TR3a brake and clutch fluid reservoir cleaning.

[YOW500]

I am rebuilding a TR3a which has been off the road for many years. The brake fluid reservoir is dry, and in need of a very good clean. Can anyone advise me please as to the best method, and what cleaning fluid to use. Thank you.

[Don H.]

Are you thinking to clean the reservoir and put the old system back into service?

 

For some things -- like brakes and tires -- there are life-threatening safety issues with old systems. I'd play it *very* safe. For a car not on the road for "many years" I'd replace all the brake lines and all the rubber in the hydraulics. The old reservoir if not rusted inside can probably be reused, but even for these there are good reproductions these days.

[Don Elliott]

When I restored my 1958 TR3A which I bought brand new, I changed all the items that Don mentions above. That was in 1990. But the reservoir was rusty on the outside but was still in nice shape so I put that item back in the system. It has 2-pack paint on the outside and the insides still appear "tinned" with a solder-like or terne coating. The reservoir now has 191,000 miles on it over the past 55 years. But I changed the seals for the outlet connections on the bottom of the reservoir for the two pipes and have only used purple silicone brake fluid since 1990 (111,000 miles).

[Nick Webster]

Well despite all the dire warnings about not contaminating brake components, if you read deeper into brake servicing literature you will more or less find you can clean metal components with whatever does the job... providing it is absolutely decontaminated when you have finished. And of course the reservoir has to be taken off and given a good shake. You can't do it in situ. Depends of course what the inside is like . Ironically, brake fluid itself would be my first port of call. It strips paint after all. Let it soak over night. I then might consider a bit of cellulose thinners, which will evaporate dry. Follow up with clutch and brake cleaner, preferably from a new pressure spay can with a tube on the nozzle to swoosh about. It should be pretty clean after that but I always, repeat always, finish with several generous washes in Methylated Spirits. This does not attack rubber but unfortunately, being an alcohol, does not dissolve hydrocarbon oil either, which is why I would not use anything like petrol or a heavier oil, which might be quite effective but also might carry the risk of leaving a residue. The Meths should shift the last bits of rust dust. Never be tempted to drop anything into the container to agitate the rust. Or as I have actually seen, grit blast the inside. The inside was originally tinned against rusting and if you can see that this is breaking down badly then you really should consider a new reservoir.

 

Nick Webster

(Lockheed high pressure continuous flow servos and hen's teeth a speciality).

[YOW500]

Thanks guys, I think the safe way is new unit.