gave away
77 300D, 227k, station car
83 300CD 370k, body gone away to the rust gods, engine is in a Yota pickup, going strong
89 190E 2.6- 335k, no more
79 VW FI Bus- 154k summer driver
59 VW Beetle ragtop- 175k
12 VW Jetta- 250k
74 MG Midget-78k