Just my 2 cents on the subject. First problem is going to Midas. They have been on news more than once about screwing people. They are of 60 min fame. Now for the mechanic in me. If you do not change the slave cylinders your brakes will not be warranted. If one leaks no warranty. It is just that simple. Now to mechanic shops and that is very tough question. When I went to school I met a lot of mechanics. Some are still working in the trade and have many years of Good experience. Some were poor mechanics then and still are. My suggestion is to watch the shop. If it is busy, it has a good rep. If it is slow but you see street rods and antique cars, there is a possibility of being expensive. Expensive don't mean a good mechanic. If you see lots of the same cars there it is a warning of come backs. This is my 2 Cents worth.
Sorrry, didn't answer this part.
...if all of my cylinders had gone out would the car still stop?
I think you mean if one of the wheel cylinders go out will the car stop, probably not. Thats why I recomended a dual resavoir mastercylinder if you need the original one replaced. With a dual resavoir m/c it kind of gives you two braking systems, one front, one rear. This is for safety in case of a brake failure. If you have a brake failure, pump the brake pedal this will sometimes give you pressure inthe brake system and don't forget the emergency brake is there
also. The emergency brake doesn't rely on brake fluid so it will work in an emergency to get you stopped.
Dennis
68 Omaha Orange FB 360
67 Imperial Titanic 4 door sedan
64 Dodge 880 land yacht w 413
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Thursday, February 01, 2007 8:22 AM
Subject: Re: IML: Am I
getting screwed?
OK Megan, you got everyone stirred up on the subject. So what did you do?
Gary Kitterman
'56 C-73 "Babe"
Subject: IML: Am I getting screwed?
If I wrote out all the details and the whole story it would take pages,
so here is the brief summary. I took my '63 Custom to get new brake
shoes on the front and the rear at Midas. They called me and said that
I also needed 4 new wheel/brake cylinders. I don't know anything about
brakes really, so when they told me I was leery. I mean, the car was
stopping, granted it sounded like hell, but it was
still stopping...if
all of my cylinders had gone out would the car still stop? Whenever I
went to pick her up last night I felt really uneasy about the whole
situation, they just weren't giving me the comforting feeling that they
knew what they were doing or that something was going on. They took
her off the lift and had me test drive it because the brakes seemed
mushy to them. I was scared to death, she wouldn't stop and we almost
wrecked. I took her back and they came up with some crap about while
bleeding the brakes in old cars sometimes the valve in the master
cylinder will go out and that I needed a new master cylinder. The
master cylinder was fine whenever I took it in there. That, and I just
payed $846 for new shoes and the 4 wheel cylinders. I believe I was
already screwed on the price, but I just want the input, advice and
insight any of you may have. My boss told me that there wasn't
a valve
that they are speaking of. Please help anyway. I want to be prepared
whenever the guy calls me about Ms. Pearl today.
Megan
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