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Topic: Those little words you never want to hear... (Read 1637 times) previous topic - next topic

Those little words you never want to hear...

..."What happens if I put power steering fluid into my brake master cylinder?"
 
Those are the words I just heard from my brother. Seems he has a leaking wheel cylinder on his '94 E350 cargo van, and one of his employees who was driving it didn't have any brake fluid. He added PS fluid, then called me and asked what would happen (kinda like closing the barn door after the horse has left, I know...).
 
Luckily he did not drive the van or even step on the brake pedal yet, so hopefully the damage is minimal. I told him to get it ALL out. Pull the frickin' plastic reservoir off, clean it thoroughly, and even use a syringe to suck the fluid out of the holes in the M/C itself. With luck he didn't f*ck the brake system completely. If he did, you all know what that means: new M/C, calipers, wheel cylinders, flex hoses, and flushed steel lines. I've mixed emotions about it - I know he just spent a lot of money on that van and can't afford another right now (Christmas, y'know), but he said if that happens he'll junk the van, so the one light at the end of the tunnel is that I may end up with the engine - a roller 351W!
2015 Mustang GT Premium - 5.0, 6-speed, Guard Green - too much awesome for one car

1988 5.0 Thunderbird :birdsmily: SOLD SEPT 11 2010: TC front clip/hood ♣ Body & paint completed Oct 2007 ♣ 3.55 TC rear end and front brakes ♣ TC interior ♣ CHE rear control arms (adjustable lowers) ♣ 2001 Bullitt springs ♣ Energy suspension poly busings ♣ Kenne Brown subframe connectors ♣ CWE engine mounts ♣ Thundercat sequential turn signals ♣ Explorer overhead console (temp/compass display) ♣ 2.25" off-road dual exhaust ♣ T-5 transmission swap completed Jan 2009 ♣

Re: Those little words you never want to hear...

Reply #1 –
So what are you hoping happens :grinno:
-- 05 Mustang GT-Whipplecharged !!
--87 5.0 Trick Flow Heads & Intake - Custom Cam - Many other goodies...3100Lbs...Low12's!

Re: Those little words you never want to hear...

Reply #2 –
My wife did that to our Suburban last year and I had no idea she did it, untill 400 odd miles into the trip I couldnt touch the brakes without it being DANGEROUS, I thought i just had a binding caliper so I changed the fronts in a walmart parking lot. went about 60 miles and they screwd up again, finally i figured out she had done that and $1600 buck later at the Firestone it had all new brakes. OH JOY!!!
 

Re: Those little words you never want to hear...

Reply #3 –
One mechanic did that at the place I used to work.  However he used used motor oil (as in it was drained from the previous vehical he worked on) by mistake.  This problem started when he came in to work all hung over.  After changing a set of brake shoes on this car (it was a 83 toyota tercel) he bled the rear brakes and topped up the master cylinder with used motor oil.  The brakes gave out on the customer somewhere down the road.  They had the car towed back to the shop (lucky they didn;t sue the owner) and I had to fix it.  The guy who screwed them up, was off that day.

New MC,
Flushed all the hard lines with solvent and compressed air
new flex lines,
cleaned and rebuilt wheel cylinders
cleaned calipers and used new piston seals.
new shoes and pads

The moral of the story is, brake fluid is NOT black like used oil.  Trained mechanics can skrew up too.