That realty sucked!! after 2 hours of fiddling with this removing MC completely, because it was leaking bad after installing it Saturday. Hard lines are all dry and good, for sure it was the supply lines- so I had forgot to put the washers in first and one was not seated in for sure.
finally got them back in place . put the grommets into the MC first then pulled the flared end lines down into the grommets. Its really hard to tell for sure if they are fully seated

ran into a snag, all the lines were reattached when I tested the pedal and found that the pedal was not pushing into the plunger, I had to pull the pedal cluster!! note to self,next time make sure that thing is in the end of the MC !! but at first test no leak, but I wont know for sure until I bleed the system tomorrow night ---AGAIN!

Good luck. I've never heard anyone say it was a treat to install the MC.

sounds like you got it. But my most successful assembly of the inlet hoses was with the MC on the floor. Empty the res and disconnect the lines from the res. Pull them to the floor, insert into the MC and move everything straight back up. Listen for the flared ends to CLICK.

Vise grips, a seal puller, and a couple of steady pulls while twisting the lines back and forth gets it every time. Of course, about 40 years of practice helps. I've never had to loosen or remove them from above.

Sorry, guys, it's just not that difficult.

The Cap'n

As with anything, the right tools make all the difference. Then again nothing beats experience! I'm sure if the car was higher and I could get better position it would help a lot! But as long as it took it word have take less tiime to do what Malcolm did. Either way, its a learning experience

Thanks guys! I am planning on attempting this next week!

I just bled my front calipers last night, and used the gravity bleeding technique as well, and hoping to finish this tonight. last week i was leaking from those gromets, and i went back and pulled the supply lines, cleaned it all up and tried to reseat them. i put the washers and gromets into place then loosened the reseviour so i had a bit of slack and worked the hard lines with the flange down into it, once i felt like it clicked into place i filled the reseviour and left i sit over night after letting as much air out as i could and seemed to be dry, then bled the fronts fully and still seem to be dry.

if i had to do it over again , i would take it and put it on a lift so i would have room to work, probably try Capt'ns method of the puller. its hard to get enough leverage to pull the line down into it when you are laying on your back with only a few inches to work.

I am hoping that tonight i can re-bleed the rears and get all the air out. I know that before my MC seals went i had a good hard pedal, and it was a 19mm mc as well, so i expect if i did it all correctly i should be able to get it there again, especially with new calipers all around. I did notice that one of the bleeders was bad, - it was a speed bleeder and would not let fluid thru. SO i am hoping that all my newly replaced hard lines and hoses are properly seated and not allowing any air into the system. - we will find out tonight!!

The way that finally worked for me after 3 attempts was the following:


Note: All of this is done with the MC *NOT* mounted to the body.

* Unclamp the reservoir from the body so the feed lines can be pulled down.
* Remove the rubber grommets from the MC - verifying that the washers are in the wells.
* Slip the rubber grommets over the feed lines
* Tip one rubber grommet/feed line combo in to the MC at a 45 degree angle at a time. Pop the far side in and work the grommet down and around with a blunted screw driver or the like
* Repeat for the second feed line.

Finally, stab the MC making sure the push rod is straight and enters the MC. Double check that the rubber grommets are still in place where the feed lines pass through the body and button everything back up. Should be very quick this way.

I have a questions about those washers: I have the new MC and grommets on the bench. The MC didn't come with washers, but I had ordered two from Eric. I pulled out one of the grommets to test fit. When I put the washer under the grommet, the grommet would not seat on that thin lip....

Is this common ?

Push harder, they will "CLICK". That is the trouble, pushing harder laying on your back, under a low car with the MC mounted. NO LEVERAGE in that position.

Went back to the bench and tried the grommets again-with washers. Seemed to lock in after a bit. Never heard a snap, but when I pull up on the grommets they don't budge.

The washer under the back grommet (toward firewall) covers one of the two holes; is this ok ?

i noticed this on mine too, but looked at the old one and it was the same thing, so i assume it must be allowing enough fluid thru. - so are you putting yours in this weekend?

My MC (19mm) came with the washers in place under the grommets.

Please excuse my ignorance but what do the washers do.

I don't know but Eric says you need them so....

Seems like it locks everything in place

I have reached the conclusion that it is worth taking the gas tank out to have complete access. It is a pain but much easier than all of the cussing.

Good question ! Because the rubber grommets are already sealing themselves in...

Phil, I not confortable trying this lying on my back. I'll do the pedal cluster exchange. The whole MC job could be made a lot easier by changing the way the resivoir lines connect to the MC.

Today I was able to try to bleed the brakes again after getting the grommets inplace finally!,,,!, NO LEAK, but after bleeding all 4 I cannot get a firm pedal . Went for a drive and the brakes grab good and hard but not until the pedal is down about 3/4 of the way. Is that normal with a 19mm M.C.?

no. the 19mm makes for a slightly firmer pedal and a slightly higher effort than the 17mm . But travel should not increase.

Well crap, seems thrre must be air n there then but when I bled them this time I kept going until I didnt have ant bubbles come out, just fluid. I even followed eric shea's instruction for gravity bleeding. Maybe power bleeding would do it.

maybe bleeding again after the drive will do it.

Were are you guys getting master cylinders at, that don't cost 200 dollers!

Hope this is helpful,if not flame on! I was a Volvo tech for 20 years and the 240 series cars have a brake junction block that has 8 lines running in and out of it. The first few I installed,(as a young buck), I stripped out one of the brake lines. I asked my shop foreman what the deal was and he suggested I start the mounting bolt for the brake junction block but leave it loose so the junction block could "float". I haven't stripped one since. Just a thought. Those hard lines have a "memory" so to speak so letting the MC float lets everything kind of line up. Hope that makes sense.

Got mine from PMB performance.

I will check them.

Will a Volvo MC work in the 914 ?

No way around spending the money unless you cheap out and buy and off brand. I'm not going to cheap out on my brakes

[/quote]
No way around spending the money unless you cheap out and buy and off brand. I'm not going to cheap out on my brakes
[/quote]

I am a firm believer that Eric's brakes saved my car at one point. I cheaped out once and got cheap brake parts. Nearly totaled my car never again. Ask Malcom in Nashville about his master cylinder experience.

These cars are getting to be too valuable to save a few dollars on. Even the CFO (aka wife) doesn't put up a fight on the cost of safety related items.

I actually felt like it wasn't that bad replacing the brake MC....on day four when I finally came across the tip to disconnect the plastic lines from the reservoir! Three days of futile struggling redeemed by literally ten minutes of work once I disconnected the lines from the reservoir. With the plastic lines pulled down it was EZ-PZ getting the grommets to seat in the MC.

BTW, I got my 19mm MC from PMB and I didn't notice those two washers in the box. My buddy who helped me with the job noticed them after we were done and had bled the brakes. I didn't know what they were for until a couple days ago. I've been driving around for several weeks now without them, and haven't had any leaks or issues. And I've had to make a couple hard stops too! What are they for really? Am I risking my life driving around without them under the grommets?

I would ask Eric. I would not skip the washers

Good Idea What is so special about those two short blue lines ? Seems like the should be longer so the res lines would have more slack. Also wondering whether the blue lines can be replaced with FI hose

I had to cut the original cloth braided ones off because they wouldn't come off. The barbs on the end of the reservoir fittings had dug into the hoses so far that there was no pulling them off. I replaced them with similar lengths of 8mm fuel hose and put hose clamps on each end to be safe. Seems to be fine so far.

Just be careful if you cut the hoses off. Slit them open like a fish. If you cut straight through them you might cut off either the reservoir fittings or part of the plastic supply line.

These are now seated and dry. However after a few drives I am going to try to bleed these again because I don't have a firm pedal like I should. Thinking about getting a power bleeder.