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It is going to happen at some point, the Master clutch cylinder will fail, but replacing the inner gubbings that fail is easier than you think, a genuine Mazda kit will cost around ÂŁ20 and a couple of hours labour from yourselves.
This walk through guide will show you how and what to do with the basic of tools to get you back on the road at the minimal cost and done right.
This how to guide is sponsored by Autolinkmx5 who supplied the parts to do this to help everyone that may need it.
**** Just as a foot note, the OE master is the same on all Mx/Roadsters from 1989 to 2005 ****
The guide is just that so please, please, please, work safe from the walk through's , and always work on flat solid ground.
***Tools needed***....
1 x 10 mm brake union C spanner
1 x 10 mm open spanner.
1 x 8 mm round spanner,
1 x 3/8 ratchet
1 x 3/8 ratchet extension
1 x 3/8 12 mm socket
1 x phillips head driver
selection of rags
hand full of Plastic bags
1 x 8mm ring spanner
1 x Drill
1 x 3.5 mm drill bit ( but can be personal choice depending on the screw used)
1 x 5.0mm x 80mm screw or similar
1 x Pointed pliers
1 x Pick
1 x Cir-clip pliers
1 x Old mouse mat ( optional)
1 x large syringe
1 x Rubber grease
1 x Tub of copper grease
Extra pair of hands when refitted the master and bleeding off
1 x Wet and dry paper.
1 x Tin of Penetrating oil
1 x Master cylinder repair kit OE Mazda https://www.autolinkmx5.com/clutch-mast ... 4680-p.asp
1 x Brake fluid
1 times Jack and brace ( the OE one in the boot will be good)
1 x Axle stand
Selection of wheel chocks
1 x old coffee jar or similar
1 x length of bleeding off hose
***OPtional*** ( we refurbished the body of the master while off the roadster)
1 x Wire disc for drill
1 x Black satin spray paint
1 x Trim tool
1 x Trim bits as blanker's
***REMOVAL***
So lets get into it....
Open the filler bottle and remove the lid, place the plastic bag on the top and screw the lid back down, an old crisp packet will do for this, we are looking at making a vacuum so the fluid only weeps rather than pours out.
Place another plastic bag under the master and some rags so if anything comes out ,we have caught it and its not on the body work etc.
Get the 10 mm brake union spanner and crack the union into the master from the slave, once cracked just "nip" it back up for the time being, don't completely undo it yet and remove, we are doing this now while the master is fixed solid to work on.
Get the 3/8 ratchet extension and 12mm socket and undo and remove the 12 mm nut under the master, it is fiddly,and put it safe until later.
Now we need to move into the cab, remove the steering column trim cover by removing the 2 x Philips head screws on either side at the bottom, and put it safe until later.
Get you 3/8 ratchet,extension and 12mm socket and remove the 12mm head bolt that holds the master and put it safe until later.
Now back into the engine bay and separate the master from the union/pipe line, by using the union spanner first to start and then the open 10mm spanner, make sure a plastic bag is down to catch weeping fluid away from the body work.
Now its free to be pulled and lifted out of the way of the bay, have a rag ready to wrap it up in as you remove it from the roadster to observe any fluid weeps while we move it to where we will be working on it.
***STRIP DOWN****....
We are now at the bench and working on this ,it will get messy so plastic bag down and rags and remove the plastic bag from the filler bottle so we can get as much of the fluid out as we can at this point...
Get your drill and the 3.5 mm drill bit and drill into the piston/plunger as far as you can ,right down the centre ,you "must" be straight...
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Now get a 8 x screw and screw it in the piston/plunger
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Get your cir-clip pliers and remove the cir-clip in the end that holds the piston/plunger in the body of the master( there is a fresh clip in the kit)...
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Then with a pair of pointed pliers or similar ,you can lever the piston/plunger out by gripping the screw and using a scissor action start to lever the piston/plunger out and free from the master body ...
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Once removed there is more bits in there that need to also be removed , all these bits will be replaced by the new service bits in the kit, and do need to go back in on rebuild in the same way, we used a long pick to help in removing the rest, "DO NOT DAMAGE THE WALLS".....
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I also used a bit of wet and dry to smooth down the inner bit that was exposed and had a touch of surface rust...
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Only do this if refurbishing completely or the seal is toast....Remove the thin rubber/paper white seal from off the body of the master , if it comes off in one piece , bonus to copy it onto the old mouse mat backing sponge to make up a new seal for when re-fitting, but not a biggy it goes into a million bits its easy enough to make up one to fit without..
****PICS*****
***OPTIONAL***
You may of noticed that I removed the filler bottle in the pics,Because it is off from the roadster and a " might as well" I completely refurbished it, which the whole process does not take long from the removal , strip down , and rebuild ,including re fitting, and it just gives that feel good factor when it back in working and looking better than new, but you can skip past the bit.
So get the trim tool and start to lever the bottle off the body , front guide pin and rubber grommet seal, don't try and do this in one hit go from front to back ,side to side and walk it out, it will come, you can then give it a deep clean ready for when its re-fitted...
***PICS****
Once its off you can clean the bottle ready for re fitting....
Spray and wipe down the inner and outer of the master with brake cleaner, including the old piston/plunger and insert back into the end , you will also need to blank off the rubber grommet where the bottle sits and the union connection point, get your drill and attach a wire brush and de surface rust the out side of the master...
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Wipe down again with brake cleaner before hitting it with paint, the choice is personal if doing this with a colour and finish ,but we use a satin finish black rattle can paint...
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*** SERVICING***
*** apologies for some out of focus shots****
This is the old bits ( in order)and the new service kit....
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Get your lovely cleaned filler bottle and apply some red rubber grease to the rubber grommet after removing the plug and then apply to the guide pin point and push the bottle back into place all the way home again...
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Pull the old piston/plunger back out and check inside again it needs to be clean in there, clean in there if the need be and we'll start to put it back together
Start with the spring, and on the disc end apply a dab of red rubber grease, then add the rubber cup to the dish and apply a blob of rubber grease on top and then add the clear plastic disc on top....
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And then insert the spring and bits into the master, open end of the spring in first and push in, don't be an animal we don't want to damage anything.....
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Then get the piston/plunger and apply a dab of grease to the flat end and the inner /outer rubber end....
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Now with the flat end first we now insert the piston/plunger into the master with the rubber seal end in last ,be gentle, and push it down while re adding the cir-clip again with the pliers so the whole thing stays in and together, apply a blob of rubber grease to the end....
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The last thing to do "if" you have completely refurbished it is to get the old mouse mat and cut a new seal seal from copying the old paper seal and sticking it to the body of the master where it will meet the bulk head....
***PICS****
And that's it , you have refurbished/serviced it to better than new and saved a shed load, its just a case of re-fitting it back to your Mx/Roadster , which is the reversal from being removed, you will need another pair of hands when it comes to re aligning the piston/plunger to the push rod on the pedal , other wise it is really frustrating and you will be sharing that by some nice choice words with the world to know, once aligned re add the nut on the outside bottom first to hold it in place, don't forget to blob a bit of copper slip to the threads, so nothing seizes for the future now, don't forget to remove the plugs you have used for the unions, And nipping up tight with the union spanner when fitted and once all back in place and bolted up it is just a case of bleeding off with the help from the extra hands or now their foot ....
The drivers wheel will need to be removed to be able to bleed off by the slave , so crack the wheel nuts ( do not remove just yet) and chock the rear wheels and passenger side , lake the roadster up so the drivers wheel is just off the floor and bring her to rest on to the axle stand safe, remove the wheel and spread some plastic bags down and rags just in case, now with the 8mm ring spanner you need to crack the bleed nipple so its free( don't remove it) and nip it back up, leave the your 8mm ring spanner on the slaves bleed nipple and the length of tube/hose which then runs in to jar with the end of the tub/hose submerged in some brake fluid, it must sit in some fluid to help it not sucking back air again...
Get the persons friendly foot that you roped in to help again to bump the peddle, don't go mad, as shoving it all the way down at this point can jam the master piston to the end of it travel and stick solid, so nice light strokes. Once its been bumped check the fluid level, you must keep an eye on it. Get the friendly help to press the pedal down while you open the bleed nipple, as they get to the bottom ,tell them to "hold it there" and close the bleed nipple back up again. Tell them OK to release the pedal and carry on like this until you have all the air out and the slave is working and engaging the release arm, top up in the bottle, screw the cap on, clean everything away, wheel back on, drop her back on the floor ,torque the wheel nuts off, remove the chokes/wedges, and you should be all good to go again.
I hope this has been of some help, as always ,any questions please don't be afraid to ask ,its what we are here for....
This site was built and is here for everyone to use and to help in saving you money keeping these roadsters on the road where they belong, but the site is not free and with everything there is a cost. So to help us keep helping many more owners with these guides etc. and you have found this useful, please give a small donation to help with the costs to keep her here.
Many thanks and drive safe with a smile on your face that other car owners will never understand.
M-m
