Slave cylinder rubbers (Brakes)

Looking at the brake pipes, it’s not long before they will need replacing. I may do this when the whole lot needs sorting.
It makes sense as an upgrade while I’m at it.

Bobsticle said:

Looking at the brake pipes, it’s not long before they will need replacing. I may do this when the whole lot needs sorting.
It makes sense as an upgrade while I’m at it.

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Yes, good policy, if you can purge all the old brake fluid out, as @Turboman has said you cannot mix the fluids as traces of the old will still work their destructive ways. I used a special system cleaner, (that was about 20 years ago, can't recall what it was), that was made to take all traces of the old type fluid out, then all the system rubbers/seals need to be changed out.
More the better if you are replacing brake lines for new then they can be individually washed out before fitting.
Like I said, it is a big undertaking but I reckon well worth it if it's a vehicle you want to hang on to, and it means no more rot and failed rubbers due to corrosion.

Turboman said:

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.

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It's like a lot of this stuff, there is pro's and con's, if I had another car worthwhile keeping a long time I'd do the brake fluid thing and the waterless coolant thing because it keeps them usable for longer and narrows the risks of stuffing them up completely, say, should a coolant hose burst or a brake fail.

I found mixed reviews on dot5, and quite a lot against it. I think DOT 5.1 is later and compatible with Dot4 fluids. Re Brit part stud pulling out, I had that too, they just seemd to be cast in about 1/4 inch. Re corrsion, I meant the part not in contact with the fluid, ie under the rubber boot. It must get damp, I like the idea of vaselene inside there.

Started doing the vaselene thing when I was trialing a series 3 [ still in use as farm run around ] It would be out once a month and usualy come back plasterd in crud,a quick power wash then not used until the next month. Once a year I would retreat the brakes and find perhaps only one or two pistons had stuck despite the inevitable mess in the drums.

tottot said:

Started doing the vaselene thing when I was trialing a series 3 [ still in use as farm run around ] It would be out once a month and usualy come back plasterd in crud,a quick power wash then not used until the next month. Once a year I would retreat the brakes and find perhaps only one or two pistons had stuck despite the inevitable mess in the drums.

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IIRC, years ago, brake components used to come with a little portion of brake grease, which was actually petroleum jelly, to use under the rubbers.
I guess that practice has been abandoned in the interests of cost cutting now.

Yea, I remember that Turboman.

tottot said:

Yea, I remember that Turboman.

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I don't think the motor industry has improved through being run by bean counters.

+ 1 on that,and whatever system regulates spare part standards is not doing to well either.

I think your point about spare parts is very valid. There doesn't seem to be regualtion, those BP studs that pull out don't appear to be fit for the task. The problem is that we don't want to go down the type approval route where every part costs a fortune and its illegal to modify it. I think we depended on professional ethics and duty in that engineers saw it as their duty to make safe products, since dieselgate we can safely say that's history. Steel brake pipes only exist because of cost, there are many better alternatives but they all cost (pennies!) more.

Did one this morning. The top was the pritpart alloy and the bottom a steel. They were both leaking and the steel one had started rusting inside. Just gave them a titivate, new rubbers and threw the wheel back on. Looks like I may be doing the whole system sooner than later. I aint replacing cylinders every two years thats for sure.

Bobsticle said:

Did one this morning. The top was the pritpart alloy and the bottom a steel. They were both leaking and the steel one had started rusting inside. Just gave them a titivate, new rubbers and threw the wheel back on. Looks like I may be doing the whole system sooner than later. I aint replacing cylinders every two years thats for sure.

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That is a ridiculously low interval for wheel cylinders.
When I bought my Ninety, the rear brakes had genuine LR cylinders, as the previous owner always had it dealer serviced.
The cylinders were still leak free and moving when I changed the rear shoes six years later.

Well looks like I should avoid the cheap wheel cylinders then. I've seen the TRW cylinders that are meant to be oem but they are 3x the price of the others, a case of you get what you pay for.?

Just changed some TRW cylinders been on 8 years, they are probably serviceable but two bleed nipples where seized in and front ones need new seals.
I already had two spare TRW ones bought 8 years ago to go on front , fitted Bearmach to the rears