Rocket Man's 02 Denali Build Thread AKA "THE BEAST"

[Rocket Man]

Next I used a hand pump to drain most of the brake fluid and then removed the electrical connector. On my truck the brake booster vacuum line and my catch can were both in the way so I removed them and let them hang. Then first I used the large end of the punch until it bottomed out, then the small end until it bottomed out, then the torx tip until it bottomed, driving the pins toward the driver side. Then the vise grips to pull the last 1/4”. I noticed the factory pins were double rolled stainless , the aftermarket were not.

 

[Rocket Man]

Then I just wiggled and pulled on reservoir until it popped off. I spilled a bit of fluid under there but it wasn’t bad, I’ll just spray it off with some degreaser. I popped the new one on and it felt good, like the o-rings were sealing. I also checked the old reservoir with the new MC and the bores are the same size , the reservoir fit great so I see no issues. The front pin went in great and was easy to access but the rear not so much. So I ground the end of one to a semi point which helped get it started. I used the stainless pins. Filled it up, plugged it in and checked the brakes. They feel great and I feel confident there’s no air in the lines. I used the OEM cap, I don’t like the sticker on the new one. It fit perfectly.

 

[Rocket Man]

And here are the results. Much cleaner looking and I removed a bunch of crud from the bottom of the old reservoir. I can actually see the fluid level now too.

 

[89Suburban]

And here are the results. Much cleaner looking and I removed a bunch of crud from the bottom of the old reservoir. I can actually see the fluid level now too.

Simple happy projects.

 

[RAMurphy]

Nice job Mark. My old reservoir is so bad it is so hard to see the level. And it looks bad compared to my new coolant reservoir. Looks great. Might need to make this happen when I change out my engine.

 

[treehan77]

Curious why you removed the reservoir. Just bought a cheap aftermarket complete unit I guess? How much more was an OEM complete unit?

 

[Rocket Man]

Curious why you removed the reservoir. Just bought a cheap aftermarket complete unit I guess? How much more was an OEM complete unit?

This idea started when I replaced my coolant overflow tank because the old one was ugly and so dirty thst I couldn’t see the level unless I took off the cap and looked inside. After that someone said something about the MC reservoir looking the same. Same thing, I couldn’t see the level and it was ugly. So I ordered a replacement reservoir for $25 about 4-5 months ago but they went on backorder. Another brand I see now on RA for $84 just for the reservoir. The OEM MC is $110. I didn’t need a new MC though. This aftermarket MC was $45, I just wasn’t sure the reservoirs were interchangeable. I bought it on Amazon and figured if it didn’t fit, it would be an easy return. Plus a have an extra MC if I ever need it.

 

[treehan77]

Ok, makes sense to me then. $60 is $60 . I’d probably prefer the old OEM MC to a new aftermarket myself. My reservoir is also stained black and almost impossible to check, gotta shake it some lol

 

[Tonyrodz]

This is the one I bought. Haven't installed it yet.

ACDelco Professional 18M2397 Brake Master Cylinder Assembly https://a.co/d/cp6KTNz

 

[Rocket Man]

This is the one I bought. Haven't installed it yet.
View attachment 395793
ACDelco Professional 18M2397 Brake Master Cylinder Assembly https://a.co/d/cp6KTNz

Did you buy it just for the reservoir?