A bit OT, but since I am on a short sabbatical, I want to share the reason. We are with our daughter and SIL to welcome their new daughter (and future 914 fan).

Hey, now that’s a legit reason for work stoppage!
Congrats!!!

Make a 914 Mobile for her crib

Congratulations!

Congrats! How wonderful...

Congratulations Grandpa! Cute baby too.

Way to go papa

Congrats to you and your family.

Great reason to take a break!

Thanks, everyone. Some things are even more fun than 914s.

Congrats! So beautiful….

Is she your first one? If so, the fun is just beginning, they are the best on many many levels. Congrats again papa

Hey Bob - Here are a couple pictures of the exhaust finisher and the way the two nuts are welded onto the tip.

Click to view attachment

Click to view attachment

Where's the update Dude? I need my fix! ha

Finally back home. It was an epic visit in many ways. But a bit disappointed that the 914 elves did not get much done while I was gone.

And no tool elves set up my new chest. This one is 72" wide by 22" deep, and replaces a classic Crafstman only 42" wide--and very full.

So I spent a few hours, and got most stuff moved over. Somehow, its almost full.

I brought home a few things from Tucson. One is a 22" square piece of 0.40 aluminum plate, with machined surfaces. I got this for when I need a very flat reference surface. The source was the "cut-offs" room at a professional metal supplier. I paid about $40, priced by the pound.

I also got a new master cylinder pressure warning switch. At least this one seems to work, tested with my multi-meter. I can install this and bleed the brakes (again).

Whew....he's back.

yup finally he’s back!
1st time his thread with days or weeks with no update. I do like this thread with so much details!
This car should be on the road soon!

I have been eagerly awaiting updates. But a grandkid comes first.

Sorry for the wait, guys. Getting my wife away from the new grand baby was tough. Then I found out she committed us to return. In July. In Tucson. Yikes!

OK, back to work. After confirming that the new MC pressure warning switch works, I decided to install it.

Here's the new MC with the original i.e. 50 year old switch installed.

I did find out that when I removed the old switch, the MC does not leak fluid. Maybe I will not have to bleed the system again!

So I swapped the new switch in, after confirming again with my multi-meter that it works. But when I connected the leads and turned on the ignition, the damned warning light was still flashing. ARRRGGGHHH.

After falling around with the 3 switches (original two connection, new two connection, and new single connection) I decided to get out the original MC and learn more.

I unscrewed the cap for the warning system bore, and pulled out the piston.

As I understand the function, as long as pressure for the front and rear circuits is equal, the piston remains centered, and the plunger on the switch can be fully extended, poking into the smallest diameter segment on the piston (with some red marker). If the pressure is unequal, e.g. if the front or rear circuit loses fluid, the piston shifts and forces the plunger into the switch, making the connection.

With the piston back in the old MC, I installed the new switch and it works.

Back on the car, I confirmed that both front and rear brakes work. But as best as I can tell, the warning piston is not centered, so as soon as I screw the new switch in, it pushes in the plunger and turns on the light.

More figuring to do.

whew,

Glad you're back. I was turning a very dark shade of blue from holding my breath with anticipation. Welcome home and congrats again on the new grand baby....

Thanks. Gotta love the next generation. Hope your O2 is recovering.

I tried again to get the brake MC warning system to reset.

I used a thin, sharp probe to see if I could manually shift the warning piston--no luck.

I opened first a front, and then a rear caliper bleeder, and stomped on the brake pedal--no luck.

Running out of options before I have to replace the (new) MC.

OK, time to dig deeper into the MC (without removing it). First, remove brake fluid from the reservoir.

Next, remove the cap that covers the secondary bore for the pressure warning piston.

Next, remove the warning piston. Note this shows the piston with its end cap removed. But the piston hits the front suspension cross member.

I loosed the MC retaining nuts enough to tilt it down so the piston cleared the cross bar.

Here is (from left to right):
cylinder end cap
tiny retaining C-clip
forward spring perch
rear spring perch
warning piston

Notice something missing?

Here's the piston from my old MC (top) compared to the new one, which is missing the spring. Probably not a good thing.

Comparing old and new MC.

Measuring the depth of the warning switch location, from the mounting face on the outside to the bore wall inside.

On the old MC it measures about 1.04"

On the new one, it measures about 1.00"

This means the clearance for the switch plunger is about .04" less, so the plunger is depressed a bit and the switch closed, even with the piston in "neutral". Not good part 2.

Lesson, be wary of after-market, no brand MC. Time for a better one.

Couldn't you just cut off the difference from the end of the switch's plunger?

ATE....or nothing.
That's my motto.
Ha
Glad you're figuring it all out before you hit the road and your brakes possibly fail.
Scary!

I don't know why some master cylinders have the reset switch where the plug is and some don't. Mine tripped when we replaced a front brake line that was seeping and it took me a second to remember the reset switch. As soon as I touched the switch the brake light went off. I was lucky.

After I figured this all out, I cut shorten the plunger. But that's not very OCD.

Yup. ATE MC ordered. Along with all the calipers and rear pressure valve rebuilt by PMB, and all new hard and soft lines, that should give me a quality and reliable brake system.

OK, enough brake fun for a while. How about some door window fun instead?

The last time I tried this, I was unhappy with the after-market vent window rubber. It did not have a groove for the metal tab on the triangular piece that sits at the base of the glass, and connects the front vertical channel to the door body. So I ordered a pair of factory rubber pieces.

Here's the triangular piece from below, inserted into the horizontal section of the vent window rubber. I had to cut a slit in the very thin rubber there.

And from above. The metal tab fits nicely into a recess in the rubber.

Vent window installed into the new rubber, along with a new channel cap on top.