It is strictly prohibited to replace the brake master cylinder on you own if you don’t have corresponding experience: improper installation can cause full breakdown of the brake system. Moreover, it is advisable to replace brake liquid during works performing, and bleed the brake system in a mandatory manner after installation is finished. It is quite difficult to manage this work single-handedly, as bleeding of the system is performed according to a specific scheme, starting with the rear wheel, the most distant from the master cylinder and finishing with the front one, the closest to it.

In some cases, you can manage without cylinder replacement, contenting with unit repair. Often, operability of the component can be restored with the help of a repair kit. It includes seals, dust boots, pistons, o-rings, protective caps, return springs, piston seats and other parts. Thus, demounting of the brake master cylinder is required for installation of the repair kit, it is advised to perform restoration works at a service station.

The most common signs, indicating necessity of replacement or repair of the component are brake pedal work travel increase, braking efficiency lowering and brake liquid leakage.

It is better to select for your car brake master cylinder of such well-known firms as Brembo, Stark Professional Line, Metelli, Textar, ABS, TRW, ATE, Triscan, Bosch, LPR, ERT, Frenkit, FTE, Magneti Marelli. Their production is made of high-quality raw materials according to the modern technologies, undergoes testing at all production stages and is notable for reliability and durability. Moreover, in the assortment of these manufacturers you find not only wide range of brake master and slave cylinders, but all other parts for the brake system: pistons, dust boots and guides for the front and rear brake calipers, pads, discs, seals, hoses, pipes, fittings and other elements.

To learn how many brake cylinders are installed in your car, you need to understand its brake system construction. There is always only one brake master cylinder, while quantity of its slave cylinders vary according to combination of brake mechanisms and quantity of pistons in each caliper. The minimum quantity of brake slave cylinders in a car is 4.

Operation of the brake master cylinder can be checked with the help of a special stand, which can be easily found at a service station. Diagnostics lies in creation of working pressure inside of the cylinder. Naturally, it should be maintained at the same level during 7-10 seconds after reaching of working point. Abrupt lowering of pressure points the fact that hermeticity of the brake master cylinder is violated. For further inspection the component is disassembled. Defective pistons and destructed seals are replaced with new ones. But if there are cracks, shears, scratches or other damages on the body or cylinder face, replacement of the whole unit is necessary. During performing of repair or replacement works of the unit it is advisable to inspect operability of other hydraulic drive elements, particularly, pipes and brake mechanisms of the front and rear wheels.