Girling vs. Wilwood

[Cobra]

Master Cylinders The difference in cost is remarkable...$114 vs. $50 Is there any difference in the Master Cylinder performance? I know Girling are rebuildable, how about Wilwood? Has anyone used the Wilwood that could compare the two?

[David Clubine]

From what I have experienced you will get substantially more than double the service life out of a Girling. In the long run it will be less expensive if you plan on keeping the car for a long time. I had in the past used Wilwood, and will no longer consider using them. They just aren't the same quality from what I have seen. Besides, if it is a historic car, the girlings look correct.

[Darryl Wills]

Hogwash....The Wilwoods work just fine. I have used them on all kinds of race cars on dirt and asphalt. Wlidwood sells rebuild kits and will last a long time if taken proper care of like any other component. I have had equal number of Girlings, Wilwoods and Lucas master cylinders lock up when allowed to set up for lengthy periods of time. The one big difference in the M/Cs is that the Wilwoods are so cheap that we usually just put new units on.

[kea]

Our UK made Girlings are still $85.00 and we stock rebuild kits if you so desire.
The Wilwoods (china?), I just never liked their copy.

[Larry]

Keith's price on the Girling is excellent! Personally, I've used Wilwood and haven't had any problems.

Larry Oliver
International Racing Products

[Brian]

I'm in the group that has used Wilwoods and had to replace them. I use UK Girlings now for typical formula car use. For brakes I don't even rebuild them, i just toss new ones on if I don't trust the old ones. Cheaper than losing a session at a track.

brian

[Todd TCE]

I've experienced a number of leaky cap issues with the Wilwoods and being a 19yr dealer I had more than a bit to say about that.

The solution to the leaky cap is to be certain your cap is fit with both the large, fat seal as well as the bellows. The exact configuration has varied some over the past few years as to what you get with the cap. If your cap now has only the bellows the rubber is too thin to create a good seal and tends to wind up as you tighten the cap.

The solution is to be sure you have both the larger flat, fat washer in the cup and then the bellows below it. This fattens the seal area and I can say with assurance that after retro fitting them to a FM in this manner at the PHX dbl nats that this car remained 100% bone dry. I mean top and bottom of the mc was dusty with zero moisture.

As for durability...to each his own but having supplied way many of them the cap has shown to be the only issue and that seems to be main for the ones supplied with only a bellows and not on the earlier boxes with only the thick seal.

[thomschoon]

I've experienced a number of leaky cap issues with the Wilwoods and being a 19yr dealer I had more than a bit to say about that.

I have had the same problem, bought some really nice blingy billet caps from Averill that solved thhe problem.I found the Wilwood caps differed dimensionly, billet solved the issue as they are well made, otherwise never had a problem with the Wilwood products after many years of use.

[Cobra]

Thanks for the information. I just rebuilt the Girling and the Lucas MC's. I'm new to this class and thanks for the info from Keith at Averill. See you at the track.