The Ford Barn

Bursonaw · 04-29-2018, 10:29 PM

I had one wheel cylinder that leaked silicone brake fluid over the brake shoes.

My question is, Can I clean the brake shoes and reuse them or should I replace the brake shoes?

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fordor41 · 04-29-2018, 10:38 PM

don't know about silicone but my buddy bakes his in the oven if he gets fluid on them!

Kurt in NJ · 04-30-2018, 07:33 AM

you can never get it all out ---new linings, sometimes putting one shoe on the other side will balance it out

Ford Freak · 04-30-2018, 03:22 PM

Replace them .

tinman080 · 04-30-2018, 03:25 PM

Replace them, Ford Freak is absolutely correct.

paul2748 · 04-30-2018, 08:48 PM

Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)

If you replace the bad shoes with new ones, use the other set and replace the other side at the same time. Due to material differences, each side may work differently if the materials are not the same.

blucar · 05-02-2018, 11:23 AM

Way back in the good ole days when money was in short supply and people were very thrifty with their money, a very common fix to remove brake fluid and/or oil from brake shoes was to wipe the lining with alcohol, the alcohol would evaporate taking the brake fluid with it.

J Franklin · 05-02-2018, 11:32 AM

Brakleen works some

rotorwrench · 05-02-2018, 12:45 PM

Lacquer thinner works. The linings aren't all that porous. Wash & rinse a few times & blow them off with compressed air. Replace them if you feel you must but they work just fine for me.

leon bee · 05-02-2018, 12:48 PM

I'm glad somebody else fessed up to cleaning them. That's what we do up here in the hills.

cmbrucew · 05-02-2018, 01:08 PM

He said it was silicone fluid. Those cleaners won't work.
Bruce

philipswanson · 05-02-2018, 02:12 PM

Soak in alcohol and they will be fine.

jake197000 · 05-02-2018, 03:17 PM

cleaned them off many times.works fine for me.

FlatheadTed · 05-02-2018, 03:28 PM

Old time fix in the day was put them out in the yard pour gas on them and set fire to them .Ted

bobH · 05-02-2018, 03:33 PM

Cleaning has always worked for this old geezer. What doesn't come out with cleaning, is baked out (outgassed) when the shoes get hot from use. I'm out in the hills, so brakes get lots of use & lots of heat.
And, yes, back in the days when I worked for a shop, standard procedure was/is replacement. just saying.

Charlie Stephens · 05-02-2018, 05:29 PM

My favorite hamburger place has a sign on the wall, "When in doubt, throw it out". It sounds good to me.

Charlie Stephens

J Franklin · 05-02-2018, 06:59 PM

Bury them in cat litter for a month. I did that with success after a few tries with Brakleen, which brought up more from deeper in and the litter dried it all out.

Pete · 05-02-2018, 07:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bursonaw

I had one wheel cylinder that leaked silicone brake fluid over the brake shoes.

My question is, Can I clean the brake shoes and reuse them or should I replace the brake shoes?

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

If it was DOT 5, use toluene to wash it off.
If it was DOT 5.1, use water and soap.

Bursonaw · 05-02-2018, 08:14 PM

Thanks everyone for their response.

I think I will try cleaning them first and heat them up with a heat gun to help get some of the brake fluid out.

Regards

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Jack E/NJ · 05-02-2018, 08:26 PM

I'd prolly fix or replace the leaky cylinder to see how well stops first. 8^) Jack E/NJ

04-29-2018, 10:29 PM	#1
Bursonaw Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2013 Location: Virginia Beach, VA Posts: 345	Brake fluid on brake shoes I had one wheel cylinder that leaked silicone brake fluid over the brake shoes. My question is, Can I clean the brake shoes and reuse them or should I replace the brake shoes? Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

04-29-2018, 10:38 PM	#2
fordor41 Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: elmira,ny Posts: 1,516	Re: Brake fluid on brake shoes don't know about silicone but my buddy bakes his in the oven if he gets fluid on them!

04-30-2018, 07:33 AM	#3
Kurt in NJ Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: on the Littlefield Posts: 6,157	Re: Brake fluid on brake shoes you can never get it all out ---new linings, sometimes putting one shoe on the other side will balance it out

04-30-2018, 03:22 PM	#4
Ford Freak Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2013 Location: Pittsford NY. USA Posts: 1,096	Re: Brake fluid on brake shoes Replace them .

04-30-2018, 03:25 PM	#5
tinman080 Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2015 Location: Forest, Virginia Posts: 250	Re: Brake fluid on brake shoes Replace them, Ford Freak is absolutely correct. __________________ Just Passin' Thru.....Slowly!

04-30-2018, 08:48 PM	#6
paul2748 Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Midland Park, NJ Posts: 3,981	Re: Brake fluid on brake shoes Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements) If you replace the bad shoes with new ones, use the other set and replace the other side at the same time. Due to material differences, each side may work differently if the materials are not the same. __________________ 48 Ford Conv 56 Tbird 54 Ford Victoria

05-02-2018, 11:23 AM	#7
blucar Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Ventura, CA Posts: 2,464	Re: Brake fluid on brake shoes Way back in the good ole days when money was in short supply and people were very thrifty with their money, a very common fix to remove brake fluid and/or oil from brake shoes was to wipe the lining with alcohol, the alcohol would evaporate taking the brake fluid with it. __________________ Bill.... 36 5 win cpe

05-02-2018, 11:32 AM	#8
J Franklin Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Oregon Posts: 5,961	Re: Brake fluid on brake shoes Brakleen works some

05-02-2018, 12:45 PM	#9
rotorwrench Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: San Antonio, Texas Posts: 16,426	Re: Brake fluid on brake shoes Lacquer thinner works. The linings aren't all that porous. Wash & rinse a few times & blow them off with compressed air. Replace them if you feel you must but they work just fine for me.

05-02-2018, 12:48 PM	#10
leon bee Senior Member Join Date: May 2017 Location: Arkansas Posts: 611	Re: Brake fluid on brake shoes I'm glad somebody else fessed up to cleaning them. That's what we do up here in the hills.

05-02-2018, 01:08 PM	#11
cmbrucew Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: North of sandy ago, CA. Posts: 2,064	Re: Brake fluid on brake shoes He said it was silicone fluid. Those cleaners won't work. Bruce __________________ Works good Lasts long time

05-02-2018, 02:12 PM	#12
philipswanson Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2015 Location: Bonita, CA Posts: 1,374	Re: Brake fluid on brake shoes Soak in alcohol and they will be fine.

05-02-2018, 03:17 PM	#13
jake197000 Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2010 Posts: 349	Re: Brake fluid on brake shoes cleaned them off many times.works fine for me.

05-02-2018, 03:28 PM	#14
FlatheadTed Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Auckland Posts: 4,705	Re: Brake fluid on brake shoes Old time fix in the day was put them out in the yard pour gas on them and set fire to them .Ted __________________ http://www.flatheadted.com Flathead Ted brake Floaters ,

05-02-2018, 03:33 PM	#15
bobH Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: so cal, placerville, vegas Posts: 1,394	Re: Brake fluid on brake shoes Cleaning has always worked for this old geezer. What doesn't come out with cleaning, is baked out (outgassed) when the shoes get hot from use. I'm out in the hills, so brakes get lots of use & lots of heat. And, yes, back in the days when I worked for a shop, standard procedure was/is replacement. just saying.

05-02-2018, 05:29 PM	#16
Charlie Stephens Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Southern California Posts: 7,031	Re: Brake fluid on brake shoes My favorite hamburger place has a sign on the wall, "When in doubt, throw it out". It sounds good to me. Charlie Stephens

05-02-2018, 06:59 PM	#17
J Franklin Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Oregon Posts: 5,961	Re: Brake fluid on brake shoes Bury them in cat litter for a month. I did that with success after a few tries with Brakleen, which brought up more from deeper in and the litter dried it all out.

05-02-2018, 08:14 PM	#19
Bursonaw Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2013 Location: Virginia Beach, VA Posts: 345	Re: Brake fluid on brake shoes Thanks everyone for their response. I think I will try cleaning them first and heat them up with a heat gun to help get some of the brake fluid out. Regards Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

05-02-2018, 08:26 PM	#20
Jack E/NJ Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Posts: 2,173	Re: Brake fluid on brake shoes I'd prolly fix or replace the leaky cylinder to see how well stops first. 8^) Jack E/NJ