M38A1 Brakes and brake light stay on, FIXED now

[Sagebrusher]

Finally, Fixed (No thanks to bubba)! The brakes, and brake light, have been intermittantly dragging/staying actuated. Not consistantly but far too often to be ignored. The brakes stayed engaged enough to noticably affect the jeep's performance and power. Only owned the jeep since Sept 2010 and started noticing this anomally this summer. Too many other distractions to consistantly stay after the problem. . .
Being a slow old AMMO troop I tried various fixes and remedies until the next step indicated a master cylinder rebuild or replacement. Not wanting another @$#%$( communist chinese or indian/paki imported repair part, I waited and recieved my NOS ex military rebuild kit via ebay this afternoon. Removed the master cylinder and proceeded to clean and disassemble it.
I was surprised to find that some previous "mechanic" had assembled the cylinder with an "extra" synthetic seat, i.e. one where it belonged at the end of the piston bore, plus another one between the piston and "plate" (the washer like retainer) on the actuator rod end.
I surmise that the added 1/4"or so of displacement was not allowing the piston to return to battery so the bypass port could function.
This appeared to be a fairly fresh modification to the assembly so it was probably done by the same entrepeneur who, apparantly in 2010, replaced the YS 950 carb with a worn out YF series and traded the original gas lines for rubber hoses and an electric fuel pump.
May God Bless the Ground components but to heck with inept mechanics.

[wesk]

Being a professional mechanic since 1964 I hope you are just using the term "inept mechanic" as a description of a half arsed Bubba hobbyist working on his own jeep and are not referring to mechanics on a larger scale!

[Sagebrusher]

No offense meant to true and consicentious mechanics!

I too wore the "Mechanic" moniker for quite awhile, starting in 1968, as part of my humble career in the 462X0 Aircraft Weapons Mechanic field. Then they tried to teach me how to stack beebees for the last eighteen years of free travel, clothes and chow. . .

I am but a mostly harmless and slow moving vehicle mechanic. I do try to read the books, learn from those who do know on sites like yours, the G503, G838, etc. Oh yeah, and lick the pictures.

[wesk]

They always had trouble sorting 462 form 464 AFSC's. Depended on who you pissed off!

I was a 431 / 432 guy for 22.

Problem with this hobby is when a guy walks into a guys garage and see's him with a hammer and a ford wrench he automatically calls him a mechanic. when more often than not he is a hobbyist.