David,
Water will do a good job washing away the brake fluid residue.
Regular DOT 3 and 4 fluids absorb water and, as some say, "the solution
to pollution is dilutrion". Wash the area well, including underside of
the firewall and the pedals, carpets and floor. Dry, then follow with
the primer that Rustoleum suggests.
This is the sort of incident that temps one into the use of silicone
fluid. I'm at sixes & sevens about it, having it in my TD since 1975 but
using DOT4 in my MGB. Within the last month the TD's left rear wheel
cylinder has leaked the silicone fluid again, soaking another set of
brake shoes, though not damaging the paint on drum, backing plate or
wheel. White Post has graciously, and quickly, rebuilt it again, at no
charge.
Silicone is said to find imperfections in rubber cups and seals, thus
to leak more readily than conventional fluids. I don't know that that is
true, though my experience has been that there have been leaks that I
consider more frequent than normal.
Perhaps the advantages and disadvantages of silicone could be
calculated another way--as in damage done by fluid. In TDs, drips from
MC fall onto the ground and drips from wheel cylinders affect drum paint
and wheels. In MGBs, drips from MC affect firewall under and around
wires and tubes, the pedals, the carpets and the floor. Considered
that way, perhaps silicone makes sense in MGBs and not in TDs. Yet, if
silicone does leak, its residue is very difficult to get off the paint,
should you ever want to paint in the area in the future.
Bob
On Mon, 15 Aug 2005 22:27:17 -0400 "David Macedonia"
<david.macedonia@verizon.net> writes:
> It's a sad day...
>
> I decided to go for a drive in the 'B yesterday only to discover
|