TheSamba.com :: View topic - Leaky master cylinder; corrosion problem?

Mon Nov 09, 2009 7:29 am

Over the past couple of weeks, I noticed the brake fluid reservoir was very low; not noticing any obvious leaks, I topped it off. When I noticed it was low again, I located the source: leaking master cylinder. It wasn't leaking at the connections, but rather at the area where the brake push rod goes in... inside the rubber boot.
Replaced the MC on Saturday w/o any problems (thanx to those who warned about not losing the spacers). Bench bled the MC & the brakes & all is okay now. Lucky I had a nice German replacement on hand.
Anyway, I've got a real concern about the approx. one pint of brake fluid that leaked into the bulkhead. The leaking was going into the double-walled area & fluid was dripping out of the left corner of the frame.
I know how corrosive brake fluid can be... question here is how to flush out the remainder of the leaked-out fluid from the frame area & best way to prevent future corrosion?
So far, I'm thinking about spraying a can of brake cleaner in the 1/4" gap that surrounds the rubber boot, the following it up w/ some kind of oil...
Any other suggestions? Drill into firewall?

jlex.

Sun May 02, 2010 4:54 am

The same thing happened to me.Flush with hot soap and water as brake fluid will dissolve with water.You can use brake cleaner but soap and water is better and a lot cheaper.Do it several times so the water will follow the same path as the brake fluid and flush it out the bulkhead then wipe any areas you can get at with a dry cloth.

Sun May 02, 2010 3:28 pm

videoguy009 wrote: The same thing happened to me.Flush with hot soap and water as brake fluid will dissolve with water.You can use brake cleaner but soap and water is better and a lot cheaper.Do it several times so the water will follow the same path as the brake fluid and flush it out the bulkhead then wipe any areas you can get at with a dry cloth.
x2, water works great. No need for brake cleaner. Brake fluid is highly hygroscopic, so water is perfect for flushing it out. Warm water with tiny bit of soap mixed in if you want it really clean. Don't be frugal with the water either, run a whole bunch of it through the affected area.