Here is the situation: my local shop was repairing my brakes (1962 Ivicta with power brakes) -- new shoes (even replacement front drums), hoses, rebuilding wheel cylinders, etc. Then they went to rebuild the master cylinder and the problems began. They removed the master cylinder from the power brake unit (by unbolting the two bolts holding the master cylinder to the power brake unit). The master cylinder piston stayed connected to the power brake unit push rod. According to the shop, the piston should have stayed inside the master cylinder, while the pushrod would have stayed connected to the power brake unit. They (so far) cannot seem to separate the piston from the push rod They assert that without separating the two (the piston and the push rod) I need a complete new master cylinder/power brake unit combo, since they cannot rebuild the master cylinder and can't use the power brake unit with a new master cylinder (since they cannot reinsert the piston and the retaining clip inside the master cylinder if they can't separate it from the push rod). The focus, so far, has been on trying to separate the piston from the push rod. In reading over the shop manual, it seems that the proper way to do things was to have removed the master cylinder/power brake unit combo together. The shop manual even suggests not separating the master cylinder from the front housing of the power brake unit unless absolutely necessary. I guess the first, main question is: what is the proper procedure for separating the master cylinder piston from the power brake unit push rod? Is one supposed to separate the rear housing the power brake unit first? The next question is: if the shop hasn't done anything wrong, does anyone have any suggestions on how to separate the piston from the push rod? Any and all help and suggestions would be greatly appreciated. There's a big Buick show nearby on Sunday, and unless I get this worked out tomorrow, we will have a car with no brakes -- so no show!!! Thanks in advance.
that i haven't heard of or seen yet o No: i guess there could have been a different design that the push rod that is in the booster is part of the master but i haven't ever even heard of this. i would then guess that the rebuilt unit would have the same set up. i work with a long time buick tech (30 + years), i will try to remember to ask him tomorrow if he has ran into this before. good luck.
No; I don't think its that the push-rod is part of the piston. Its just that the (male) end of the push rod that gets inserted into the female end of the piston is stuck there and won't come out, sort of like a magic marker that won't come out of its cap, even though you can spin the cap around while holding the marker still. Any advice in separating the two would be greatly appreciated.
