Rebuilding ABS Master Cylinder

[dfyoung10]

Anyone know of a source for master cylinder kits for an 86 325 with ABS? Or is there some reason I shouldn't rebuild this one myself? Thanks, Doug

[Wayne 962]

The general rule I give people is that it's best to buy a new master cylinder rather than rebuilding your own. I think that this is probably the best path for safety reasons. The master cylinder is a single point of failure in the system. If you mess something up, then the whole system fails. I typically don't rebuld these:

http://www.pelicanparts.com/bmw/catalog/shopcart/BE30/POR_BE30_brakes_pg6.htm#item54

-Wayne

[Jared at Pelican Parts]

I agree with Wayne.

Unless you have experience rebuilding master cylinders, it's probably just best to replace it. The good news is that that it's really easy to replace it.

[wludavid]

The only tricky part is getting the steel lines connected properly after you've put the new one in. They are meant to line up to the holes on the MC when screwed in, so they are a little off-kilter when you start them. I lined them up by getting a long screwdriver and wedging it against something while it pushed the lines to the proper angle.