Clutch Master Cylinder.. Job for a pro.. OR????

[farley5258]

Hi Everyone!

So, following on from my coolant leak and subsequent fix thanks to you guys my next "issue" with our new baby is a the need for a new clutch master cylinder... I've just ordered one on-line as our mechanic quoted silly money for just the part.. now, i've been studying the Haynes and to be honest the job doesn't look that difficult! Surely it's do-able at home isn't it.. ok so i'm no pro mechanic but i can read, i've got a fair bit of umph behind me and am pretty handy with "stuff" like this!!

So, any advice? should i give it a go, in which case anything i should really think about, apart from following the instructions that it!... or should i bite the bullet and pay someone else a couple of hours labour to do it for me...

I'm by no means lazy and realy want to do it.. just need reassurance from someone that's done it that i can i guess!!

Cheers guys

Karen

[armyphil]

It's easy Karen, just take your time label things of you need to.

Take picture its definitely DIYable

[farley5258]

Thanks all i need is a bit of encourangement!!

Part being delivered on monday so i'll give it a bash next week and report back..

thanks for the PMA!!



i'm obsessed with her already.. every day i wake up thinking about what i can do next!! where will it end.. if ever??!!

[Ian Hulley]

Lots of cloths or paper to soak up the spilled fluid and small hands to get round the back of the cylinder to put the 2 small bolts back in. Bleed it by leaving it filled up with fluid and go for a coffee and biccie break

Ian.

[farley5258]

So.... after deciding that our mechanic could do the job, he let us down time and time again so i thought.. sod it!! and did it myself!

It's done OK, so it was a bit tricky to get the two main bolts out but by pushing the clutch peddle down i came at them pretty easily! covered the floor with an old towel which soaked up the spillage, plugged the pipe with a bolt and away i went!

Had a hand from my dad with the bleeding, but 45 minutes later it was a big JD!

saved goodness knows how much money and feel well chuffed with myself!
#
so.. definitely a job anyone able to read the Haynes and a strong pair of small hands can do!

thanks for the advice and tips!!

she's almost ready for our first weekend away on the 13/14th.. down to east sussex and a cheeky little VW show on the sunday!!

[armyphil]

Feels good doing it yourself

A big pat on the back

You'll never need a garage again now

[tandemsandy]

Well done JD is such a good feeling!

Rob

[CovKid]

Actually there are very few jobs on the T25 that can't be tackled easily yourself. The WIKI is a great resource and its only when you get stuck in that the relatively poor fuel economy begins to matter little when you see how much you can save by doing jobs yourself - coupled with the fact that compared to many other makes, v-dubs parts are fairly cheap. Even where a job is out of your own experience, there is nearly always a member who can advise you - particularly on stuff that the Haynes manual gets wrong.

[farley5258]

I know!! it feels so good knowing that since we've had her the jobs i've done myself have saved us probably over £300.. ok, so we've put that in her in petrol but who cares

so far.. my inexperienced little hands have carried out the following.

1) Fitted rear seatbelts
2) replaced clutch master cylinder
3) new header tank and cap
4) new thermo switch
5) coolant system bleed

I'm hoping that's all we need to do for the time being although there's a tiny part of me that is actually looking forward to the next challenge!!

in the mean time i need to think of ways of containing our 8 month old baby for sleeping arrangements... any ideas??



Karen

[kevtherev]

I'm hoping that's all we need to do for the time being although there's a tiny part of me that is actually looking forward to the next challenge!!
Karen

that's the spirit!

in the mean time i need to think of ways of containing our 8 month old baby for sleeping arrangements... any ideas??

Some have made up a parcel shelf affair over the engine lid with a travel cot on it.
some put the cot in the cargo area behind the front seats
Most opt for a cab bunk as it's a natural U shape keeping the little bugger.. er treasure in bed.

[armyphil]

I used a pop up travel cot kept the flies out folds up small.

That's how old mine was when we bought an he used it till he was 19 months old till we got a high top.

I'll see if I can find a link to it.