Need a seal kit for a w123, 83 model. Anyone stocking these?
I don't seem them listed at the usual parts places, but I know they were available somewhere not too long ago.

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One more Radar Lover gone...
1982 VW Caddy diesel 406K 1.9L AAZ
1994 E320 195K

Legal liability issues may have made the rebuild kits less available than in the past.

The dealer could get them; perhaps under part # 002 586 96 43 or # 000 430 76 60, depending on the # on your master cylinder. I suspect the cost at the dealer will be the same as a whole new one from FastLane. You might want to call Phil at PartShop and see what he has with the above part #'s as a start.

I got a rebuild kit for my car on ebay from a seller named
< a.s.a.p. > for ~$10, but that was a fluke.

Beck-Arnley carries a rebuilt master cylinder for your car for around ~$40?. Available at many common online parts houses. Don't know if I'd trust my brakes with them, but I'm really cautious with brakes (only myself or someone I really know and trust works on mine).

Be aware that your year 300D has a couple of different manufacturers (OE) for the master cylinder, I believe, so you must have chassis # or even the master cylinder part # from your car before getting a kit. Good luck.

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The Golden Rule

1984 300SD (bought new, sold it in 1988, bought it back 13 yrs. later)

Your probibly right about the dealer price, but I don't see why a brake MC kit would be more of a liabliity than a caliper kit would be, and the latter is available it seems. I'll give Phil a ring and see what he has to say.


I've sold beck arnley, I wouldnt perticularly trust them, but I may well buy one just for the new seals. This entire situation is just silly, I need a piece of rubber for what is suposed to be one of the most fixable cars ever made, I have no desire to just slap a replacement part on there.


Thanks for the part numbers..

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One more Radar Lover gone...
1982 VW Caddy diesel 406K 1.9L AAZ
1994 E320 195K

Getting the master cylinder from Beck-Arnley to get the seals reminds me of the dialogue in the movie Five Easy Pieces when Jack Nicholson is in the diner trying to get plain toast from the waitress (Karen Black). Too funny when he tells her where to put the tuna from the toasted tuna sandwich w/o tuna.

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The Golden Rule

1984 300SD (bought new, sold it in 1988, bought it back 13 yrs. later)

Forget the kit. Complete OEM master cylinders are so inexpensive, it's almost laughable!

inexpensive master cylinder versus paying the light bill. Hmm..

well I guess it'll slide a month, now what happens if next month, when I owe two light bills, plus my other usuals, something else expensive breaks on the car?

All because somebody somewhere decided it was a bad idea to sell a reasonably priced seal kit. Great, I love it.

And looking out of curiosity, I see I can get a kit for my VW's in two days or less for $30 bucks, complets kit with piston.

~sigh~

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One more Radar Lover gone...
1982 VW Caddy diesel 406K 1.9L AAZ
1994 E320 195K

Well, I think that most people would just be grateful that the complete OEM master cylinder can be had for under $70, but it does depend on how you look at it. The low cost of the cylinder is the very reason that the kits have no presence in the aftermarket. There is virtually no market for them, since labor cost plus kit cost would greatly exceed the price of a new part.

The people who make the parts are only partially concerned that you can't afford the pieces. Safety is part of the issue.

When I think of the safety involved I am really happy that some manufacturers make such decisions. The fact that you can't afford to fix the cars you drive does not outway my families (and others) right to safety from your purely monitary decisions.

I sure don't want my family on the road with someone who interest in repairing his brakes is solely determined by his inability to afford a safe repair.

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Steve Brotherton
Continental Imports
Gainesville FL
Bosch Master, ASE Master, L1
33 years MB technician

If any of you are under the impression that the brakeing system is the only to make a motor vehicle a danger to others, your a little loopy.

I'd like to see some reports of failed brake systems that due to owner maintanance error that resulted in any damage to property or persons. I don't hear of many.

The point of all this is that I can buy them for a fair price for any nummber of other vehicles, why not this one? I can buy the tools to mount a tire, possibly incorectly, do you really think a tire parting company with the rim at speed is less of a danger than brakes not working as they should? I rather think there on par with each other as a danger.

This is just a perticularly anoying case, especialy after the general bother this car has been since I've owned it. I'll go buy the $40 McParts store piece, strip it apart see how it's (re) built and compare it to my OEM unit, that works just fine with the exception of weeping fluid past a twenty year old seal(a seal much like many of you are using right now). And I'll decide what needs to go where.

You and your family risk your lives in a big way every single time you get in a vehicle on the highway. Why do I seem to have a reason to keep reminding people of that? A life is very, very fragile.

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One more Radar Lover gone...
1982 VW Caddy diesel 406K 1.9L AAZ
1994 E320 195K

Twenty years in the business and I have seen two replies that tell you to just buy the replacement parts. One is a parts salesman and the other is a parts changer. The liability did not come from bad parts or bad seals but from incompetant parts changers.

I know it is beyond the scope of a lot of the folks out there, but hone the cylinder ,check the piston for pitting, replace the seals ,bleed the brakes and check the pedal.

I bought and installed many "remanufactured master cylinders" that did not work.

If you think you can do it ,do it . If you give up the parts man
will still be there to sell you a master cyl.

I think you can do it.

Of course he can, and you can help him to attain that goal. Since you seem to have all the answers, I'm sure you can arrange for him to acquire the seal kit at a modest price, rather then the $200+ it would set him back at the dealer. Please don't insinuate that other members of this forum are here to profit at this man's expense. I, for one, resent it, and I would think that stevebfl, one of the most valued members of this forum, may be less than pleased with your characterization of him as a "parts changer". Please don't let wolf_walker down, now that you've assured us that this can be easily done.

Did not mean to offend anyone. I think the gentleman asked for assistance and was offended by the reply that it was a major safety concern that he would not spend the money.

I will take my chances on my ability to rebuild a master cylinder
and to feel comfortable with it over a German part rebuilt in India with Chinese parts.

If I remember correctly the parts companies quit selling rebuild kits because there were to many that were just having the seals installed.

I would much rather have someone know he has a problem and address it , than have someone have a problem and ignore it because he can not afford it or feel it is outragious to repair.

Master cylinders and slave cylinders have been being rebuilt for many years without failures. The reason we quit doing them was profit margins. It was cheaper to buy a rebuilt one than it was to have a tech do it correctly. Just as your response said.

There is a difference between changing parts and rebuilding parts.

If you can repair it repair it. ( You will always know where the weak spot is.) If you can't repair it ,replace it.

Have you ever had a rebuilt master-cylinder returned?

The worst thing you can tell a man is he can't do it.

No we haven't, since neither we nor any other reputable Mercedes parts retailer (including FastLane, who sponsors this forum) would even offer such an item. The facts here are very simple (you seem to be missing the point somehow): the correct parts required to repair the master cylinder will cost roughly 3 times what a new OEM master cylinder will cost. Unless you are able to magically change that simple fact, your arguments are falling on deaf ears.

Rebuild kit isn't much less than a master cylinder, since it will contain two new pistons, the seals, and new springs along with the retainer.

Seals are NOT available separately as far as I know.

I've done it both ways -- the 280 got a rebuild kit on general principles (didn't think there was anything wrong with it, but I'd rebuild all the calipers and put new brake lines one, so why not?). The Volvo required a new master cylinder because no kit was available -- seem to remember it costing arount $60 or $80 with core exchange, and the kit for the 280 was around $100.

I've also had a master cylinder I rebuild fail in only a few years, too -- I tossed the car (body rot, well advanced), but would have had to replace the master cylinder otherwise. If the pushrod is bad or the bore scrached or corroded, a rebuild kit will only last a couple years at best, then fail exactly like the one you have.

Peter

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1972 220D ?? miles
1988 300E 200,012
1987 300D Turbo killed 9/25/07, 275,000 miles
1985 Volvo 740 GLE Turobodiesel 218,000
1972 280 SE 4.5 165, 000 - It runs!

A lot of master cylinders will have pits in them from moisture in the fluid the old 49 Chevy cylinder hone trick using an ele. drill an a rebuild kit isn't my idea of maintaining the superb brakes on an MB. A good rebuild cylinder will be honed on precision machine and hopefully asembled with good parts.
After doing all my own work on my MB's over an 8 year period from cover off timeing chains to complete supension rebuilds I have to say that there are more than a few costly parts in them. However I can't really ever imagine driving another make..........

William Rogers........

74 240D
81 SD
81 SD
86 Euro 500 SE