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Apr 26th, 2026 | | AD Chevy Trucks  Over 6,000 pictures Brad Allen has an awesome collection of Chevrolet factory pictures that he has set up from film strips. Check them out!
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| | | | Joined: Oct 2001 Posts: 578 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Oct 2001 Posts: 578 | At another vehicle site, a member has inquired about how to clean brake shoes that have been on an old IRWIPI that has had brake fluid leaked onto the shoes for about 3 years.
Any ideas?
"Happiness equals reality minus expectations" - Tom Magliozzi
| | | | | Joined: Jul 2005 Posts: 581 Shop Shark | | Shop Shark Joined: Jul 2005 Posts: 581 | Jim, I've asked the same question before. Once they get saturated with brake fluid or axle fluid they don't work right. Others have tried to clean them but they still tend to get "sticky" and cling to the drum. The only way to fix it is to replace. Perhaps someone will have a different perspective.
Kyle | | | | | Joined: Aug 2002 Posts: 455 Shop Shark | | Shop Shark Joined: Aug 2002 Posts: 455 | Just replaced a perfectly good and new set of brake shoes on my recently acquired coupe, this weekend, because of bad axle seals and one bad brake cylinder.
Replaced the bearings and seals, the bad brake cylinder and installed brand new brake shoes.
Wish I could have just cleaned the soaked brake shoes in place, but have learned many years ago that just doesn't work.
Brake fluid makes them sticky and trans fluid makes them slide.
Remember 100% functioning brakes and steering are #1 priority on any moving vehicle.
If anything is worn with those systems - replace rather than repair.
| | | | | Joined: Aug 2007 Posts: 1,859 Grumpy old guy playing with trucks, cars, and boats | | Grumpy old guy playing with trucks, cars, and boats Joined: Aug 2007 Posts: 1,859 | for the SAE car so many years ago in college, we soaked them in brake cleaner, then laquer thinner, then baked at 400F for 2 hours to remove the residue as we were unable to get replacements in time for much needed test time. However it would have been faster / cheaper to buy new.
The problems we face today can not be addressed at the same level of intelligence we were at when we created them - Albert Einstein Or with the same level of $ - Me
| | | | | Joined: Mar 2006 Posts: 483 Shop Shark | | Shop Shark Joined: Mar 2006 Posts: 483 | | | | | | Joined: Oct 2007 Posts: 9 New Guy | | New Guy Joined: Oct 2007 Posts: 9 | I was once wrenching on a '63 GM Concession truck. Some guy had put a grease zerk into the dust caps and must have pumped 8 tubes of grease into each drum. Everything was completely saturated. I mean the drums were full of grease, like oozing out the backing plate full. The truck had to go out that evening, and there was a week turnaround time on having the shoes relined. So I just laid them out on a piece of steel and took a propane torch to 'em. I was careful not to overheat them and crack the lining. As they heated up, the grease would begin to seep from the lining, and then burn up. It took about an hour, and when I was done, the shoes looked like new. It was meant to be a temporary fix, but they have held up well for about 2 years now... for what it's worth.
Your friendly neighborhood carnival mechanic,
Shane
She may not always start, and She may not always get me where Im going, but goddamnit, she will always stop.
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