Master brake cylinder

[1969nisspatroller]

Hey patrollers,

Does anyone know where I’d be able to buy a master brake cylinder for a 69 patrol. I’m having no luck finding anything that comes even close except for one and it would be over $500. Obviously the original company Tokico no longer exists so the part number doesn’t come up with anything. I’m just wondering if anyone has found a company that sells refurbished or even a comparable brake cylinder for not such a high price. Normally I would just get a rebuild kit but there’s too much pitting in the cylinder itself.

[RiverPatrol]

Unless you want to convert to a dual cylinder master there isn’t a replacement to buy, you can search here for alternatives. There are rebuild kits available on eBay, I’m sure there’s a shop somewhere that could sleeve it.

[faux40]

My two cents -- Convert to a dual master cylinder. My son was driving ours when something in the system failed. No brakes at all and the Ebrake wasn't enough. Luckily, only low speed into a tree. But the Patrol ended up trashed.

Really, go with a dual!

[RiverPatrol]

The above is not typical though. A rare occurrence. Being drum brakes the system will require regular maintenance.

[1969nisspatroller]

Awesome guys that’s really good to know thanks

[faux40]

The above is not typical though. A rare occurrence. Being drum brakes the system will require regular maintenance.

River is absolutely right... drum brakes rarely fail and it's fair to say that well maintained drum brakes never fail! I suspect that the root cause of my Patrol's crash is that I am inherently lazy and didn't maintain the brakes well enough (obviously!)

j

[Esteban]

The above is not typical though. A rare occurrence. Being drum brakes the system will require regular maintenance.

River is absolutely right... drum brakes rarely fail and it's fair to say that well maintained drum brakes never fail! I suspect that the root cause of my Patrol's crash is that I am inherently lazy and didn't maintain the brakes well enough (obviously!)
j

They do fail. Might be rare, but they do and then you have nothing to help you. Years ago, a Patrol from my brother with only 12 years, a daily driver and well maintained, gave up the brakes in the middle of a family trip to a park. He was going slow and was able to stop using the gears. Can't recall what was the culprit, if a wheel brake cylinder or the master, but the bottom line is that you loose the whole system.

Originality might be a big deterrent for many, but in a case like this with a difficult to source MC, why take chances with so many good options of a dual master cylinder.

[r1lark]

They do fail. Might be rare, but they do and then you have nothing to help you. Years ago, a Patrol from my brother with only 12 years, a daily driver and well maintained, gave up the brakes in the middle of a family trip to a park. He was going slow and was able to stop using the gears. Can't recall what was the culprit, if a wheel brake cylinder or the master, but the bottom line is that you loose the whole system.

Originality might be a big deterrent for many, but in a case like this with a difficult to source MC, why take chances with so many good options of a dual master cylinder.

Did any of the late model 60-series Patrols with drum brakes all around come factory equipped with a dual master cylinder? I'm only familiar with the early 60-series Patrols, so please forgive my lack of knowledge.

[Peter60]

My 75 has duel master Cylinder. My 77 has duel as well as power assisted brakes. Both in Oz. A 68 I owned had a single mc.

So somewhere the Patrols went from single to duel MC.

[r1lark]

Thanks Peter60!

The reason I was asking........On the other forums I frequent (for Studebakers) we have had long discussions about dual master cylinders. Many have retrofitted dual m/c's and feel much safer with them. But we also have had long discussions about how do you know they will actually work like they are supposed to when one circuit fails. Several have tested this by purposely almost emptying one chamber of fluid and loosening a fitting so the circuit empties out. (Of course this is done in a safe location under controlled circumstances.) Results have been anywhere from loss of all braking to very marginal braking to about what you would expect from two wheel braking. Studebaker went to firewall mounted master cylinders in 1961, and to dual master cylinders in 1963, so the '61-'62 cars can be retrofitted with dual master cylinders resulting in what is basically a 'factory engineered' configuration).

The car manufacturers spend a lot of money engineering braking systems and testing them. Things like what is the total stroke capability of the pedal and rod that goes into the master cylinder -- my understanding is that dual master cylinders (at least some dual master cylinders) will require a longer stroke to actuate the 'still operable' circuit when there is a failure of the other circuit. Does the pedal and rod assembly designed for a single master cylinder have the stroke capability for a particular dual master cylinder when once circuit fails?

Has anyone that has converted to a dual master cylinder on a Patrol actually tested the scenarios of the loss of one circuit to see if there is actually still some braking capability? I'm not asking this question to be critical of those who want to or have converted to a dual m/c. I'm all for safety, and would like to convert my Patrol to a dual m/c, but I also want to be sure whatever is put in will still stop me in an emergency situation when one fluid circuit fails.