I'm trying to replace my master cylinder (on the CRX) by the book, but the book (Helms) says I need to set the clearance between the booster and master cyl pushrods to 0.4mm. This appears to be easy enough to do using the Genuwine Honda Parts Gauge #405#@*!&. Unfortunately, I don't have a Genuwine Honda Parts Gauge #405#@*!&, and don't feel like laying out $x for something I'll use once in a blue moon. Does anyone have a shade-tree method for setting this gap, or is it really even necessary?

 

I have a set of metric feeler gauges, I wonder if they go as thick as 0.4mm??? I can check tonight and let you know. You are welcome to borrow it.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by SJR &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I have a set of metric feeler gauges, I wonder if they go as thick as 0.4mm??? I can check tonight and let you know. You are welcome to borrow it.</TD></TR></TABLE>

That's the cutie about this. The gap is only present when the MC and booster are assembled, and there's no way to get a feeler gauge in there then. The Honda tool looks like the back half of a MC with one side cut out down to the flange and has a threaded shaft running through the middle. You put the non-flange end against the back of the MC, and turn the shaft until it contacts the MC rod. You then bolt the tool to the booster where the MC would go, and measure the gap between the other end of the threaded shaft and the booster rod through the cutout. Must have been a frustrated kamikaze pilot who worked that one out.

 

allrightythen. here's what I would do: try and set so that the pushrods do not touch. you may be able to get it by feel and trial and error. Set the gap as small as you can, without them touching. I am guessing the goal is to set them slightly apart so that you don't always have pressure of one against the other, even if you are not pushing on the brake pedal.

I'm just really talking out of my butt here, but I hope it makes some kind of sense. Can someone who really knows what they're doing chime in? please?

 

If it helps any, I've never done any such thing when installing MC or booster in my RX-7s and they brake fine. I think SJR is correct.

 

i concur. i have swapped out 2 different master cyls; one in my Probenstien, and one in my H1 Civic. i worried about this, too. then i decided on the following course of action:

complete swap. bleed all brakes. drive car a couple of miles, in "normal" fashion. pull back into garage. examine wheels/brakes. excessive heat? smoke? smells? if not, then continue to next step....

lift car on jackstands (all fours). put car in neutral. spin wheels by hand. note any unusual dragging.

everything seemed good to me. no anomalies! button her up and head to the track!

if there had been dragging or hot brakes, i would have unhooked the MC and shortened the rod a little bit. then put back together and repeat....

good luck

todd

ps i am by no means a brake techie or master mechanic or even a fairly good mechanic. i'm just a backyard hack!

 

what he said

i just did this last night actually....i used to feeler gauge thingy....no problems at all.

 

I've replaced the MC on my integra and on the vertex H1 hatch. No clearancing. swap and go. No problems.

 

I was speaking with Jeff Sloan(Jeff652) over the weekend about MCs and he stated that he had a customer that installed the MC without the correct clearances and their brakes progressively locked up on them.

Austin