Oil Soaked Brake Shoes

[Bob_Roller]

The rear brake shoes on my '84 LS are oil contaminated .

I've seen references to boiling the shoes in water to release the oil .

Anyone heard about this method, or possibly another method to successfully remove oil from brake linings or pads ?

[caci]

Been there, done that, got the t-shirt.
Works fine.
First, clean/scrub with brake cleaner.
Boil about 20-30 minutes.
Skim the water before removing the shoes - unless you want to drag them through oil!
They will self-dry from the heat.
Clean again with brake cleaner.
Lightly sanded the shoes with 100 - 220 grit paper.
Be sure to lube spring holes & pivot/cam points with caliper grease or suitable high- temp lube.

You can either slide 1/2" ID heater hose 3" long OR Heat Shrink around the spring coils to dampen spring harmonics ( you'll know the sound - like you are boiling a cat).

Chris

[Bob_Roller]

Thanks for the reply .

I hated to replace the shoes, if I didn't have to, they looked like they were installed just before the bikes 9 year 'hibernation' .

[Ed Miller]

I wonder if a little simple green in the water would be desirable.  Or would it melt the lining off of the aluminum?  

[montmil]

Thanks, Caci...  i didn't want to be the first to admit I had "cooked" brake shoes

I most certainly did get a verbal ass whuppin' for using one of my bride's high-dollar pans! Note to self: Next time, buy a cheapo pan at the Dollar Store.

I had previously poisoned one of her better, small cast iron skillets when I used it to melt lead tire weights for casting a pair of aileron balance weights... back in my airplane building period.

Dem wimmen folk remember this stuff... [smiley=furious3.gif]  

Monte

[Rob Valdez 79 R65]

I most certainly did get a verbal ass whuppin' for using one of my bride's high-dollar pans! Note to self: Next time, buy a cheapo pan at the Dollar Store.

I had previously poisoned one of her better, small cast iron skillets when I used it to melt lead tire weights for casting a pair of aileron balance weights... back in my airplane building period.

Monte

TWICE! Monte?  

Even I know better than to mess with the tools of the person that feeds me!


In fact, I've been wondering where one would want to do this boiling.
Certainly  not on my stove, there is no exhaust hood.  And you definitely want a exhaust fan venting to the outside (there are cheapies that send it above your head, you know).

Skimming oil off the top.  This sounds like more fun all the time!  


but yeah, the darn things are expensive.
I think I'd be tempted to build a fire and do it in the back yard.
That is probably not legal in your neighborhood, though, is it, Bob?

[Bob_Roller]

I was planning on doing it on the side burner on the gas grille outside .

Need to find a cheap metal water containment vessel to do the boiling in .

I've got a Dollar Store about 2 miles from home, next day off, I'll see what they have on hand .

[montmil]

"TWICE! Monte?  
Even I know better than to mess with the tools of the person that feeds me!" –Rob

Coleman stove out on the patio worked for the lead melting. Ditto cooking the brakes. And yes, I married a saint.

I also destroyed wife's Great Aunt's antique hand mirror attempting to use it to lay up some ultra flat epoxy fiberglas aircraft bits. Even though I waxed the glass surface, the epoxy chipped off bits of the mirror's surface. Oops! I attempted to hide the mirror chips with vials of cosmetic materials but was found out... [smiley=furious3.gif]

Monte I canceled my life insurance so I'm worth more to her alive than dead Miller

  

[Rob Valdez 79 R65]

My [size=14]ex[/size]-wife took the easy way out...


I remember my dad melting some lead for our race cars in YMCA Indian Guides (larger than Boy Scouts race cars).  He had this old, beat-up sauce pan, probably just 1 quart.  It looked like it went through the war with him.

I was amazed.  Other than mercury, I had never seen liquid metal before.