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Cleaning inside of old master cylinders

Started by drifter, August 31, 2019, 01:17:43 AM

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drifter

Well I'm finally running out of things to fix on my franken Pan, should be done in a few days.  So I'm thinking of my next project, the 1978 Sportster Cafe Racer I bought 3 years ago.  Quick history: the previous owner bought it in 1990, put the engine in a drag frame and rode it a 1/4 mile at a time.  Then put it back in the original frame about 4 years ago, got it to run and passed away.  The bike has brand new tires with a date stamp of 1990.  I have to go through it and fix a few things, one of which is the disc brake system (front and back) dried up and left crud in the cylinders and hoses.  I would like to keep the originals so does anybody know how to clean them out and make them serviceable again?  Any whiz bang chemicals?  I pulled the rear master off and managed to remove the piston, it fought pretty hard. 

Pirsch Fire Wagon

Disassemble, Parts Cleaner, Brake Hone if need be, If the fluid container itself has to be cleaned of scale, use a Dremmel with a sand Drum. let air dry and reassemble with new, reinstall.
Tom

JW113

2004 FLHRS   1977 FLH Shovelhead  1992 FLSTC
1945 Indian Chief   1978 XL Bobber

Don D

No petroleum products should be used in a brake system to clean it.
Use denatured alcohol or fresh fluid. The cylinder itself can be honed with brake fluid for lubricant.

JW113

You could try alcohol in an ultrasonic cleaner, would likely do well if it's only gunk you're trying to clear out. If it's corroded, need something with a little more bite than alcohol. I like Pine Sol, it's water based, is a degreaser, and acidic enough to eat corrosion.

-JW
2004 FLHRS   1977 FLH Shovelhead  1992 FLSTC
1945 Indian Chief   1978 XL Bobber

drifter

Thanks guys. 
I forgot that I have a brake hone, too many tools (NEVER!) bought over the years and stored out of sight, thanks.
An excuse to buy another tool (see above), an ultrasonic cleaner sounds interesting if I can find a place to put it, thanks.

Whatever the residue is that is in there is hard and dry, I was hoping for a magic elixir but will see how your suggestions work first.

Don D

Personally I would glass bead it then and then move forward with a flush and hone.

Buglet

   I would use plastic beads instead of glass and use a red scotch brite then a white one on a mandrill does a much better job then a hone.

eglideic

 I'm puzzled. Why is it not recommended to use "Brake Parts Cleaner" ?????

JW113

When brake cleaner used to contain 1,1,1 trichloroethane, it worked great, but those days are long gone. These days brake cleaner is simply acetone in a spray can. Total waste of money IMO.

-JW
2004 FLHRS   1977 FLH Shovelhead  1992 FLSTC
1945 Indian Chief   1978 XL Bobber

eglideic

Quote from: JW113 on September 08, 2019, 10:20:42 AM
When brake cleaner used to contain 1,1,1 trichloroethane, it worked great, but those days are long gone. These days brake cleaner is simply acetone in a spray can. Total waste of money IMO.

-JW

Thanks for the info. I guess being a chemistry professor like yourself does have its advantages.

JW113

Or, perhaps I paid attention during chemistry class.

-JW
2004 FLHRS   1977 FLH Shovelhead  1992 FLSTC
1945 Indian Chief   1978 XL Bobber