by R. Pennell
The hydraulic cylinders of my car were all rebuilt with painstaking care and utmost cleanliness. All internal parts were soaked in Castrol LMA and the completed assemblies stored in airtight ziplock plastic bags. All of this work was completed approx. 1 1/2 to two years prior to installation on the car.
Lo and behold, with everything assembled on the car, neither the brakes nor the clutch would work. So, off came all of the hydraulic cylinders for inspection. Incredibly, the internal parts were more corroded at this point than before they were originally cleaned up and rebuilt.
They have now been rebuilt for a second time, but this time the hydraulic system is filled with Dow-Corning silicone fluid, and everything seems to be working just fine. The conclusions reached from my experience are:
- The cylinders should not be rebuilt until close to the time they win actually be installed.
- To be on the safe side, spend a few more bucks and go first class with the silicone fluid.