Fairchild Club Forum

'I have installed the Cessna 310 brake conversion kit on my PT-26. I'm also using DOT 5 for the brake hydraulic fluid.

I had a hydraulic leak that soaked the brake pads on that side. I cleaned the pads and disk with acetone, then MEK, but braking on that side is still negligible. Tried heating the brakes with 20-30 mph taxi runs, but brakes faded quickly. Are those pads worthless now?

I'm willing to replace them, but wonder if anyone else has had any experience on DOT 5 soaked brake pads.

Charles'

'
I had same issue on my Hayes setup.  The pads were useless - change with new.
Bill C.
NC28685
From: fairchildclub@yahoogroups.com on behalf of cmueller@csuchico.edu [fairchildclub]
Sent: Monday, February 15, 2016 5:57 PM
To: fairchildclub@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [fairchildclub] DOT 5 vs brake pads     I have installed the Cessna 310 brake conversion kit on my PT-26. I'm also using DOT 5 for the brake hydraulic fluid.

I had a hydraulic leak that soaked the brake pads on that side. I cleaned the pads and disk with acetone, then MEK, but braking on that side is still negligible. Tried heating the brakes with 20-30 mph taxi runs, but brakes faded quickly. Are those pads worthless now?

I'm willing to replace them, but wonder if anyone else has had any experience on DOT 5 soaked brake pads.

Charles '

' Charles,   Once the pads are soaked with brake fluid it is almost impossible to get them clean again. The material is very porous and the cleaning agents just don't get all the fluid out. As you apply the brakes the fluid heats and rises to the surface and causes the fade. It only takes a miniscule amount. Safest to replace them.   John    In a message dated 2/16/2016 6:53:36 A.M. Mountain Standard Time, fairchildclub@yahoogroups.com writes:

I had same issue on my Hayes setup.  The pads were useless - change with new.
Bill C.
NC28685
From: fairchildclub@yahoogroups.com on behalf of cmueller@csuchico.edu [fairchildclub]
Sent: Monday, February 15, 2016 5:57 PM
To: fairchildclub@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [fairchildclub] DOT 5 vs brake pads     I have installed the Cessna 310 brake conversion kit on my PT-26. I'm also using DOT 5 for the brake hydraulic fluid.

I had a hydraulic leak that soaked the brake pads on that side. I cleaned the pads and disk with acetone, then MEK, but braking on that side is still negligible. Tried heating the brakes with 20-30 mph taxi runs, but brakes faded quickly. Are those pads worthless now?

I'm willing to replace them, but wonder if anyone else has had any experience on DOT 5 soaked brake pads.

Charles

'

'New pads have been ordered.
Thank you all for your responses.
This is the kind of thing this newsgroup excels at!

Charles'

'Your description of what happens matches my experience - some braking response at first application of brakes, which quickly fades to no braking action.
New pads are on the way.

Charles'