Hi ... photos in a short while once I have cranked up the batteries on my mobile phone.

I'm trying to identifying different Brembo front brake master cylinders. I never knew there were different ones (part from, perhaps, bore sized).

I have two front brake master cylinders and a clutch master cylinder. I"m doing a hydraulic clutch addition to an older Road King.

I bought some like new, take offs from Ebay and was a bit surprised and disappointed to to discover that the front brake master cylinder and the clutch master cylinder did not match each other. They the reservoirs are of different dimensions and they sit differently on the bars.

So, I compared the Brembo brake master cylinder with another one I have from a cable clutch set up and discovered that the two were different. Indeed, the one of the cable clutch pair is a better match for the clutch master cylinder.

The most obvious visual difference is that one has a much thicker, visible rubber gasket than the other, and it looks like the top is thicker and has two small indents in it.

The height of the brake reservoir, and the lever operated mechanism is different from the clutch master cylinder.

Both sets were said to come off very recent H-D Tourers, e.g. circa 2013. Of course, I could have been mis-sold parts ... I don't know, but I suspect not.

Neither has a bore sized marked on them although the clutch does 11/16 from memory.

I'll post some photos later but I see the part numbers for the cylinder and cover are up to a 'C' revision ... 44551-08C and COVER KIT 42855-06C. I wonder which is which?

As an aside, I know there was a big recall of the Touring clutch masters. I read but do know know that a rebuild kit cures any problems there. I wonder - short of a road size failure - how to recognize if it might be effective.

I have no idea why H-D would fit mismatching cylinders. Japanese and even European bikes have been having matching ones for donkey years.

Do they come up looking matching on the V-Rods that use them?

Thanks.

 

Here they are ...

Here's the two different styles of brake master. You can see one has a thicker lid and no visible rubber gasket

The questions are ... what are the different and which one is which?

How do the tourers which have hydraulic clutches look, or which to they have?

Do the V-Rods have matching ones?

 

Here's are comparison between the brake master cyinders, and the clutch master and one of the brakes which is the closest match. You can see one brake has a thicker lid and the clutch master cylinder is much taller.

Thanks

 

Went down the local dealer ... it seems the left hand one with the thin gasket and thicker lid is the current model.

They had no idea about the differences. The other could be a 2009.

The latest H-D models have mismatching clutch and brake master cylinder.

 

I think what you have there is one ABS brake master cylinder and a non ABS brake MC. I had installed a brake MC on my Dyna when I went to dual discs, as I recall it was from a non ABS 2010 touring model and it was the shorter lid with a visible gasket just like the current clutch MC's. The ones you saw on the showroom were probably all ABS equipped, try to find a plain street glide without ABS and I think you'll find they will be a match.

See the photo

 

Appreciated. Thank you.

I still have no idea what difference the two have though ... the ABS is not connected to the master cylinder in any way but is there a pressure difference?

The shop seemed to think it was just a different design for a different batch but I'll go for the same as you one.

What I thought was sloppy though was that all the new ones, including CVOs, all had mismatching master cylinders, i.e. clutch to brake.

As an aside, in case it is of any use to anyone, I have a pair of fat H-D T-bars ... I think 1 1/2", (I must check) ... and although the brake side is kind of crush a little to allow for fitting a master cylinder, the clutch side is not.

However, a clutch master cylinder still fits on without inferring.

It's paper thin close but you can slip a rag or something under it and it does not get stuck.

 

I don't think its a case of HD fitting mismatched parts, just that the ABS bikes have a different design. If you think about it, ABS bikes all have linked brakes, longer lines and therefore greater volume in the system. Inside the reservoir is the rubber diaphragm that expands or contracts and the level changes. The larger lid is probably just to allow room for it to move as the level changes. Just pick the nice one and go with it or fit the two non ABS ones and call it a day.

 

I am not going to argue with you, and it's futile and pointless to vent about such things as no one from H-D reads here or cares ... obvious asymmetry is part of their thing ... but if you look at all the European, Japanese and custom master cylinders, they're all visually matched.

H-D will just keeping on bits until they use up a batch. I'd guess the next generation of clutch masters will have the low or no gasket look.

I have not taken the two apart yet but the newer models use the lower profile lid. The bore and bowl is the same.

I just like things to match, look integrated and even ...

The clutch is taller and I need to rock the batwing fairing forward slightly to miss it.