Brake Fluid on CV boot!!

[MaximaGuy]

While bleeding my vehicle on all four sides accidently the fluid on the bleed nipple was all over my CV boots. I immediately spayed the boot with brake cleaner. This actually happened on on one side and not on all the sides (got a little careful while doing the other 3 sides).

Should I be concerned first the brake fluid made it on the boot and then used the brake cleaner to clean up the mess.

 

[Mr Nice]

NO.

 

[xxch4osxx]

Cleaning it right away will have stopped the brake fluid from starting to eat at the boot cover. I wouldn't worry about it.

 

[Eddie]

+1 No problem

 

[flanso]

Brake fluid does not cause rubber to deteriorate; brake cylinder seals and cups are made of rubber. Brake fluid won't hurt the CV boots and brake cleaner evaporates too fast to cause any damage.

 

[Boomer]

Brake fluid is generally a polyethylene glycol; it is water soluble and is, in fact, used as a laxative! You are more likely to get into problems with petroleum based solvents but then today's boots are not just regular rubber but usually a flexible type of engineering polymer. They are, after all, filled with grease and don't suffer from that material at all. They generally fail due to the many millions of flexural events that finally cause fatigue.

 

[mechtech2]

It would have been better to leave the brake fluid on the boots, than to attack them with brake cleaner.
But cleaning them off did help with splash/spray that would/could affect painted surfaces.

 

[Vizzy]

Originally Posted By: mechtech2
It would have been better to leave the brake fluid on the boots, than to attack them with brake cleaner.
But cleaning them off did help with splash/spray that would/could affect painted surfaces.



Right you are!!!!!!

Refrain from using harsh solvents on any rubber OR synthetic moulded parts. Brake cleaner is VERY harsh!!!!!

If you need to clean brake fluid off simply use something like simple green or the like.

Clean surfaces with the most gentle products possible.

 

[oilboy123]

I would have sprayed it off with water.

 

[benjamming]

Are we talking about chlorinated or non-chlorinated brake cleaner?

 

[440Magnum]

If CV boots were easily damaged by brake fluid or brake cleaner, they wouldn't be much use as CV boots.

Don't worry.

 

[440Magnum]

Originally Posted By: Vizzy
\
Refrain from using harsh solvents on any rubber OR synthetic moulded parts. Brake cleaner is VERY harsh!!!!!


Depends on what kind of brake cleaner. "Non Chlorinated" brake cleaners contain acetone, naptha, and several other harsh solvents and will attack plastics, but not most synthetic and natural rubbers. Its designed NOT to harm the rubber boots around the pistons in brake calipers, for example.

Regular tetrachloroethylene brake cleaner is the same thing as dry-cleaning fluid, and its even milder on plastics and rubber. There are a few plastics that it will hurt, but for the most part its very safe on plastic and rubber. If it doesn't hurt cashmere sweaters, it isn't going to hurt CV boots.

 

[doitmyself]

Originally Posted By: 440Magnum
Originally Posted By: Vizzy
\
Refrain from using harsh solvents on any rubber OR synthetic moulded parts. Brake cleaner is VERY harsh!!!!!


Depends on what kind of brake cleaner. "Non Chlorinated" brake cleaners contain acetone, naptha, and several other harsh solvents and will attack plastics, but not most synthetic and natural rubbers. Its designed NOT to harm the rubber boots around the pistons in brake calipers, for example.

Regular tetrachloroethylene brake cleaner is the same thing as dry-cleaning fluid, and its even milder on plastics and rubber. There are a few plastics that it will hurt, but for the most part its very safe on plastic and rubber. If it doesn't hurt cashmere sweaters, it isn't going to hurt CV boots.



Hmmmmmm....I was on a chainsaw forum recently and I could have sworn that they recommended just the opposite, to safely clean out carburators. They recommended the non-chlorinated because it would not affect interior seals.

Now I have to see if I can find it. One poster claimed it was from a STIHL TSB.

 

[oilboy123]

Yes I would like to hear more about the two kinds of brake cleaner?

 

[johnd]

If brake fluid contains glycol-ether according to WIKI, not propylene glycol. I sure wouldn't even want to get the former on my skin without washing it off, let alone drink it. Spilt brake fluid is easily neutralized with water. You can even prevent it from damaging paint if you hit it right away.