tango, you are correct sir! i pulled the flimsy old-style rubber cap off and it is cracked around the margin of the base. i have a new modulator and pin, and wouldn't you know it, the cap is different. anyways, i took the vac with the cap off and it leaked down very quickly (3 to 4 psi per second). with the cap on, only about 1 psi per second. so, anyone know of a quick fix until i can figure out how to replace the modulator?

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john
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'98 E300 TD "Lukas" 156K
'11 C300 "Mia" 10K, Gorgeous!, Wifey's Car