Servo rebuild; painted surfaces and gaskets!?!?

[mrtask]

The amount of brake fluid in my reservoir keeps diminishing, but with the car up on the lift I couldn't find any trace of fluid loss, so I'm going to surmise that it is leaking into the servo. I have a spare on the shelf, which I dismantled today. It too had a fair amount of brake fluid in it, in the big can where it shouldn't be! Having stripped it all apart, I've sanded all the old paint and a fair amount of rust off the big can, the closing ring and the front closing piece. Only after applying a can full of etch primer did I realise that perhaps there shouldn't be any paint on the back of the can, where it is sealed to the cylinder with a gasket...!? Do I now need to mark the shape of the gasket and take that area back to metal in order that it seals properly? What say you wise sages?

 

[SydneyRoverP6B]

The vacuum chambers were originally plated, the colour of which was gold.

I can't see that it would really matter if the contact surface beneath the gasket was also painted. Provided the surface is nice and flat it shouldn't matter. If you were to use sealant without a gasket, then in that situation, the area should ideally be paint free.

Ron.

 

[colnerov]

Hi, check also that it is not running down the brake pedal and soaking into the carpet.

Colin

 

[harveyp6]

Hi, check also that it is not running down the brake pedal and soaking into the carpet.

Or filling up the covers on the rear calipers....

 

[PeterZRH]

The vacuum chambers were originally plated, the colour of which was gold.

Cadmium plating probably, highly toxic. This can be redone and look reasonable with a "yellow zinc" finish.

 

[SydneyRoverP6B]

PeterZRH wrote,...

Cadmium plating probably, highly toxic. This can be redone and look reasonable with a "yellow zinc" finish.

That's the one! The process is indeed highly toxic. I made some enquiries about having my booster re plated a few years back, but was advised that the finish will only stay looking good for a year to two. So with that in mind and the time required for the process in addition to the cost, decided against it.

Ron.

 

[Vern Klukas]

PeterZRH wrote,...

Cadmium plating probably, highly toxic. This can be redone and look reasonable with a "yellow zinc" finish.

That's the one! The process is indeed highly toxic. I made some enquiries about having my booster re plated a few years back, but was advised that the finish will only stay looking good for a year to two. So with that in mind and the time required for the process in addition to the cost, decided against it.

Ron.

The gold coloured plate started sometime in the early 70's, and it is zinc. Before that the servos had a silver gray coloured plate which possibly was cad plate.

Yours
Vern