Cleaning tools that touched brake fluid / diff fluid

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chuckie669

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hey guys,
I have one of those little hand pumps with the rubber straw on each side that I bought to pump dif fluid into the rear.

I recently had to use it to pump out some brake fluid.

How do you suggest cleaning the straws and mechanism? Fill a bowl with dawn soap and pump thru leaving to dry a few days good enough?
 
If I did use soap, I'd definitely use a few pumps of water to rinse that thing out, or:

If brake fluid will destroy the plastic (IF because IDK) maybe use it to pump something else through it.

If your concern is some left over brake fluid just mixing with whatever you're going to pump next, pump a little of it to clean it out. Oil, transmission fluid, antifreeze?

Maybe some gasoline would get whatever's in there out and however much of it is left in there will pretty much disappear.
 
Thanks for the response. My primary concern is being able to reuse as i need to put some more diff fluid in and having used it for brake fluid i don't want to contaminate.
 
Just cycle some diff fluid or oil through it and you should be fine as long as the brake fluid didn't melt any internals of the pump.
 
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I guess brake fluid is safe on some plastics, being that they come in plastic containers and all. But a lot of plastics become weak and brittle after contact with brake fluid and will basically crumble in your hands the next time you pick it up. So you may be replacing the pump anyway, lol.

I had to throw away a magnetic LED light that I use in small places, because i knocked it off the frame and it landed perfectly in a little tub of used brake fluid while I was bleeding brakes. I wiped it off but the next day I picked it up and Thanos snapped it out of existence.
 
Rubbing alcohol is a possible option. Less chance of messing up the plastic. Rinse with some sacrificial diff oil.
 
Don't overthink this. I would just let the brake fluid remaining in the tube and mechanism evaporate and not give it another thought.

If you really want to rinse out any residual brake fluid, run plain water through it and let it dry completely. [Brake fluid is hygroscopic.] Then the next time you use the pump do a pump or two of fresh gear oil, ATF or whatever lubricant you are using to "flush" the line.
 
Mr. Bills said:
Don't overthink this. I would just let the brake fluid remaining in the tube and mechanism evaporate and not give it another thought.

If you really want to rinse out any residual brake fluid, run plain water through it and let it dry completely. [Brake fluid is hygroscopic.] Then the next time you use the pump do a pump or two of fresh gear oil, ATF or whatever lubricant you are using to "flush" the line.
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I wouldn't overthink it at all other than to fully understand to not get any oil based fluids in the brake fluid system unless you just want to replace everything with a seal in it.
 
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I've never thought of using anything but fresh, virgin brake fluid poured directly from a clean, previously unopened container.

I'm so leery of brake system contamination that I don't even want to guess at how long brake fluid can sit in an opened but capped can on the shelf between uses - I'll be the guy who calculates wrong and uses the stuff that sat too long. I always use fresh from a new bottle. (Unlike Blaine, I seldom do anything that could be called brake work so no opened bottle of brake fluid on my shelf should be considered fresh by any calculation.)
 
Mr. Bills said:
I've never thought of using anything but fresh, virgin brake fluid poured directly from a clean, previously unopened container.

I'm so leery of brake system contamination that I don't even want to guess at how long brake fluid can sit in an opened but capped can on the shelf between uses - I'll be the guy who calculates wrong and uses the stuff that sat too long. I always use fresh from a new bottle. (Unlike Blaine, I seldom do anything that could be called brake work so no opened bottle of brake fluid on my shelf should be considered fresh by any calculation.)
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Only use brake fluid from a sealed container just means that you can't leave it on the shelf with the cap off. If you put the cap on and invert the container and it doesn't leak fluid, it is in fact, sealed. ;) Simple terminology that the unwashed masses have fucked up over the years.
 
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Mr. Bills said:
I still don't trust brake fluid from the previously opened bottles or cans with rusty, crusty caps like the ones I seem to find on my shelf.
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I wouldn't trust rusty ones either.

And are you saying that I'm unwashed or fucked up or both?
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Neither. Just pointing out that it is very common to not understand what sealed means.
 
mrblaine said:
Only use brake fluid from a sealed container just means that you can't leave it on the shelf with the cap off. If you put the cap on and invert the container and it doesn't leak fluid, it is in fact, sealed.
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Oh man, that is information I wish I heard 25 years ago. Darn it, some things you never think to question.
 
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