[Xioz]

When spraying my chain with teflon-spray, some of it accidently got on my rear disc brake rotor. Unfortunately I only noticed that later.

Does anyone of you know how to effectively remove it? Remove the pads and clean it with some degreaser? Any suggestions on good degreasers? Other tips?

Thanks for the help!

 

[Grumpy]

When spraying my chain with teflon-spray, some of it accidently got on my rear disc brake rotor. Unfortunately I only noticed that later.

Does anyone of you know how to effectively remove it? Remove the pads and clean it with some degreaser? Any suggestions on good degreasers? Other tips?

Thanks for the help!

Teflon will not stick to anything so most "Teflon" sprays use powderd teflon combined with a mid weight synthetic grease (or wax) as a carrier/binding agent with a fast flash solvent (for application)

Treat it as you would normal grease/wax contamination For the rotors a thorough degreasing. The pads are a little tougher (they are porous and absorb the thinned carrier readily. Some say you can "torch" the pads while others (equally qualified) say they will never be the same so just chuck em and start with fresh pads. I would try a good degreasing then torching (and slight roughing with ultra fine abrasive or scotch-bright) if that fails (poor performance) clean the rotors again (and scotchbright them) and get fresh pads.

BTW water soluble degreasers (park chainbright, simple green, ect) are not very effective against wax (or heavy grease) use a solvent tank, paint thinner or wax remover.

 

[Eric Hoefer]

I got bike lube on my pads/rotor a couple weeks ago what I did was the following:

1: Remove affected wheel and use Isopropyl alcohol to thoroughly clean the rotor.

2: Remove affected pads and DO NOT i repeat DO NOT use a liquid degreaser on them it only makes matters worse and soaks the contaminates more into the pad.

3: Place removed pads in an oven or toaster oven on 350 degrees for about 15-20 min this should bring all the contaminants to the surface of the pad.

4: Lightly sand the pads with 100 grit sandpaper and install back onto the bike.

after doing this I got my pads back to almost full power prolly about 90% or so. If this is good enough for you then it is a cheap fix. The easiest way to do it is to just bite the bullet on a new set of pads.

 

[XC707]

as for the brake pad, i suggest replacing them, i accidentally lube my pads sometime ago and done every thing to save the pads, i end up buying a new pad coz the lubed pad doesnt feel right whatever i do

 

[Xioz]

Thanks for the great advice guys!

I certainly will try out one of the 'cheap' solutions, just as a learning experience.
The 'oven'-idea is definitely a nice creative idea that I would never have thought of.

Thanks again and I'll post up what has worked best!

 

[jsk2052]

I wouldn't use any type of degreaser on anything, use rubbing alcohol on the rotors and unless the pads are giving you trouble I wouldn't replace them, if they do give you problems your best bet is to replace them.

 

[Bikinfoolferlife]

Next time either get a drip bottle of lube, or put some protective cardboard or something between your aerosol madness and the rotors...

 

[Xioz]

Next time either get a drip bottle of lube, or put some protective cardboard or something between your aerosol madness and the rotors...

Hehe...! -Yes, I learnt my lesson.

 

[Grumpy]

I got bike lube on my pads/rotor a couple weeks ago what I did was the following:

1: Remove affected wheel and use Isopropyl alcohol to thoroughly clean the rotor.

2: Remove affected pads and DO NOT i repeat DO NOT use a liquid degreaser on them it only makes matters worse and soaks the contaminates more into the pad.

3: Place removed pads in an oven or toaster oven on 350 degrees for about 15-20 min this should bring all the contaminants to the surface of the pad.

4: Lightly sand the pads with 100 grit sandpaper and install back onto the bike.

after doing this I got my pads back to almost full power prolly about 90% or so. If this is good enough for you then it is a cheap fix. The easiest way to do it is to just bite the bullet on a new set of pads.

That is (was) a fairly dangerous thing to do. Depending on the quality, volatility and flash-point of the petroleum base in the pads you could end up with an explosion (really). If you torch pads, torch them over an open flame (gas stove or torch, till they stop smoking when removed from the flame) so that the vaporized petroleum just burns off
Most of those who advocate torching recommend degreasing the pad first, to remove as much of the oil/grease as you can before torching. Also (IMHO) 100 grit is fairly rough for resurfacing pads and/or rotors.

 

[Xioz]

In another forum someone mentioned "boiling the pads in soapy water". Would that work? I really question that method.

How long would it take for the teflon to be worn-off from the pads?

 

[Grumpy]

In another forum someone mentioned "boiling the pads in soapy water". Would that work? I really question that method.

How long would it take for the teflon to be worn-off from the pads?

It is not so much the teflon as the carrier (likely a synthetic oil). It would penetrate the pad (they are porous) so even after some pad wear, there would still be oil on (in) the pad.

Hope (US) recommends putting the pads and rotors in the dishwasher. The hot water and strong detergent will normally remove most any contaminates (normal dishwasher detergent, heavy duty or pot-scrubber cycle if you have that option, but don't put any "jet dry" in) This worked great for me when I contaminated an almost new brake set. (I rode in a place where the runoff contains oil, (you could see the iridescent rainbow on the water (thin film effect)))

I hear that this method works best for sintered pads but if you are on the verge of chucking them anyway, what have you got to loose?

 

[eatdrinkride]

I've put contaminated pads (brake fluid) in the toaster oven at 500 degrees for like a half hour. Works nicely. Was able to salvage otherwise useless pads. :thumbsup:

I've heard of others using a blowtorch for a brief time to 'boil' the contaminants out.

 

[Grumpy]

I've put contaminated pads (brake fluid) in the toaster oven at 500 degrees for like a half hour. Works nicely. Was able to salvage otherwise useless pads. :thumbsup:

I've heard of others using a blowtorch for a brief time to 'boil' the contaminants out.

Yep, blowtorch (acetylene, MAPP or propane) or just a gas stovetop (LP or Nat gas). The oven just seems too risky with oils ((even salad oil becomes explosively combustible at temp and I'm not entirely sure how safe vaporizing glycol indoors is. It is likely toxic if inhaled)
I still think that the dishwasher is easier than any, plus you get the rotors clean too and there are no nasty fumes nor any danger of fire or explosion (well...except for the wife exploding and kicking your a__ for putting bike parts in her dishwasher ;-)

P.S. My wife never batted an eye and even laid the parts out in the dish-rack when they were done.

 

[Johnny Hair Boy]

Blow torch works well I have don it many times.

 

[Xioz]

Okay, so here's what I've tried this evening;

Dismounted the brake-pads, sprayed them in with brake cleaner (MOTIP), dried them with a clean towel, lightly sanded the pads with sandpaper, sprayed them again, cleaned them again with a towel. The pads sure felt clean afterwards.

Then I cleaned the rotor with another clean towel, with just some fresh brake cleaner on it. The rotor felt a little smoother than I hoped, but I think it was clean.

How did my rear-brake performed afterwards?
- Not good, if not a bit more worse than it was. Maybe it's the rotor that needs additional cleaning.
I just re-read Eric Hoefers post and now I'm thinking this brake cleaner may be of a comparable type as the liquid degreaser he dissuaded. :madman:

So I'm more and more leaning towards the use of heat, though I found that one of the more radical idea's. Unfortunately me, or any of my surroundings do not have a blowtorch. But yes, I do have a gas stove.
I tried to understand the posts here, but due to language barrier (I'm Dutch), I was not able to completely understand what was written.
Here's my question: Do you have to put the pads in the flame of the gas stove? Or do you have to keep it just right next to it, until all has vaporized? Note that my gas stove only produces this aggresive blue flame and not a regular 'candle'-type flame. Could I use the flame of a candle instead? Grumpy's warnings on explosions scare me a bit.

 

[Grumpy]

Okay, so here's what I've tried this evening;

Dismounted the brake-pads, sprayed them in with brake cleaner (MOTIP), dried them with a clean towel, lightly sanded the pads with sandpaper, sprayed them again, cleaned them again with a towel. The pads sure felt clean afterwards.

Then I cleaned the rotor with another clean towel, with just some fresh brake cleaner on it. The rotor still felt quite smooth (not meant positively) after cleaning it.

How did my rear-brake performed afterwards?
- Not good, if not a bit more worse than it was. Maybe it's the rotor that needs additional cleaning.
I just re-read Eric Hoefers post and now I'm thinking this brake cleaner may be of a comparable type as the liquid degreaser he dissuaded. :madman:

So I'm more and more leaning towards the use of heat, though I found that one of the more radical idea's. Unfortunately me, or any of my surroundings do not have a blowtorch. But yes, I do have a gas stove.
I tried to understand the posts here, but due to language barrier (I'm Dutch), I was not able to completely understand what was written.
Here's my question: Do you have to put the pads in the flame of the gas stove? Or do you have to keep it just right next to it, until all has vaporized? Note that my gas stove only produces this aggresive blue flame and not a regular 'candle'-type flame. Could I use the flame of a candle instead? Grumpy's warnings on explosions scare me a bit.

Not sure what brake cleaner you are using but some (many) automotive brake cleaners have additives made to reduce squeal in car brakes, and may not be well suited for Bike brakes. If you use brake cleaner better to use one specific to MTB brakes (there are a couple) or use standard degreasers (alcohol, mineral spirits, ect.)

On the torching pads thing: hold them (with vise-grips or a hemostat) in the flame (near the top) for about 20-30 seconds and then withdraw, if they are still smoking put them back in for another 10-20 sec, repeat till they stop smoking.
Oh and turn the ventilation fan above your stove on.

Clean the rotors and rough up the pads with #400 paper or a scotch-bright pad. (they don't need to be rough to brake well you just need to take the shine off) Some recommend a figure 8 pattern but a diagonal crosshatch will do fine. (you can even saturate the scotch-bright with solvent and get two birds with one stone on the rotors, but wear gloves, no solvents are good for you and some very common ones (toluene, naphtha, acetone...) can be absorbed right through the skin.

 

[fsrxc]

Not sure what brake cleaner you are using but some (many) automotive brake cleaners have additives made to reduce squeal in car brakes, and may not be well suited for Bike brakes. If you use brake cleaner better to use one specific to MTB brakes (there are a couple) or use standard degreasers (alcohol, mineral spirits, ect.)

On the torching pads thing: hold them (with vise-grips or a hemostat) in the flame (near the top) for about 20-30 seconds and then withdraw, if they are still smoking put them back in for another 10-20 sec, repeat till they stop smoking.
Oh and turn the ventilation fan above your stove on.

Clean the rotors and rough up the pads with #400 paper or a scotch-bright pad. (they don't need to be rough to brake well you just need to take the shine off) Some recommend a figure 8 pattern but a diagonal crosshatch will do fine. (you can even saturate the scotch-bright with solvent and get two birds with one stone on the rotors, but wear gloves, no solvents are good for you and some very common ones (toluene, naphtha, acetone...) can be absorbed right through the skin.

Yeah, for some reason some brake cleaners leave something on the rotors. As mentioned earlier, use isopropyl alcohol on the rotors now, it should remove any residue from the brake cleaner.

Baking the pads for 30 minutes seems like overkill, I've just put them on my electric stove element (heated to "just" glowing), pad surface up (so they don't pick up any other junk from the element), and they will start smoking, then once they stop smoking, they're done (nothing left to cook off). I find this rarely takes more than a minute or two.

 

[Xioz]

Good news!

This afternoon I used the recommended heating technique. I dismounted the pads, kept them in the flames of the gas stove. Quite some fumes and an occasional flame. I let them cool off, mounted them back on my brakes and went for a test ride.

Brake power is back! :thumbsup:

Thanks for the help everyone! I've learned something new too.

 

[Grumpy]

Good news!

This afternoon I used the recommended heating technique. I dismounted the pads, kept them in the flames of the gas stove. Quite some fumes and an occasional flame. I let them cool off, mounted them back on my brakes and went for a test ride.

Brake power is back! :thumbsup:

Thanks for the help everyone! I've learned something new too.

Yep that occasional flame is why is is not a good idea to put them in the oven (toaster or otherwise).
By heating the pads you are vaporizing hydrocarbons (oil) if they are burned off immediately in a flame there is no problem. However if the vapor is trapped inside an oven it could build up until it reached a combustible density then go all at once. (it isn't likely that it would be a large explosion (as in blow up a room), but any explosion inside an oven is too large)