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p30 master cylinder [message #371506] Sun, 05 November 2023 12:11 Go to next message
skip2 is currently offline  skip2   United States
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Hello to all watching,

I need to replace my P30 master cylinder it is leaking fluid out the back. I'd rebuild if I thought there was any decent rebuild kits. I look up P30 and I get all kinds of cylinders, some with viewable reservoir, some with 2 cap retainers, some with one. some with the plastic caps with the see through reservoir. I like the ideal of seeing the fluid level without taking the top off. Whats the latest greatest for replacement, anyone with one knows its a pain to pull the cap off and check. I certainly don't want to loose any stopping power though.

Skip Hartline


74 Canyon Lands, FiTech, 3.7 FD LSD, Manny Tranny, Springfield Distributor, 2001 Chevy Tracker Ragtop Towd
Re: p30 master cylinder [message #371507 is a reply to message #371506] Sun, 05 November 2023 22:17 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Larry is currently offline  Larry   United States
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Aside from the P30 MC, is your braking system basically stock or upgraded to bigger calipers and discs on rear. What do you have?


Larry Smile
78 Royale w/500 Caddy
Menomonie, WI.
Re: p30 master cylinder [message #371508 is a reply to message #371507] Mon, 06 November 2023 13:18 Go to previous messageGo to next message
skip2 is currently offline  skip2   United States
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Fronts are 80mm calipers, center is rear caddy disc with e brakes, rears are stock shoes

74 Canyon Lands, FiTech, 3.7 FD LSD, Manny Tranny, Springfield Distributor, 2001 Chevy Tracker Ragtop Towd
Re: p30 master cylinder [message #371509 is a reply to message #371506] Mon, 06 November 2023 16:10 Go to previous messageGo to next message
JohnL455 is currently offline  JohnL455   United States
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Bob Stone did some volume testing and found the P30 is not a great choice for those with 80s front / Caddy stuff in rear . I would contact him before choosing a new MC as there may be better options now

John Lebetski
Woodstock, IL
77 Eleganza II
Re: p30 master cylinder [message #371510 is a reply to message #371509] Mon, 06 November 2023 19:05 Go to previous messageGo to next message
skip2 is currently offline  skip2   United States
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Is he on the blacklist

74 Canyon Lands, FiTech, 3.7 FD LSD, Manny Tranny, Springfield Distributor, 2001 Chevy Tracker Ragtop Towd
Re: p30 master cylinder [message #371511 is a reply to message #371510] Mon, 06 November 2023 20:16 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Larry is currently offline  Larry   United States
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No, he is not, PM me for his Phone #.

Larry Smile
78 Royale w/500 Caddy
Menomonie, WI.
Re: p30 master cylinder [message #371512 is a reply to message #371511] Tue, 07 November 2023 19:03 Go to previous messageGo to next message
skip2 is currently offline  skip2   United States
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I tried to PM guess it didn't work.

Been looking at a lot of Bob Stone's Posts and it seems there is a Napa M2580 MC that has good numbers but I can't really tell if the booster has to be updated I have changed my booster when I first got it 12 years ago. The PO had it in a box never installed. Is there a way to identify what booster I might have. Definitely want to fix it one last time the best possible way.

Skip Hartline


74 Canyon Lands, FiTech, 3.7 FD LSD, Manny Tranny, Springfield Distributor, 2001 Chevy Tracker Ragtop Towd
Re: p30 master cylinder [message #371513 is a reply to message #371512] Wed, 08 November 2023 11:15 Go to previous messageGo to next message
wally is currently offline  wally   United States
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skip2 wrote on Tue, 07 November 2023 19:03
I tried to PM guess it didn't work.

Been looking at a lot of Bob Stone's Posts and it seems there is a Napa M2580 MC that has good numbers but I can't really tell if the booster has to be updated I have changed my booster when I first got it 12 years ago. The PO had it in a box never installed. Is there a way to identify what booster I might have. Definitely want to fix it one last time the best possible way.

Skip Hartline
MC 2580 won't fit in our original booster. A quick way to tell if you have a "metric" sensitized booster that has the larger bore that the 2580 will go into is the studs that mount the booster to the firewall are metric thread. That said some of the metric booster covers will fit on our original booster but I don't think there are too many of those out there. We messed around swapping a cover and Walt Halley has the parts we swapped. Dave Lenzi has swapped booster covers. Walt Halley is who came up with the 2580. HTH


Wally Anderson
Omaha NE
75 Glenbrook
Re: p30 master cylinder [message #371514 is a reply to message #371512] Wed, 08 November 2023 12:53 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Larry is currently offline  Larry   United States
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skip2 wrote on Tue, 07 November 2023 19:03
I tried to PM guess it didn't work.

Been looking at a lot of Bob Stone's Posts and it seems there is a Napa M2580 MC that has good numbers but I can't really tell if the booster has to be updated I have changed my booster when I first got it 12 years ago. The PO had it in a box never installed. Is there a way to identify what booster I might have. Definitely want to fix it one last time the best possible way.

Skip Hartline
Sorry, failed to check my PM’s. Duh....Sent another PM and email.


Larry Smile
78 Royale w/500 Caddy
Menomonie, WI.
Re: p30 master cylinder [message #371515 is a reply to message #371506] Wed, 08 November 2023 13:55 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Larry is currently offline  Larry   United States
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Wally and others are correct that the M2580 will not work with a stock booster or the stock sensitized booster. It will work with the Metric sensitized booster.

Here is a picture of the quick take-up MC that I used and suggested by Walt Halley. NAPA # is M2580

http://www.gmcmhphotos.com/photos/new-style-master-cylinder/p68374-mc-from-late-model-gm-trucks.html
NAPA#
https://www.napaonline.com/en/p/NMCM2580

and Rock Auto has them for $107 Interesting a couple of months ago, Rock Auto had them on Closeout at under $30. I wonder what happened there.....

https://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo.php?pk=309794&jsn=266

There is however another MC out there with the same 40mm step bore, and a 1 1/8" primary bore. It is NAPA part #M2609. (https://www.napaonline.com/en/p/NMCM2609) Don't know how it would preform in our situation as it looks like it was intended for lighter duty vehicles. Might work with a stock GMCMH braking system putting more pressure into the system. I don't think it would be advisable to use with bigger brake systems as volume might not be there.

Other #’s for the 1 1/4” step bore are
RAYBESTOS MC39630
Cardone # for the 1 1/4" is 102029
Other #s for the 1 1/4 are Dynamic Friction #35547146, and Wagner # 110888

No need to change or modify the reservoirs. But because the reservoirs are smaller than stock, the step bore fits easily under the hood. Will need to pay attention to fluid level. Easy, they are translucent plastic.

Also, the reinforcement bracket will have to be modified. Simple, put it in a vice and bend it in a couple of spots to clear the upper reservoir and elongate the upper mount holes. Also may need a adjustable pushrod and a method of measuring the needed length of that pushrod. I used bluing ink on the rod end. Kept lengthening it until the bluing ink rubbed off. Backed off .010 a couple of times until ink remained intact. Tightened little at a time until it rubbed off and shortened it another .015. I think Walt used the stock pushrod….not sure of that.

The step bore MC works kinda like a quick lift floor jack. The 40mm with it's better volume brings the shoes/brake pads out to contact quick and then reverts to the 1 1/4" (31.7mm) bore for better pressure. That 1 1/4" bore is the same bore as the GMC original MC.

The P30 that you have been using has a 34mm bore, larger bore than the original so correspondingly lower pressure on full panic stop than the original 1 1/4" (31.7MM)stock GMC MC and with the shorter stroke and larger calipers, one could run out of volume. In addition, the P30 MC has a small flapper valve in it for return of fluid to the reservoir. That little valve has been known to have a piece of rust get caught in it and not closing up as I should resulting in NO Brakes. Many who had the P30 have converted back to the stock GMC MC. There are other brake options out there. Do your research and choose wisely.


Larry Smile
78 Royale w/500 Caddy
Menomonie, WI.
Re: p30 master cylinder [message #371516 is a reply to message #371515] Wed, 08 November 2023 14:22 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Larry is currently offline  Larry   United States
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JFYI Here is what the inside of that step bore looks like.

http://www.gmcmhphotos.com/photos/new-style-master-cylinder/p68872-stepbore-mc.html


Larry Smile
78 Royale w/500 Caddy
Menomonie, WI.
Re: p30 master cylinder [message #371517 is a reply to message #371513] Wed, 08 November 2023 17:56 Go to previous messageGo to next message
skip2 is currently offline  skip2   United States
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I found out that 3/8 16 and 10X1.5 are about identical threads and the nut is either 17mm or 11/16 diameter. still not sure other than the metric tap seems a smoother fit, any other ideals other than taking off the master cylinder. Where can adjustable push rods be obtained anyone know?

Skip Hartline


74 Canyon Lands, FiTech, 3.7 FD LSD, Manny Tranny, Springfield Distributor, 2001 Chevy Tracker Ragtop Towd
Re: p30 master cylinder [message #371518 is a reply to message #371506] Wed, 08 November 2023 18:30 Go to previous messageGo to next message
skip2 is currently offline  skip2   United States
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Thank you all for all the info given to me.
Since I currently have a P30 Cylinder, which booster was it compatible with?
Skip Hartline


74 Canyon Lands, FiTech, 3.7 FD LSD, Manny Tranny, Springfield Distributor, 2001 Chevy Tracker Ragtop Towd
Re: p30 master cylinder [message #371533 is a reply to message #371506] Sun, 19 November 2023 11:52 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Larry is currently offline  Larry   United States
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Have you contacted Bob Stone? He has researched at 37mm MC that would have adequate volume for your setup. Would require his reservoirs and adaptors to make it work. Also might need to adjust the pushrod length. Anyway, contact Bob.

Larry Smile
78 Royale w/500 Caddy
Menomonie, WI.
Re: p30 master cylinder [message #371534 is a reply to message #371518] Sun, 19 November 2023 11:59 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Larry is currently offline  Larry   United States
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skip2 wrote on Wed, 08 November 2023 18:30
Thank you all for all the info given to me.
Since I currently have a P30 Cylinder, which booster was it compatible with?
Skip Hartline
Compatible with OEM booster or sensitized OEM booster. I would NOT put that P30 back on. It has some inherent negative issues that could leave you with no brakes.


Larry Smile
78 Royale w/500 Caddy
Menomonie, WI.
Re: p30 master cylinder [message #371535 is a reply to message #371506] Tue, 21 November 2023 09:44 Go to previous message
SeanKidd is currently offline  SeanKidd   United States
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Is there a source/part number for the metric sensitized booster?

Sean and Stephanie
73 Ex-CanyonLands 26' #317 "Oliver"
Hubler 1-Ton, Quad-Bags, Rear Disc, Reaction Arms, P.Huber TBs, 3.70:1 LSD Honda 6500 inverter gen.
Colonial Travelers
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