Master cylinder is leaking on my single axle Skeeter trailer. How difficult is it to change out? can it be rebuilt or do I have to replace the whole thing??
I don't know which one Skeeter uses but there are actually only a couple of manufacturers of brake couplers. Yes, you can rebuild it, and no, its not very difficult to do. Replacements are also available, and not all that expensive either. You can find them at Champion Trailers, a small speciality place in Alabama. They do mail order, they are very quick, they are very reasonably priced. Take a look at www.championtrailers.com<br /><br />All you will need to know is who made yours and which model it is. It will be stamped in the coupler.<br /><br />Thom
Suprisingly enough NAPA probably does have the parts, unfortunately you'd need to know the automotive applicaton for them to look it up. So while it may be back there on the shelf somewhere its not likely anyone could find it. For whatever its worth I have been told that almost all of them use mastercylinders from mid-60's General Motors products. Who knows?<br /><br />Rebuilding them is straight forward, just like one from a car. Remove the cylinder from the coupler first. Generally that simply means disconnecting the brake line and then removing bolts that hold eithe the cylinder directly or the carrier that holds it in some models. Then it slips out of the coupler. On the front of the cylinder there will be a pushrod and rubber boot. Remove them. Then looking into the hole you'll see a snap ring. Remove it. From there the guts of the cylinder will pull out. There will be a piston, then a seal, then a spring, and then a residual pressure valve (if your trailer has drum brakes - if it has disks this part will either not be there or it will have a hole knocked in it). Remove all of that stuff. Then using a brake cylinder hone (a few dollars at your local auto parts store - it will be driven by an electric drill) you hone the cylinder until you breake the glaze from one end to the the other. From there its just a matter of reassembling the cylinder using the new seal an any other parts that come in the kit. After that you just put it back together like you took it apart. This is really a very easy job. Once you have the cylinder in hand it will only take you a few minutes to do it. The rebuilding kits usually cost somewhere around $25. A new master cylinder typically costs around $65. While you have it all apart look into the coupler and you'll see either one or two small shock-absorber looking parts. These are the things that stop the coupler from clunking and more importantly they dampen the shock of application of pressure to the master cylinder. Take it or them out and try to compress and extend it by hand. It should be very difficult and slow. If the shaft on one of them is easy to push in and pull out replace it (about $25 each) while you are in there.<br /><br />Thom
I have just completed rebuilding my trailer with hydraulic brakes. I found all parts - mutually compatible ones anyways - at a local Trailer builder. The master cylinder can be bought separately for recent units. I decided to replace the complete hitch assembly. 2 bolts + line and its done.
Guys, I give up. went out today to remove the master cylinder,can't get the pin out that holds it in place,tried everything hammering,liquid wrench,cursing. Guess I'll give to the guys who do it for living,bummer...
