Slave cylinder rubbers (Brakes)

Weather permitting I'm once again doing my brakes. I completely replaced all the slave cylinders a few years ago but within a year the front near side began leaking. Didnt have time to tinker so replaced the whole cylinder again. Now its leaking again along with both rears.
I can only think the rubbers aint up to much so this time I'm replacing them. Got the rubbers, got the pink grease and got 'some' dot 4.
Thinking a better quality fluid might be an idea as the gear I have been using is Wilko brand, made by Como I think.

any ideas?

its just cheap parts and pot luck, any parts you get for a long obsolete vehicle will be poor

jamesmartin said:

its just cheap parts and pot luck, any parts you get for a long obsolete vehicle will be poor

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True but I did go for iron rather than alli. I thought this may give them a bit of longevity. Prolly just crappy rubber. I hope the new ones last a bit longer.
I do remember seeing some very light rust spots inside the one I changed but have no idea how water got in there. I flushed the system out well before bleeding. Perhaps I should flush before cleaning and fitting this time.

Bobsticle said:

True but I did go for iron rather than alli. I thought this may give them a bit of longevity. Prolly just crappy rubber. I hope the new ones last a bit longer.
I do remember seeing some very light rust spots inside the one I changed but have no idea how water got in there. I flushed the system out well before bleeding. Perhaps I should flush before cleaning and fitting this time.

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how regular do you use it

jamesmartin said:

how regular do you use it

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Every day. Its parked in the bus depot. Safer than leaving it at home and gives engineering the chance to take the pee.

Only a couple of miles away.

Bobsticle said:

Every day. Its parked in the bus depot. Safer than leaving it at home and gives engineering the chance to take the pee.

Only a couple of miles away.

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poor parts then id just fit another,chances are it could be a good one,lack of use exacerbates brake fluids hygroscopic nature use mitigates it

Cheers James. I'll try cleaning and fitting the rubbers and if it pees all over the wheels again its a case of replacing the damn things.

For some years now I have been filling under the rubber cap with vaseline ,seems to help keep slaves alive.

I once found metal swarf inside new wheel cylinders. Since then I always dismantle, clean and reassemble brake cylinders before fitting them. On another forum I used opinion suggested it is not unusual to find swarf in them. Would certainly shorten the life of the seals and form rusty muck.

Academic today. It’s peeing it down and I can’t drive into the lockup due to a large steel container blocking the doors.

Bobsticle said:

Academic today. It’s peeing it down and I can’t drive into the lockup due to a large steel container blocking the doors.

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If yer missus has packed yer stuff in it, and sent it down there, I would take it as a hint.

What's the view on ally vs cast iron cylinders? They seem to turn up randomly depending on the make. Both seem to corrode, they ally wear faster but seem to sieze up less.

rob1miles said:

What's the view on ally vs cast iron cylinders? They seem to turn up randomly depending on the make. Both seem to corrode, they ally wear faster but seem to sieze up less.

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Neither should seize if you adjust brakes regularly, and change the brake fluid every year.
Water in the fluid, and the pistons never moving, causes them to seize.

rob1miles said:

What's the view on ally vs cast iron cylinders? They seem to turn up randomly depending on the make. Both seem to corrode, they ally wear faster but seem to sieze up less.

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I think it was the fact that Britparts are alloy. After a bad run of britpart parts I made my mind up the iron ones would wear more slowly and therefore last longer. The replacement front nearside cylinder was in fact a britpart as it was all I could get same day locally so it seems there is little difference in the two quality wise unless like I say its down to poor quality rubbers.

There was a recent post on LRUK where a britpart brake cylinder fixing stud fell out when nut tightened looked to have been glued in.

I used Delphi cylinders and 4 years on they all still seem good.

I have no idea what make the steel ones were. I can’t remember.

Bobsticle said:

I have no idea what make the steel ones were. I can’t remember.

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What about trying non-hygroscopic,(hydrophobic, Dot5) silicone brake fluid, you'd need to remove all the old stuff from the system and replace all the rubbers, but it seems to overcome the corrosion issues, it is more expensive but not as much as the p.i.t.a. that having to do the job over and over again is.
Years back I did a complete change out/reseal in my E-type jag after the rear calipers seized, as far as I'm aware the current owner has had no brake system problems. Worth a look.

Gazbo said:

What about trying non-hygroscopic,(hydrophobic, Dot5) silicone brake fluid, you'd need to remove all the old stuff from the system and replace all the rubbers, but it seems to overcome the corrosion issues, it is more expensive but not as much as the p.i.t.a. that having to do the job over and over again is.
Years back I did a complete change out/reseal in my E-type jag after the rear calipers seized, as far as I'm aware the current owner has had no brake system problems. Worth a look.

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Do all the rubbers have to be changed or just the damaged/failed ones. Thinking of master cylinder as well.

Bobsticle said:

Do all the rubbers have to be changed or just the damaged/failed ones. Thinking of master cylinder as well.

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Everything. The stuff can't come into contact with normal brake fluid at all.
May be worth doing on a high value vehicle, on an old series it is probably easier to change the cheap fluid every year.