Can brake line/master cylinder spray upwards?

[bigdog1962]

I'm "helping" a friend with a 73 and his brakes.
1. His brake fluid reservoir is empty. 2. There is evidence of fluid underneath the front end. 3.The master cylinder is dry. 4. There is no evidence of leaking inside the vehicle by the brake pedal. 5. There is nothing inside the trunk/wheelwell area as in a bottle of brake fluid rolling around and leaking. 6.The rear brake line inside of the car is not leaking. 7.It's not the soft lines because of where the fluid has leaked. 8. It doesn't smell like gas or look like gas.

My question is has anyone ever hear of a master cylinder/brake line spraying upwards? There is quite a bit of fluid above the pan head, more towards the center of the car, above the master cylinder but more towards the center of the vehicle. I can't see where its coming from.

I thought we would replace the fluid, bleed the brakes and see if we can tell where it's coming from. Any other thoughts?

[bigdog1962]

I'll see if I can get some pictures tonight.

[coonhunter]

Fill up the resivoir and have someone with a flashlight watch the master cylinder while someone else pushes the brake pedal. If it is leaking very bad, it will show up. There are only a few places that it would normally leak, filling up the system and putting pressure on it should show you the leaks.

Has the car been sitting, or did it just run out of fluid while driving it?

[bigdog1962]

It's been sitting.

[Infotraker]

I found a hole in the brake line going under the master cyl inside the firewall on my 67 vw buggy. I thought it was the cyl and replaced it first

[Cusser]

If mine, I'd start by getting and installing a new master cylinder, the best quality one I could find.
_________________
1970 VW (owned since 1972) and 1971 VW Convertible (owned since 1976), second owner of each. The '71 now has the 1835 engine, swapped from the '70. Second owner of each. 1988 Mazda B2200 truck, 1998 Frontier, 2014 Yukon, 2004 Frontier King Cab. All manual transmission except for the Yukon. http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/album_page.php?pic_id=335294 http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/album_page.php?pic_id=335297

[bigdog1962]

Here's the pictures I promised
A little wet in the trunk area but no real evidence that something spilled

Something leaked out of the panhead

Looking at the master cylinder

Another picture of the master cylinder

Looking up underneath the passenger side

And the most confusing, looking way above the master cylinder on the firewall

I think what we have is a combination of things - a gas tank leak - it's empty with rust and a little wet residue inside and a brake fluid leak. I've got it ready to bleed the brakes (had to reassemble some things that had been taken off). We're going to take the gas tank out, clean it and take a look from above. I'm thing we'll be able to see better from above once the gas tank is out. I imagine we'll go ahead and replace the master cylinder but it's not my car so we'll see. I'll update as we progress. Any other comments/suggestions welcomed. (Remember, it's not my car but my neighbors).

[Luft kühl]

[bigdog1962]

I did look under the rubber boot - dry as a chip. You can see in the pictures, though, that the master cylinder is rusted. Not sure if that is from leaking brake fluid or the gas tank which definitely has a leak. Just took the picture of the drain out of the bottom of the gas tank.

[bigdog1962]

And peering down inside the tank

the usual rust. So the tank will come out and get the full treatment.

[bigdog1962]

The first part of what I suspected has been solved. The gas tank has been leaking.

The underside of the tank. This plug - or whatever it is - may be the culprit. Anywho, it will get the full treatment or a new tank.