Ok so while checking out the brakes on the Galaxie, I thought one was leaking so I pulled it off and when I did and pulled back the rubber ends it looked like mud. What does that mean? Should I unhook all of the cylinders and pump fresh fluid through them?
JUstin, you should be able to take them apart and clean them up and put back together, but check for pits in the bores and signs of cracking/ age in the rubber parts. wheel cyls are cheap so if you have concerns just replace them. But just flushing with new fluid will not do much.
If the cylinders are that gunked up, the rubber lines are going to need to be replaced too. They will be rotten and coming apart on the inside.
That gook needs to be cleaned out of there. I would spray it out with carb cleaner. If you pull out the pistons better have a hone there to clean up the inside of the bores because all that rust will tare the seal up when you put it back in. i would also buy new ones or get a kit for them if you have a hone you can clean up the bore with. if its leaking its time for new parts.
That happened on a 53 Hudson that I had. They were so gunky they wouldn't retract and the rears locked up. I bought new wheel cylinders and shoes at Autozone, of all places. Suprised the heck out of me and they were only about $36 for everything. Lot less hassle than trying to clean them up and rebuild them.
The gunk is caused by moisture getting into the brake fluid. I just got through replacing the entire brake system on my '55 Buick that had that crap all through the system.
I'll have to pull the rest and check them out. Much problems with the master cylinders? Running on a tight budget but don't want to cut corners on brakes.
If the MC is not leaking or hanging up on the return it should be ok. They are cheap also, id start with the wheel cylinders since you have them ready to be changed out.
If all the rubber parts seem swelled it might have had oil put in it in place of brake fluid. It's alot more common than you might think.
Sounds like water contamination all right. Bite the bullet and replace or rebuild all the cylinders and flush the system good. That includes the master cylinder, no point in replacing the wheel cylinders if the master is just going to pump them full of old crud again.
Well I just ordered all the cylinders. I just hope there isn't anything wrong with the master cylinder or brake booster. Going clean lines tomorrow and change the spindle.
Ok so as I was pulling the rear hose and cylinder and the lines look like there is caked mud in them too. I tried to clean a small line out with brake cleaner but it still seemed to be in there. Would blowing the lines out with air get it out?
id say rebuild everything on the brake system.. the goo as said before is encapsulated moisture which also collects dirt.. if there's no pitting in the cyls.. rebuild em for cheap prolly like 50 bucks.. but that all is from a neglected brake system.. do it right.. ya can cheap out on many things on a car.. EXCEPT brakes!!!!! and if ya do cheap it let me know what your car looks like so I can never be in front of ya
That mud you are seeing inside the lines, is a combination of water, brake fluid, contaminants and corrosion. Brake fluid is hygroscopic, it absorbs water, when it does it begins to turn yellow, the brown coloration is from the combination of water, rust, old seal particles and contaminants. You will need to clear out all that junk prior to replacing anything. Use a turkey syringe to remove all the old fluid out of the master cylinder, and use paper towels to dry out and remove any crud at the bottom of the reservoir. Fill with new fluid and begin to bleed the brakes in order of, Right Rear, Left Rear, Right Front, Left Front. Don't stop until you see clear fluid come out of the bleeder screw, then move on to the next one. Air is compressible, fluid is not, use the MC to blow the lines clean. Verify that you do not have a spongy pedal. If there is this much crud inside the system the springs and self adjusters inside the drums may need to be at minimum cleaned and regreased. A bucket of water with 409/simple green does wonders at removing brake goo and grime from those parts, let them soak for a few minutes and they should clean up no problem. Look for worn adjusters and broken/bent springs.
The shoes and hardware is all pretty recent. I'm going to check into just replacing all of the lines. Eventually I will get a new booster when I swap to discs. If I can't get it out of the lines before it reaches the hoses I will replace the lines.
As everyone has mentioned, DOT 3 absorbs water out of the air. I have been using DOT 5 for 20 years and I dont find that crap in my cylinders
DOT 3/4/5.1 Fluid is hygroscopic, so it will absorb water into it, this is not necessarily a bad thing. When the fluid becomes contaminated it changes color, easy to spot. Flush it out and you are good to go. DOT 5 Fluid is hydrophobic, it does not absorb water. The problem is, if there is water contamination in the system you will not know. Further more the water may rest somewhere in the system and corrode a line or component, all the while the fluid in the reservoir looks new. Also DOT 5 is more susceptible to trap air bubbles than DOT 3/4/5.1. And you cannot use DOT 5 in a system that already has/had DOT 3/4/5.1. The system must be new and free of moisture. If your concerned about your brake fluid quality, avoid the generic fluids at the local parts counter. Use ATE, Motul, or Castrol LMA. I've seen the LMA sold at Pep Boys and Vato-Zone.
My favorite practice when building brakes is use silicon grease, not just in the bores of the wheel and master cylinders, but fully coating the boots. This can be used with any kind of fluid, and helps seal the moisture out and keep the rubber parts from aging.
The perception is that silicone braike fluid is better than "regular" fluid. The reality is that it's different, better in some ways and worse in others. Some silicone fluids attack some types of brake seals. Possibly that's your problem?
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