master cylinder question

[Ken <kkeith@qnet.com>]

Hey folks,

1.  What does a failing master cylinder act like?  What are the
symptoms?

I pulled the brake (vacuum) booster off my 4ksq and put it on my C-GT 
to see if it would make the pedal 'softer', but it's the same.  I think 
it'll only get worse.

(My brake pedal is very hard, and basically feels 'unassisted' at all.)

2.  Anyone got any pointers for aligning the motor?  I heard you're
supposed 
to loosen the mounts, let the engine idle, and tighten them up.

3.  And, as if those weren't enough, I think maybe my timing belt is too
tight 
or something is going out.  There's a brand new water pump on it, and
there 
is a loose, sloppy, dare-I-say very loaded bearing sound coming from the 
front of the motor at idle.  It's not the BZZZZ-BZZZZ or VVVVV-VVVV of
the 
timing belt teeth making noise because it's too tight.  It's a loose, 
rattly kind of sound.  Does anyone know what the heck I'm trying to
describe?

4.  And, since I'm asking (if I didn't love this car so much I'd think
it was 
a P.O.S.), I'm trying to find out about a certain wire, to see if it is 
supposed to be 'connected' to ground.  Or rather, if it is supposed to
be 
shorted to ground.  It's a blue/black wire <aha!>, and it resides in a 
circular white connector to the left of the motor, and plug into the 
harness that goes to the back of the tranny (hooks up to the back up 
lite switch and some other thingee).  It's _not_ the tranny side of the 
connector I'm talking about, it's the side that stays 'with the car'
when 
you drop the tranny (and take the wiring harness out with the tranny). 
It 
is one of 4 wires, two of which are brown (I know those are ground).

My back up lites don't work, I've got good bulbs and a good fuse.

I suspect anyone with a 4k or C-GT will have the same wiring setup, 
possibly 5k's too.

Help!  (Tonite I cannibalized one of the engine mounts from the 4ksq 
for my C-GT.  I've admitted that I cannot begin my project anytime soon, 
and need it for my Coupe.  :-(   )
-- 
Regards,

Ken
<  '86 Audi Coupe GT                           >
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