Hello,

I have a 1972 914 1.7L that is in need of replacing the brake master cylinder. It has a very very small leak -- it took 3 years for the level of the fluid in the reservoir to go down from full to empty. (I just refilled it now.) But the belly of the car is slightly wet behind the master cylinder, something I don't like. The car is perfectly drivable as such, and I can drive it to a shop. But I want to fix it.

I live in Madison, WI, however, the car is in northeast WI, in Door County, where I go every other week. I used to get my work done at Fabson Engineering in Cedarburg, WI, but when I tried to call them to schedule this work they seem to be out of business.

My question is two-fold. On one hand, does anyone have any recommendations for a good, trustworthy Porsche mechanic in the area between Madison and Door County? I can always take it to Kelly Moss in Madison, but I was not super impressed with their work on older Porsches, and generally I prefer smaller shops where I can build a relationship with the mechanic.

On the other hand, is this something that I could do myself? I am reasonably handy, but when it comes to brakes I have so far hired professional mechanics (since it is, well, the brakes, and I'd like them to stop when I need them to...)

Thanks for any suggestions!

Andrei.

Replacing a MC is well within the scope of a DIY project, and if you need any additional assistance there is info readily available here and elsewhere.

You can do this yourself
It’s a pain…. You might want a pressure bleeder (new tools)
But still doable

You will probably find you need to rebuild your pedal cluster while you have them out. The leaking fluid usually eats the paint from them and also swells the bushings And eats the paint/rusts the floor board

But also very doable

Best wishes for the fix!!

Sorry, but it must be said. Brake fluid leaking from master cylinder is alerting you the car is Not perfectly drivable, at least not safely. If you're not comfortable or knowledgeable about such a fix, it is recommended that you hire an experienced professional mechanic to fix it.

Annoying as it is to replace the master cylinder on the 914, but it is standard brake related work.

Not that difficult to do. is the master cylinder leaking or the lines from the reservoir to the master cylinder? I second rebuilding the brake pedal assembly while everything is apart.

I actually think you want to do it yourself. And that's because of the previous posts.... you are more than likely going to run into some surface rust and/or at least a lot of dirt and grime, as well as a marginal at best pedal cluster.

If you do it yourself, you'll be able to spend some extra time cleaning some of this up to prevent more rust in the future or other issues. Bruce Stone rebuilds the clusters, which means you can get one as good as new to slap in there after you've tidied everything up.

As others have stated, I'd be prepared with some type of bleeder system, you might want to get some bleeder valves for the brakes, and some extra grommets for the connection between the MC and the hard lines. More than likely, the hardest part will be getting the hard lines to "seat" back into the new MC with the grommets and washers. Here are some pics as to what you might be up against:

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with everyone's previous recommendation to do it yourself. Not long after my dad bought our 914 back in '80, the first problem we encountered was a leaky master cylinder. Took it to one of the few German auto shops close by and they screwed up several items on the car including ripping the carpet and stripping threads on the aftermarket shift knob I'd just put on. After that, I swore I'd never trust any mechanic to lay hands on the 914 or any other car we owned. Probably the best kick in the head to realize there's nothing magical or even that difficult working on a car and it's even easier today with so many helpful resources online.

Dan

I have the same concerns, and that's why I DON'T let a shop work on my brakes. I find I spend more time, with more concern and more attention to detail than any shop ever will on one of the most important systems in my car. Don't be afraid to jump in and do it yourself. The Motiv pressure bleeder is well worth the expense, in my opinion, as is investing in the right tools and the best quality parts. Remember, all of the above is just an opinion....

Us girlies here is southern Oregon did both the MC and the pedal cluster. Pedal cluster not so hard. MC was a PITA but........ we did it and it all works great!!! I trust our skills for most things 914.

You can do this. There is a wealth of info on this site. Have a question just ask.

Have a great day!





Renee