Any suggestions for removing brake fluid from brake shoe linings, '40 shoes with new linings. Tried prep-sol, wax & grease remover, not sure it did anything as it seems like the DOT 3 fluid absorbed into the lining. How about brake clean, or other ideas. One thing I noticed is that brake fluid seems to clean up and disappear with good old and soap and water. Thank you Fordbarner's.
Removing brake fluid from brake shoes
- Thread starter russcc
- Start date
rotorwrench
Well-known member
The only thing that seems to work for oil on linings is laquer thinner. If your linings are bonded, this could be a problem but if they are riveted you can soak them in the stuff if you have to.
nostalgia59
Member
Acetone works well...
deuce_roadster
Well-known member
Dot 3 Brake fluid is MOSTLY alcohol. That is why it absorbs water. If you catch it immediately the best thing to use is water, and it will be successful. If it has time to soak in then just replace the shoe or shoes as you can't really get it all out and that shoe/wheel will always have a different coefficient of friction and your brakes will pull one way or the other.
LuckyFordGuy
Senior Member
Torch works great little take sand paper sand a little blow of air just like new Rog
Kurt in NJ
Well-known member
Nothing will clean it out enough that the linings will have the same friction as linings that never were contaminated ---sometimes cleaning as much as possible and swapping a shoe from the other side so both brakes "match" can make it not pull, or grab as much on the first cold application, I went through this problem on my 46, 39, the only permanent cure is mechanical brakes ---I went through this when usa parts were sold, it must be worse now, glad I have the "A", and a 36 with the superior mechanical brakes.
David J
Well-known member
Try a product by 3M called " Brake Clean " . Comes in a big black aerosol can . I find some of the responses to this interesting as we used to clean the RR brakes on the hobby car after every race [ 9 " Ford rear with a GALLON of gear lube ] as these always seem to get some gear lube or whatever on the RR brakes by the end of the feature . You will see the oil or whatever come out of the shoes . May take numerous applications but you will see when nothing more is coming out . Seemed to help to lightly scuff the linings and drums with 100 grit after cleaning till nothing else came out . I personally use this same stuff to clean shoes-drums and also clutch discs on my old fords . Best cure to the old " Groaning brakes " issue on 33-34 cars I've come asross . Also works on my JD's . Yes I know the horde says nix but I know it works fine and why not try it - you may be impressed with the results . DO NOT use the cheap - eco friendly brake cleaner as it is useless compared to the 3M stuff . Not a 3M salesperson but I can definitely tell good from bad and what works and what doesn't . D'ya suppose 3M calls it "brake clean" because it doesn't clean brake shoes ?
rotorwrench
Well-known member
Dot 3 brake fluid is polyethylene glycol. It may be similar in proprties to alcohol but it isn't the same. Manufacturers wanted a fluid that would be stable in all temperatures and not freeze up or boil in service plus act as a decent hydraulic fluid.
Most brake cleaners are acetone, methylene chloride, and or tetrachloroethylene. Any brake cleaner spray will rinse the foreign substances off of the shoes just fine. After the linings get used a bit, the stopping power should be back to normal. If they were bathed in differential oil or wheel bearing grease for a time then things might be different.
Most brake cleaners are acetone, methylene chloride, and or tetrachloroethylene. Any brake cleaner spray will rinse the foreign substances off of the shoes just fine. After the linings get used a bit, the stopping power should be back to normal. If they were bathed in differential oil or wheel bearing grease for a time then things might be different.
SUHRsc
Well-known member
I had a left front wheel cylinder that was leaking pretty bad at the end of last year... the car has sat for a few months now.... Last night I had it apart to put usable wheel cylinders on the front and realized how bad the shoes were soaked in brake fluid....
I took them off wiped them off and then heated with a small propane torch... you could see the brake fluid coming out... cleaned with brake cleaner afterwards, reinstalled and could then slide both front wheels on blacktop
Just figured I would report that it did help a lot to heat them
Zach
I took them off wiped them off and then heated with a small propane torch... you could see the brake fluid coming out... cleaned with brake cleaner afterwards, reinstalled and could then slide both front wheels on blacktop
Just figured I would report that it did help a lot to heat them
Zach
uncle buck
Well-known member
Once they're contaminated, REPLACE them. After all, it's your life, your paasengers lives and the guy that you rear end's life and that guy might be me !
exactly what TagMan said !
justpassinthru
Junior Member
Years ago I had new brake shoes on a corvair and a wheel cylinder leaked while in storage. They were soaked with brake fluid. What I did was boiled them in a pot of water on my now ex-wife's stove. I had to boil them 3 times, with each pot getting cleaner. By the third time the water was clear. It did stink up the house. I would only try this with rivited shoes. The brakes are still on the car today.
Bill
Bill