I have a rear drum brake that is leaking fluid. So I'm gonna replace the brake cylinder.

However, the brake shoes might be contaminated. I have a pair of Raybestos 337RP (11 x 2.75) shoes. They were installed by the previous owner.

Now my question is: can these particular brake shoes be cleaned with brake cleaner to remove any braking fluid? As I understand, the older brake shoes cannot, but what's the case for these more modern materials?

I really don't know the answer. However my recomendation is to replace BOTH wheel cylinders, and both shoes. Parts are not expensive, and why take a chance.

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Charrlie_S
65 Valiant 100 2dr post 170 turbo
66 Valiant Signet 225 nitrous
64 Valiant Signet
64 Valiant 4dr 170

I've done this for rear shoes (not front, as most of your braking is up front)

A pot of boiling water with a little bit of dish washing soap...……….

Brake fluid is miscible with water so it tends to come out of the pores...……

The hot water adds energy to speed things up. Not sure what the soap does. (maybe something to do with surface tension)

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Ed
64 Valiant 225 / 904 / 42:1 manual steering / 9" drum brakes

Check to make sure the fluid is from the wheel cylinder, and not the axle seal.

Additionally,

I have used parts washer to clean shoes ( mineral spirits in a pan or bucket can work if you don't have a parts washer.

Rinse and dry it off thoroughly with hot water and then dry completely.

spray brake cleaners work well too!

I have never had a problem with either of those techniques.


Greg

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http://www.youtube.com/hyperpack

I do not clean brake shoes that have become contaminated because the contamination always penetrates the porous brake lining and will not come out. When the shoe gets hot the contaminants vaporize and come out of the shoe. But the gasses can't come out of the shoe where it's in contact with the drum and the vapors will cause the shoe to lose contact with the drum surface. This is brake fade. If you never use the brakes hard enough to get them hot you'd probably never have this happen, but I don't take such a chance. I want everything the brakes will deliver. If I were truly poverty stricken and had to reuse the shoes I would clean them, but that's not my situation.

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Joshua

Back in the day when these brakes were as good as it got common practice would have been to replace the leaking wheel cylinder and simply wash the linings with water and call it a job . These days if the linings were really saturated with brake fluid I’d see how they cleaned up by washing and brake cleaner. One thing I have seen with really contaminated linings is the bonding fails and the lining starts to seperate . This was years ago now, so I’m sure modern Bonding agents may be more or less prone to this, but worth considering in your diagnosis.

Just removed the drum to have a closer look. There was no brake fluid ... well, I could not see any since everything was covered with grease .... Like you suggested Greg: is this the result of a broken axle seal?

Probably right. Gear oil leaking past the seal.

Greg

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http://www.youtube.com/hyperpack