Brake master cylinder?

Hey guys,

I noticed last year that when driving, that I felt a drop on my toes every now and then (sandals not flip flops .
I was always wondering but didnt investigate it since I thought it may have been condensation or something.

After parking the Hiace during winter (5 months) and wanting to get it back out for this weekend, I noticed the clutch pedal is completely loose and the brake fluid empty. It looks like I lost it right above the clutch pedal.
Is this the brake master cylinder?

I cant get the Hiace to my mechanic so Im wondering if i fill up the brake fluid, would I be able to drive to the garage (20 mins away) or is there probably air in the system and I can't do anything except for finding a mechanic who comes to my place and fix it?

Also, I am considering replacing the brake master cylinder myself if there is any manuals or guides (already googled) but I dont want to risk not having brakes (not sure how linked clutch and brakes are etc)

Thanks all!

No idea about driving it other than if the pedal's hard after fixing it and stays that way it could be Ok but no guarantees on that at all and it's up to you, you'll still have gears and a handbrake and can go slow but going down hills would be my worry.

There is a recent post in this forum by me with a download for a manual and I checked it to see if it has master cylinder repair/ removal/ replacing information and it does. Go to the repair manual and then brake system files and you'll see the brake master cylinder and go to repair manual and clutch and you'll find the clutch master cylinder.

Good Evening Lady Hiace.

Your system should use a remote reservoir that feeds the brakes and clutch systems. If I’m wrong don’t read further.

That system uses a hose to feed the clutch master cylinder at the pedal assembly. Pressurized fluid goes to the slave cylinder. Brakes and clutch share the same reservoir so a leak in one can disable both.

Your brakes/clutch have air yes but it’s not the end of the world. You can gravity bleed them yourself with little effort once you get the leak sorted. Space is tight under there. If it’s just a hose leaking I’d fix it, but if you want to try and and limp it somewhere with a small leak you have to bleed both systems first to get it on the road.

To gravity bleed start at the farthest wheel one at a time to the closest, and loosen the bleeders and take a nice break. Like watch a movie kind of break. Keep the reservoir filled during this procedure, and let nature take care of the rest. Pump the pedals a little bit if you want to get the process started quicker.

I literally attached the first link I googled which probably explains it better than I.

You have 5 points to bleed. All 4 wheels and the slave cylinder on the clutch.

A little drip from the reservoir line would absolutely drain the remote reservoir over time and leave you without a clutch and probably brakes. If that’s your leak, limping it somewhere for repairs seems reasonable as the leak is on the feed side.

But if your master cylinder/slave cylinder are leaking I would strongly recommend to repair it in place.  Leaks on the hydraulic side of the system are dangerous and no attempt should be made to drive it. A tow is much cheaper than your safety.

Good Luck Ma’am, and God Bless
-Bryan

https://haynes.com/en-us/tips-tutorials/how-bleed-brakes-yourself

Thank you very much for your replies, thats very helpful! I forgot to mention it is a vintage Hiace (1982) but I will have a look and try fix this, thanks again!!

Update: It is the clutch master cylinder who needs replacing! I just found (and ordered) the part. Next: trying to figure out if I need to take off the dashboard and if yes, start doing that!