Photo: TractorDoc

(Topic ID: 220637)

Any use brake cleaner?

By BostonMark

5 years ago

Topic Heartbeat

Topic Stats

12 posts
11 Pinsiders participating
Latest reply 5 years ago by RWH
No one calls this topic a favorite

You

You are not signed in!

Find in topic

Linked Games

No games have been linked to this topic.

Topic Gallery

View topic image gallery

#1 5 years ago

MLC

BostonMark

Inactive member

Boston, MA

9y 16,500 4 7

So I just made a small contribution to this forum because you guys have helped me in the past.

I have wrenched on cars in my life (Classic VW Bugs and kit cars) and also firearms. I have enjoyed the pinball experience in life and acquired 7 machines over the last 15 years. When I first got the machines I employed a "local guy" to repair them but when I saw how easy it was to just solder a loose wire I started to work on the machines myself.

All my machines have "mint" play fields but I am digging deeper to restore all my machines. I was in Las Vegas last year at the pinball museum and had a conversation with the tech "gal" she said to replace all of the coil sleeves on a restoration so I got all the coil sleeves for my 7 machines and also all new rubber bumper parts, also kits to rebuild all the flippers with the correct gaping tool and new bushings.

That black coil dust is AMAZING!

I've been using break cleaner on the coil dust for the metal brackets and it works GREAT!

I had been using HOPPES 9 but the brake cleaner is superb!

Anyone use brake cleaner on these parts? Can't see a downside?

Best thing about taking all the coil's out is to clean the brackets and replace/lube the parts!

Some of my diverters in ATM and ST TNG needed much love for some lube.

I've posted some pics ... ATM had a much work needed, it worked fine but new coil sleeves make it work better!

I also replaced the coil bracket from ATM which was oblong from use and "bubba" but in non standard screws for the flipper bushing which I replaced.

Mark

1pinside (resized).jpg

2Pinside (resized).jpg

Pinside3 (resized).jpg

#2 5 years ago

MSY

Dr_Gonzo

Pinside member

Loveland, CO

13y 54,050 962 7

Isn't brake cleaner corrosive?

#3 5 years ago

CGE

too-many-pins

Pinside member

Carlisle, PA

11y 97,800 4,485

Quoted from Dr_Gonzo:
Isn't brake cleaner corrosive?

Most brake clean is basically Tetrachloroethylene which really doesn't hurt much other then possibly your health and some plastics. I have used it for years for everything from cleaning grease out of carpet & fabric to prepping car engines before painting them. I see no reason you couldn't use brake clean to clean pinball parts but be sure to have plenty of air movement where you are working to get fumes away from you as much as possible.

Maybe "Vid" or someone else with more knowledge will say differently but I use brake clean for all kinds of stuff. And I find the "cheap stuff" works best in most cases.

#4 5 years ago

TOX

ChrisHibler

Chris' Pinball Repair

Chesterfield, MO

12y 120K 9,996 46

I've used it for a lot of things...but so far, not for pinball applications.
I stopped once I looked at the health risk.
I use Castrol Super clean to degrease almost everything now.
--
Chris Hibler - CARGPB #31
http://www.ChrisHiblerPinball.com/Contact
http://www.PinWiki.com - The Place to go for Pinball Repair Info

#5 5 years ago

QUY

FatPanda

Pinside member

7y 141K 7,176 32

I use an ultrasonic cleaner for all my playfield parts. I wouldn't want my basement to smell like brake cleaner all the time. Just some water and a half gallon of cheap orange clean I can get from the dollar store. Lasts longer, is cheaper, and I won't die of lung cancer or whatever else you can get from brake cleaner

#6 5 years ago

B16

Billy16

Pinside member

11y 94,300 3,701 58

I huffed it to get all the coal dust and asbestos out of my lungs. Works super!

#7 5 years ago

KRK

kirkgun

Inactive member

Reno, NV

9y 31,650 162

Brake cleaner will do an excellent job of cleaning dirt and grease from metal parts.

I wouldn't spray it anywhere near a pinball machine (or indoors anywhere). It will also destroy/degrade rubber, plastic, paint and most other synthetic materials. Dudes who don't know what they are doing ruin the seals and rubber dust boots on their brakes, all the time. 6 months after "cleaning" their brakes, they are rebuilding/replacing leaky calipers.

#8 5 years ago

SWH

Spencer

Pinside member

Okotoks, AB

10y 86,300 2,561 7 10

Quoted from kirkgun:
Brake cleaner will do an excellent job of cleaning dirt and grease from metal parts.
I wouldn't spray it anywhere near a pinball machine (or indoors anywhere). It will also destroy/degrade rubber, plastic, paint and most other synthetic materials. Dudes who don't know what they are doing ruin the seals and rubber dust boots on their brakes, all the time. 6 months after "cleaning" their brakes, they are rebuilding/replacing leaky calipers.

Agreed, 100%. Brake clean is great on METAL parts. Don't use it for anything else.

#9 5 years ago

MLC

BostonMark

Inactive member

Boston, MA

9y 16,500 4 7

I was just using it for the metal brackets to get the crud off.

I've been replacing all the grommets with brand new ones when I take the coils out, just a good clean with brake cleaner on the metal parts.

Some of the posts that support the green guys from ATM were completely black as were the coil sleeves that I replaced. A small bronze type tooth brush I use for gun cleaning made them look brand new!

Took a cotton cleaning patch in the hole on the play field with a cleaning rod and a little Hoppes #9 an everything cleaned up nice. Hoppes #9 does not damage wood and nothing got on the play field.

After all the coil sleeves are replaced and parts under the play field looked at I remove all the plastic and rubber on top, wax with Carnuba, replace the parts and the game runs sharp and VERY FAST

Mark

P.S. Amazing what a flipper rebuild in proper alignment changes the play of the game for the better ... no flying balls

#10 5 years ago

DAD

Yelobird

The Mod Couple

Wheaton, IL

20y 160K 10,056 44 37

Not sure in your first post you meant by replace and Lube the parts but there really shouldn't be a lubrication part of cleaning. Just wipe the brackets etc with a rag and some simple green or alcohol and replace all sleeve no cleaning. It is a great sense of accomplishment to maintain your own toys, congrats! As for brake cleaner, I don't even like to use that in the garage let alone in the house but thats just me.

#11 5 years ago

ACE

hailrazer

Pinside member

Manchester, GA

7y 54,300 485 16

I use it all the time especially on Em's.

I just wrap a towel around the part to keep it off other parts and catch the crud.

Works better than any other method.

#12 5 years ago

RWH

Pinside member

Norwood, OH

13y 132K 9,925 2 10

Quoted from ChrisHibler:
I use Castrol Super clean to degrease almost everything now

I use PB Blaster to clean my greasy parts and use silicone for lube.

Reply

Wanna join the discussion? Please sign in to reply to this topic.

Hey there! Welcome to Pinside!

Donate to Pinside

Great to see you're enjoying Pinside! Did you know Pinside is able to run without any 3rd-party banners or ads, thanks to the support from our visitors? Please consider a donation to Pinside and get anext to your username to show for it! Or better yet, subscribe to Pinside+!

This page was printed from https://pinside.com/pinball/forum/topic/any-use-brake-cleaner?hl=hailrazer and we tried optimising it for printing. Some page elements may have been deliberately hidden.

Scan the QR code on the left to jump to the URL this document was printed from.