[TR] dried brake fluid, swishing it out first!

[Paul Dorsey]

List,
I am embarrassed to say this, but the TR3A hasn't moved a foot since I rebuilt
the brakes several years ago.  Of course, I've been rebuilding everything else
about it since that time!

When I rebuilt the brakes, I split the halves, replacing the O-ring, cleaning
everything, and replacing all rubber parts, and retorquing everything.  I  now
have forgotten the specs for the torque (BTW: could someone remind me) on the
(smaller vs. larger bolts.)  The caliper brakes worked fine when tested after
assembly with all new lines and new master cylinders.  Unfortunatley, I didn't
know enough about different types of flares and though I filled the brake and
clutch systems full of DOT 4 brake fluid (good enuf for me).  Anyway, many of
my fittings leaked,  however the calipers showed all the rubber to be working
and held tight on the rotors (for awhile).  I tried not to let my failure with
the brakes halt my progress, so I moved onto body work (or something).
    Now, two years later the tank has drained of all DOT 4.  Proably air got
to many of my leaking flaring attempts.  This week one of the .75 bore rear
hydralic cylinders aluminum broke off at the bleed niple.  Upon dissecting
this I saw that although it had new rubber washers and sanded bore ( I rebuilt
these too) , that it also had dried new brake fluid.  Realizing that the lines
might be like this I individually took them apart and blew them out with my
compressor(100psi).  The compressor has a new filter to remove oil and water.
I then blasted
3MT High Power Brake Cleaner into each line (letting it sit overnight in the 2
year old steel brake lines.)
3m's website says this about it:

"A high delivery non-chlorinated, general-purpose degreaser. Designed to
remove oil, grease, brake fluid and other contaminants from all types of brake
assemblies and parts without disassembling the unit. No ozone depleting
ingredients."

Even with this said, I am still leary about spraying this even temporaily into
the calipers, should I be?

It might be ok since  their off the car if I spray the calipers, then blow
them with the compressor, then fill them with brake fluid then rinse out that
brake fluid?



Thanks, Paul Dorsey  60 TR3A