Am I Missing Something Here?

[lncoop]

I have a Titan surge brake actuator on my single axle barge trailer. Has always seemed to work fine in the two years I've been towing it, but I'd like to check the fluid to be sure there are no issues. The cap on the master cylinder is a big nut, but it's made of some kind of plastic or something. Here's the $64 dollar question. Is that thing supposed to come off? It won't budge, and it's so soft I've torn it up trying. Didn't even apply that much torque. Doesn't seem like it would be shaped like a big nut if it weren't supposed to come off, but I don't know. This is my first trailer with brakes. I don't have a manual to consult and haven't been able to find the answer on Titan's web site. I'll contact them Monday morning and hopefully get an answer, but I was hoping one of my fellow iboaters might come to the rescue before then. At this point it will have to come off because yours truly has @#$%^& it up so badly it no longer has any semblance of its original shape and will have to be replaced.:redface:

 

[dockwrecker]

Re: Am I Missing Something Here?

Yup that sounds like a typical Titan cap. Order a new one and have it in hand before you inevitably mangle the old one. Get out the channellocks and work that sucker off. Save the old one to make a bleeder cap so you can easily change the fluids. They sell the cap and gasket seperately, so be sure to order both. Oh and the new one will be just as big of a PITA to install as the old one is to remove as the top of a Titan reservoir is stamped metal with only a couple of threads in it. Have fun!! Hehehehee!

 

[lncoop]

Re: Am I Missing Something Here?

Yup that sounds like a typical Titan cap. Order a new one and have it in hand before you inevitably mangle the old one. Save the old one to make a bleeder cap so you can easily change the fluids. Have fun!! Hehehehee!

Ummm yeah, about that.....Well, anyway, the old one, or what's left of it:redface:, is out. Always happy to provide someone with a chuckle at my expense. What did I discover you may ask? The reservoir she was dry, as in not a drop of any kind of fluid. That's probably a good thing because I pulled about 73 pounds of scale and rust out of it. It's amazing what can be done with the good vacuum cleaner and a short piece of heater hose. Don't tell the admiral. Thinking the absence of fluid is no worse than the presence of fluid in this case since I assume it would have carried all that crud through the lines. At this point my plan is to order a case of replacement caps and fill and bleed. If it doesn't function I guess I'll just replace the coupler. Any tips for bleeding a Titan coupler? Thanks dockwrecker.

 

[LippCJ7]

Re: Am I Missing Something Here?

73 pounds? did a hub and tire come with the scale too?

 

[lncoop]

Re: Am I Missing Something Here?

73 pounds? did a hub and tire come with the scale too?

Yep. At least I have a spare now.

 

[dockwrecker]

Re: Am I Missing Something Here?

If your master is rusty inside it's all done. But before you yank it out of there, find the leak where the fluid went!
You need to make one of these sans pressure guage:
www.bmw-m.net/TechProc/bleeder.htm
Get yourself an extra cap to fit your master, fill it back up with brake fluid, pump the pressure bleeder up and bleed the brakes starting with the wheel furthest from the master. Do not remove the rear drums while the system is under pressure, you'll blow the pistons out of the cylinders. Bleed both sides until clear and free of air. Now relieve the pressure on the bleeder tank and go pull the drums off of the rears and look for leaky wheel cylinders and at the front of the master cylinder inside the forward part of the coupler. Replace leaky parts and rebleed.
Unfortunately the likelyhood of it all being junk is high. Good luck though, at least you'll have a great new bleeder pump for your new ones!

 

[lncoop]

Re: Am I Missing Something Here?

Do you think I'll have to replace brakes, lines, etc. too, or just the actuator? Wondering whether I shouldn't just get a kit.

 

[dockwrecker]

Re: Am I Missing Something Here?

If the master was really as rusty as you say it was, rust went everywhere. Me I'd replace it front to back.

 

[Mi duckdown]

Re: Am I Missing Something Here?

+1 What dockwrecker said.

 

[lncoop]

Re: Am I Missing Something Here?

I'll add it to the list. Thanks guys.