Perpetually leaking wilwood reservoirs?

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Alex

Is anybody elses Wilwood remote resevoirs perpetually leaking? I've tried everything I can think of, short of cracking the plastic from overtightening, to make them seal but they refuse to.

Googling seems to indicate they're a total POS - either you get lucky and they seal, or they don't and they leak.

Maybe time to replace with one piece cnc metal ones unless there's a good way to seal them? :idea:

edit: maybe try a t-bolt clamp first, that seems to be a popular online suggestion?

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Big-Foot

Randy V

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Tbolt clamp may do the trick. The only other thing I know of is to epoxy them together. The trick to installing the wire clamp is to have the clamp straddle the O-Ring. Even then they will seep enough to collect dirt and dust, but not enough to drip really..
 
S

Mike

Alex, I've experienced this and it drove me nutz. Try this. The reservior should be a two piece unit - i.e. the upper "tank" slip fits into the lower collar. On mine there was a manufacturing seam on both sides of the upper piece and I believe it's this seam that prevented a tight seal. Carefully sand and clean up that seam so that it's very smooth, make sure the O ring is seated in the groove and use some good clamps. This solved my problem... your results may vary.

----Sharkey
 
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E

Alex

Well, one sealed finally, the other didn't :/

I agree with the above - either epoxy (not that I would because I don't want any chances of that getting in the brake system) or sand it smooth (which means pulling it off anyways).

Grrrr, I'll probably just replace them with metal pieces ... what genius at Wilwood thought it'd be a terrific idea to seal plastic on plastic??? (no problems with the master cylinders because that's plastic to metal)
 
S

Mike

I've had Wilwood "remote" reservoirs leak on three different cars I've had - enough of the madness, my last two cars have gone with this:
 

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M

Michel

Have you tried to find a bigger o'ring "viton" diameter ( means thicker) ?
We succeed also doing a stupid thing on track test session ; adding another thin o'ring on the same original groove and with these 2 o'rings on that car it worked so well and no clamp at all !! Then we secure with a wire clamp tighten once one guy was giving hot air with electric air gun in order to help plastic forming

hope this helps
 
E

Alex

shark said:
I've had Wilwood "remote" reservoirs leak on three different cars I've had - enough of the madness, my last two cars have gone with this:
Click to expand...

Me too - I played around with it somemore and leak leak leak, so I said f-it and bought the Tilton one. :)

Now I have to bleed my brakes again....boooo :(
 
L

Larry L.

Lifetime Supporter
For info:

In a recent phone conversation with him re: GT40 'build' particulars, Dennis Olthoff told me he either has, or very shortly will have (can't remember which) his own machined alum reservoirs for the GT40.

They are (or will be) THEE solution to the leak problem IMO.
 
E

Alex

Lol, wouldn't you know it - I snugged up the t-bolt again, ordered the Tilton,came back 5hrs later and it's bone dry. That's a record (for me anyways).

Figures they'd decide to seal after I order something else .... but I'll be keeping an eye on them. First leaky leaky and they're outta there.....
 
C

Cam

Mine have been fine for 5400 miles. they just cant handle 100% full. Put them at 75-66% then watch them go down (slo) as the pads get eaten up and no prob.

i only top them off to about 2/3's and no leaks. Also dont torque the cap to 110% or they strip.
 
R

Rich Roy

I pulled both the clutch master and brake reservoirs apart and installed a "fatter" O-ring at the neck and it slowed down the leakage to a seap! Now it's 98% better.......I went to a hydrolic shop that specializes in pumps and hoses for industrial/farm applications and we matched up an o-ring same diameter but thicker ring. Made a big difference.
 
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V

Shane

I think Wilwood has changed to a thicker o-ring on their more recent MC's. On earlier ones I've dealt with, a leaky resevior was practically a guarantee that the reservoir had pulled the o-ring out of the groove at some point.....you could see this thru the plastic using a flashlight. I found that the o-ring seemed a bit oversized on these, and did not want to stay in the groove....it just kind of wanted to flop around loose in the groove. Solution was to make sure the reservoir and the o-ring was well lubed with brake fluid, heat the reservoir neck with a heat gun.....not to the point of melting, but good and hot to the touch.....and then install the reservoir.

On the newer ones I've worked with, it sure seems to me that the O-ring is a bit thicker and a bit smaller around to fit tighter to the MC groove.
 
E

Alex

Wouldn't you know it - Tilton piece showed up today (it's a nice piece! maybe i'll use it in my 917 so I don't have this nightmare again) and my wilwoods have been booooone dry since i used the aero-seal clamps.
 
M

Jack

Okay, here's the "down low" on leaky reservoirs:
Use a readily available product known as a brake lubricant called Sil-Glyde.
Lubricate the offending O-ring well, reinsert into the chamber groove. Try not to let it "roll" as you assemble the two parts. Make sure the double wire clamp lands both above and below the visible O-ring and tighten snugly. Don't overtighten the clamp,
let the O-ring do its job.

The leaking problem occurs when the two parts are pushed together. The O-ring tends to spiral or roll itself slightly and while it's in the groove, it won't seat properly.

The Sil-Glyde is brake fluid proof and fuel proof. No issues in 10 years of using this stuff which took me 6 years to learn about for the Wilwood and some Tilton reservoirs.
No heating, no drippy brake fluid to ruin your paint, just this stuff which prevents the
O-ring from rolling on itself.

Sorry about the late response to this post, been working on another project.
 
E

Alex

OMFG. Leak-free for 3 1/2weeks, come out, and there's a puddle of brake fluid overnight. W-teeeee-efffffffffffff...hello Tilton piece :furious::furious::furious::furious::furious::furious:
 
S

Yos

Bummer...but at least you already have the Tilton on hand. Is it common for this system to ever leak on the MC side, or is the only leaky spot the reservoir connection?
 
E

Alex

From what I can tell from researching, it's always the remote reservoir that people hate with a passion. My master cylinders are bone dry, and have been for 2mths now, because that's sealing metal on plastic. The reservoirs are plastic on plastic.
 
S

Mike

shark said:
I've had Wilwood "remote" reservoirs leak on three different cars I've had - enough of the madness, my last two cars have gone with this:
Click to expand...

Ummmmm..throw the Wilwood reservoirs on the shelf - I've wasted hours on their products in the past. As a company Wilwood does have a deep catalog and has generally decent pricing but....
 

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Rebeca Lynn

On the wilwood ,aster cylinders can you install a -an style fitting? I know on the newer style tilton master cylinders you ca, then there is a few other options then including the same master cylinder reservoirs you are using, the also have a very nice billet unit I am looking at for a different project.

Also does anyone know if the tilton master cylinders will fit in to the pedal assembly? We have had better luck with theres in the past.
 
E

Alex

shark said:
Ummmmm..throw the Wilwood reservoirs on the shelf - I've wasted hours on their products in the past. As a company Wilwood does have a deep catalog and has generally decent pricing but....
Click to expand...


I'm ready to install my Tilton, but I do have one bit of reservation - the cap on them has a tiny vent hole that is just a straight hole down.

The wilwoods also have a vent hole in the cap, but it seems to only open under pressure probably (if I blow in it, air does not come out the other end).

That means on the Tilton, the fluid is constantly exposed to air (albiet through a very smallh ole). I spoke to them and they assured me people are using them on street cars and there's no need to change out brake fluid every, for example, year in them because of the vent hole. However, if I took a bottle of brake fluid, poked a small hole in it then put in on the shelf, everybody woudl be jumping up and down to toss the fluid out because of exposure to air............:huh:
 
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