SuzukiSavage.com - Print Page

SuzukiSavage.com
/cgi-bin/YaBB.pl
General Category >> Rubber Side Down! >> Master cylinder and brake line cleanup
/cgi-bin/YaBB.pl?num=1372119396

Message started by Single_Spark on 06/24/13 at 17:16:36

Title: Master cylinder and brake line cleanup
Post by Single_Spark on 06/24/13 at 17:16:36

Any suggestions on getting this thing cleaned out?

http://i1344.photobucket.com/albums/p641/onesinglespark85/a77a1419-b735-4e57-abc5-f537dcb7d812_zpsbb2b7f2b.jpg

Title: Re: Master cylinder and brake line cleanup
Post by Oldfeller on 06/24/13 at 18:31:22

What in the world is that master cylinder off of?

Cleanup with brake parts cleaner then let dry completely before relubricating with the proper grade of brake fluid.

Plan to change out your brake fluid a little more frequently ....

Title: Re: Master cylinder and brake line cleanup
Post by Single_Spark on 06/24/13 at 18:54:21

Yeah. It's pretty bad.

I'll try the brake cleaner sometime this week. I live in a very wet climate (and I can't garage the bike), so should I let it dry with the MC cover on loosely, or tightened all the way down? I'm thinking a day or two to dry.

Title: Re: Master cylinder and brake line cleanup
Post by verslagen1 on 06/24/13 at 19:23:16

no, don't let it dry, wipe it out, brake cleaner, brake fluid, flush it.

that stuff's in the lines too.

Title: Re: Master cylinder and brake line cleanup
Post by Oldfeller on 06/24/13 at 19:40:01

Versy, if you spray it all out with brake parts cleaner and get some inside (that remains wet) what will that do to the new brake fluid?

Brake fluid is alcohol and glycerine based and brake parts cleaner is acetone based .....

I can understand not letting it stay out unprotected ("dry") for days & days (rust and worse would come to see you fer sure) but the only protectant you can put on it is new clean brake fluid and that gets contaminated very quickly with atmospheric moisture if you leave it out in the moist air for any time at all.

I'm curious, as I don't know the total answer here ..... likely he has the same greasy crap down inside his piston & cylinder and in all his hoses.

Do you think some fresh clean brake fluid could act as a slow acting clean up solvent (pump it out / bleed it out a couple of times over a period of weeks to get the sludge out) or does he have to take his whole system into little bitty wee pieces and clean out each & every piece?

:-? I know which path I'd try first .....

Title: Re: Master cylinder and brake line cleanup
Post by verslagen1 on 06/24/13 at 19:58:23

acetone is an alcohol too, just low boiling point.

try a little bit of each in a paper cup. as long as they don't react... ooooo flaming paper cup!

hmmm... take of the bleeder and blow it out with air. fill it up with brake fluid and let sit a couple of days, then blow it out again. that gunk is moisture, you need to get it out.

and I wouldn't let it dry, then you'd never get it out.

Title: Re: Master cylinder and brake line cleanup
Post by WD on 06/24/13 at 21:17:38

Just go to Walmart and get a couple cans of denatured alcohol. Drain the entire system best as you can by gravity, close the bleeder, fill the system with the d-a. Let it sit for a couple days and drain it. Repeat until the d-a comes out clean, then fill and bleed as normal (for most bikes, reverse bleed works better, fill system through bleeder with a pump) with DOT 4 fluid. In the PNW, you might want to do at least a partial bleed/refill a couple times a year. The master cylinder cap gasket WILL allow moisture in, regardless of how tight the cap screws get seated.

Trust me on that, born and raised in the Puget Sound Basin, have spent many a day in Oregon on Sauvie Island (yeah, Collin's Beach) or at Seaside, or visiting relatives in Oregon City/Milwaukie/Gladstone/etc.

Title: Re: Master cylinder and brake line cleanup
Post by Single_Spark on 06/24/13 at 21:41:56

So the alcohol is my best bet?

(Usually it's the start of my problems!)

Title: Re: Master cylinder and brake line cleanup
Post by wambr on 06/24/13 at 22:09:15

6C565158535A6C4F5E4D543F0 wrote:

So the alcohol is my best bet?

(Usually it's the start of my problems!)

Yes, alcohol is the only means. and it should be used insideyou. ;D
but seriously, the first cleanse brush master cylinder from the dry scale, and then wash thoroughly with alcohol.. you can still try the carburettor cleaner.

Title: Re: Master cylinder and brake line cleanup
Post by Oldfeller on 06/25/13 at 04:24:52

Brake parts cleaner is not carburetor cleaner -- it is specially formulated for cleaning brake parts.

Carb cleaner has all sorts of inappropriate stuff in it.

I like the denatured alcohol for the solvent, should not be harmful if a little gets left inside the system on the first brake fluid fill up.

Title: Re: Master cylinder and brake line cleanup
Post by Charon on 06/25/13 at 04:54:21

Denatured alcohol sounds good, but try to find out what was used as a denaturant. Sometimes alcohol is denatured with another alcohol such as methanol (wood alcohol); sometimes with gasoline.

Title: Re: Master cylinder and brake line cleanup
Post by Dave on 06/25/13 at 05:09:51

Call me crazy......but with something that looked like that I would take it apart, clean all the parts, dry them off, lightly lube the rubber parts with silicone grease or brake fluid, put it back together, then put in new fluid and bleed the system. Since the bike sits outside I might even make a switch to silcone brake fluid that does not have the problems with water absorption.

If you have the tools, abillith and time.....take it apart and clean it.

If yo don't have the "right stuff"......wipe out the master cylinder bowl and get as much crud out as you can, then flush the system as others have suggested.

Title: Re: Master cylinder and brake line cleanup
Post by SALB on 06/25/13 at 12:46:52

02393423323E252338303D22510 wrote:

I agree. If the reservoir looks that bad, I'd have to question how far the rubber has deteriorated, and how pitted the piston bore in the caliper is. Disassemble, inspect, clean and replace as necessary. And Dave may just be onto something with the silicone fluid.....just be forewarned that it is not at all compatible with regular fluid, and can be hard to find. ;)

Title: Re: Master cylinder and brake line cleanup
Post by WD on 06/25/13 at 20:37:18

Hard to find? ANY authorized or indie shop that deals even remotely with Harley Davidsons should have it on the shelf, year round. Pricey yes, scarce no. And If you do decide to switch, replace the entire system, you'll never get all the DOT 3 or 4 out. Mix those with 5 and you get... jello. If you're lucky, otherwise you get synthetic sand.

Title: Re: Master cylinder and brake line cleanup
Post by SALB on 06/25/13 at 21:25:18

Unfortunately, not everyone has a HD or any other power sport dealer in their neck of the woods. NAPA is the only parts store that even seems to know what it is around here, and they have to order it (usually next day).

Title: Re: Master cylinder and brake line cleanup
Post by WD on 06/25/13 at 21:39:17

The Boise dealership close? Call Owens HD in Yakima WA and have them ship you a couple bottles. Was in Boise in March 2011, could swear I saw a Harley Dealership billboard...

All the online HD catalogs have it if you get sick of NAPA...

Title: Re: Master cylinder and brake line cleanup
Post by SALB on 06/25/13 at 21:46:15

There are three HD dealers here in the treasure valley, and at least a 5 hour drive in any direction to the next one. Or I'm sure you could buy it online and have it overnighted. My point was that you can't pick it up nearly as readily as regular fluid in a pinch.