In a message dated 10/27/99 6:33:00 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
tzuchow@attglobal.net writes:
<< I've noticed that the 6-month-old fluid that came out of my
system is very reddish compared to the clear color of fresh fluid. Is that a
normal color for used brake fluid? Or am I perhaps looking at something like
rust contamination in my brake lines? >>
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Just a coupla thoughts. First, reddish brake fluid is an indication of very
old fluid, contaminated by rust, which usually indicates water in the system.
It shouldn't turn red in 6 months, though. That's very fast. It could be
that there is just some old fluid hiding in the system. Flushing the brake
system by bleeding will never replace all of the fluid, but it does change
enough for regular maintenance. The bleed screws are placed to get air out,
not fluid. The only real way to make sure the fluid is completely changed is
to rebuild all the components. Also, make sure you are using fresh brake
fluid, since old fluid will have absorbed water.
Your main problem, the leaking MCs, could be caused by the piston not being
lined up properly with the pedal. It seems to me that if the piston is not
pushing straight into the MC, it could damage the seal. That would cause it
to leak down the pedal. Did the pedal set and pedal box come from the same
car? If the pedal is shorter or longer than the one that originally came
with the box, it might be a problem.
Bench bleeding the MC before installing it shouldn't cause any problem like
this. Just mount the MC in a vise, fill the reservoir, and push the piston
in until fluid comes out the two holes. No secrets there.
Spend some money on getting one of your MCs re-sleeved by Apple Hydraulics,
White Post or some other company that gives a lifetime warranty.
I hope you find the problem.
Allen Hefner
SCCA Philly Region Rally Steward
'77 Midget
'92 Mitsubishi Expo LRV Sport
|