What A Pita Is There A Secret?

So I drove Willie the day before I left town for couple weeks and all was normal. Son drove him once while gone and said brakes were pulling real bad. When I got home the peddle was extremely mushy and almost to the floor. So first thing I did was check brake fluid. I didn't see any puddles or obvious new wet areas so I started to pull the master cap. I've read where people say it's hard to see and add fluid so I was expecting it would not be a quickie, but what a pain trying to get the cap off. It took cresant wrench this way for a little turn, then flip for a little, then angle pliers the move it a little before I could get back to catching it with cresant and repeat. I'd only get like a half turn per this cycle. Is there a special tool? A square headed socket would work from the top with a swivel joint. Eventually got it off and yep it was dry. That's another issue but what is the trick to getting the cap off? Surely the Willys mechanics didn't have to go thru this.

 

I use a big socket and a breaker bar that has a swivel. Works well for me.

 

Howard, do you have a pic?

 

Anti-seize and not going more then finger tight usually help. Reason number 4982 why most of these Jeeps were converted to swinging pedals and firewall mounted master cylinders.

 

With any luck, the threads are easy enough to turn by hand after you break it loose, then you can cram your hand in the hole to unscrew it.

It's long-lost by now, but years ago I made a custom socket out of 1/8" bar stock to work with a 3/8" air ratchet.

 

I'm not looking forward to the day I have to add fluid to the MC that's tucked almost under the body on the inside of the frame...
maybe this winter I will take a proactive approach and do this since its in the garage till spring anyways...

 

The easiest and cleanest way to add fluid that I've found is either a funnel with a piece of tubing, or with a little paper Dixie cup.

 

I always just fold a clean sheet of alum foil into a trough shape and pour the fluid inside the cab above the floor board, fluid runs down the trough into the MC. As far as the bolt, I have a box end wrench I cut off short enough to get a bigger swing with out hitting the floorboard.

 

Thats very nice

 

Hahahahah No, your set up.

 

I just use a small squeeze bottle . fits through hole . but taking top off isn't hard with a dual mc

 

With the 4cyl, I find it easier to take the lid off and add fluid from the engine compartment. I never bother opening the floor cover.

 

After a while I felt like using a shot glass, but was out of shot glass fluid.

 

I used a large meat marinating syringe with a piece of hose on the end. Works great. Until I converted to dual reservoir master cylinder and firewall mounted reservoirs like in Howard's pic.
If you drill and tap your stock cap to extend access up, don't forget to plug off the vent hole in the side of the cap.
Other than making a special tool or using a combination of tools that most people don't have, the caps always seem to be a pita

 

Maybe worth mentioning that trying to open the OEM filler cap with brute force can be disastrous.

At least with any that retain the hollow cast-alloy type cap, it can be destroyed - and they are rumoured to be unobtainable today.

Best prevention is to open the cap and check your fluid more often. Like you should. (You know who you are…).

 

One more thing we are forgetting is the OP. If your brakes are grabbing and pedal is mushy you probably have a leaky wheel cylinder.