After a two year restoration on my 71 I now find that my 1 year old master cylinder is showing surface rust...it almost looks gold at this point. How can I keep that new look on it withut high maintnance. Can I paint it (if yes what kind of paint would hold up to spilled brake fluid?) Any help or suggestions is appreciated. Thanks.
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Re: Cleaning surface rust on Master Cylinder
Paul,if you are running DOT5 brake fluid you could paint it with a matte clear paint after glassbeading it. If you use DOT3 then you will probably just have to keep it oiled to keep it from rusting. If you decide to glassbead and coat you might try to dip in a cold blackening solution for just a couple of seconds as it will take away that fresh blasted silver sheen and give it an aged casting look. -
Re: Cleaning surface rust on Master Cylinder
I've found that Armor-All does an excellent job of protecting bare cast iron including exhaust manifolds. It's best applied with a natural bristle paint brush used with oil based paints and should always be reapplied after a surface has been washed with soap and water since this will wash most of it off. I always dilute Armor-All 50 percent with distilled water. This results in a thinner film, which leaves less surface shine.
DukeComment
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Re: Cleaning surface rust on Master Cylinder
The only parts of a 1971 master cylinder that should be raw, unpainted is in spot faced depression on nose where code is stamped and on spot facing on left (driver's) side where line nuts thread in (and date code is).
Those of you with judging manual will note it calls out original finish as low gloss black for the rest of the master cylinder. I have found that the engine black carried by Chevrolet dealers for recent engines is suitable, but it has almost no resistance to DOT 3 & 4 brake fluid.
Several solutions come to mind depending on purpose of the car - i.e.: driver, show & shine or NCRS concours. It might be easier to offer advise if we knew intended use of car.
Terry
TerryComment
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Re: Cleaning surface rust on Master Cylinder
Thanks for all the responses. Terry to answer your question the cars is a on-frame restored driver. If you know of OE style paints that would resist brake fluid or any other suggestions that would be helpful...thanks again.Comment
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Re: Cleaning surface rust on Master Cylinder
The guys who paint cars might be able to advise about the possibility of DuPont DP-90? primer's resistance to glycol brake fluid. I may not have the right number here - whatever number is for the black, self etching primer. That is pretty tough stuff, but glycol is real hard on paint.
I guess if it doesn't matter for judging, why not powder coat? I believe that is resistant to glycol, but I am not sure if they can dull it out enough. They must because folks powder coat frames, although I have never had anyone admit to that practice on the show field. :-)
Terry
TerryComment
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Re: Cleaning surface rust on Master Cylinder more
How much brake fluid gets on the outside of your master cylinder? It occures to me that with reasonable care this ought not be much of a problem.
The other side of the solution is to go to DOT 5 as Duke suggests.
Terry
TerryComment
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M/cyl paint and glycol vs. silicone
If you wash glycol off immediately with water (it's water soluble), it won't do too much damage. If you want to do a quick and inexpensive paint job, I'd recommend flat black header paint. As far as silicone DOT 5 is concerned, I think it's worth considering if you are doing a frame off, and EVERYTHING - master cylinder, wheel cylinders, and all lines have been cleaned and dried, but I definately don't recommend switching to Silicone DOT 5 using the bleed to flush method. Based on the experience of those I know who have tried it, it just won't work. There's no way you can flush out all the glycol. The only disadvantage of glycol (other than it's hostility to paint) is that it absorbs moisture,which will eventually corrode the brake system internally, so it must be periodically flushed out and renewed. Two person (get your wife/girlfriend involved with your obsession) manual pumping to bleed works fine, flush through at least one quart. My experience is that flushing the fluid every two years (regardless of mileage) is sufficient to give unlimited life to the hydraulics. The key thing to remember here is that the clock runs on glycol fluid even if the car is in storage or is seldom driven.Comment
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Re: Cleaning surface rust on Master Cylinder more
There is no much brake fluid in the outside, with care you can refill master cylinder and outside paint wouldn't notice it, just on top where cover meets iron. Besides you are not refilling every day or seriuos leak is in the car. I should use any good paint with stock finish, I did without problem.Comment
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Re: M/cyl paint and glycol vs. silicone
Duke
I have to disagree here, your statement :
"Based on the experience of those I know who have tried it, it just won't work."
Has not proven itself to be the rule in our situation. There have been 5 midyears converted in the collection and all but one were problem free. In perfect circumstances, new, clean everything is obviously the optimum but I wouldn't necessarily deter anyone from switching if the brake system were experiencing no problems and the system was bleed flushed carefully.
jerryComment
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Re: M/cyl paint and glycol vs. silicone
Jerry:
Admittedly my database is small, but all I know of who have tried on a variety of cars to switch to silicone by the bleed to flush method eventually had problems, and further inspection revealed considerable glycol fluid still in the system. I attribute this to silicone's lack of miscibility with glycol, and significant differences in specific gravity and viscosity. If you can't remove all the gycol, then the benefits of the silicone are lost because the remaining moisture bearing glycol will continue to corrode the system internally.
Of course, technique could have something to do with it. Given the high cost of silicone brake fluid, some may have not flushed a sufficient amount through the system. When changing glycol fluid on my cars I always flush at least a quart through after draining the master cylinder. A typical automotive brake system contains a pint or less at capacity. I'll be interested to hear how the collection's silicone conversions work out in the future.
DukeComment
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Re: M/cyl paint and glycol vs. silicone
VHi Duke:
The detail of your responses are equaled or bettered only by Joe and I will gladly defer to your expertise anytime . Your database has history to support its credibility where our recent experience with the collection cars conversion does not, we will see what happens here. I would think however that the drain and bleed method if performed carefully and repeated would leave an infinitesimal amount of Glycol and that it would be all but insignificant. It should prove interesting.
jerryComment
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