Booster full of brake fluid

[Rabbit79]

So I was driving home the other night when a dog ran out in front of me and I had to throw on the binders really hard. Seemed like they grabbed just long enough for me to miss the dog and then the pedal went right to the floor and bam... no brakes after that. Nursed it home and took the master cylinder off and what has happened is I jammed on the brakes so hard the rod from the booster blew out the innards of the piston in the master cylinder. The end result of all this being I now have a booster full of brake fluid (well, about 1/3 full). I can't say that I really know a thing about the boosters as I've never worked on one and everything I've ever read about them says to just replace them if they go bad. So anyway my question is this: Does getting brake fluid in the booster ruin it? I was thinking I'd try to dump as much of the fluid out as I can, then put it in the solvent tank and squirt it out as best as possible with solvent then let it dry for a few days. Or would it be better to use something milder like soap and water? Or am I just wasting my time and need to get a new one? Suggestions? Opinions? Comments?

[Gizmoman]

A new one would be the safest choice.
Generally, brake boosters aren't "fixable".
I believe your master cylinder may be the issue as it should not let fluid get past it's seals and into the booster.

I'd change both.

[Rabbit79]

I already know the master cylinder is nuked. I just want to know if I can save the booster. I don't think there's anything really wrong with it except that it's got a bunch of brake fluid in it.

[vanbcguy]

If it were me I'd probably clean it out and try to run it. I would be careful about solvents though, you don't want to damage the rubber in the booster.

[Rabbit79]

It doesn't seem that solvent would be any worse than brake fluid, but then unless you're a chemical engineer (which I definitely am not), who can say what different chemicals will react to the different types of rubber or plastic inside the booster (or whatever else is in there). That's really why I put this post up in the first place. Brake fluid is nasty stuff, and I was just curious if it would be eating away at stuff inside the booster. Just hoping that maybe someone has come across something like this in the past and how it worked out for them. 

[ToddA1]

Years ago, I had a fluid loss issue with no trace of fluid, and i just kept topping it off  It ended up the m/c was leaking into the booster.  I siphoned all of the fluid out, replaced the m/c and was good. 

Some time after, the return spring internal to the booster snapped or something.  I cant say whether this was was attributed to the leak.  The pedal wouldn't return to full height and the brakes would drag.  I solved this with a bungee cord.

This was years ago, and the booster still works, although the ar is only driven maybe 200 miles per year.

-Todd

[GEE-BEE]

I just did a complete brake sytem in my son's caddy

all new hardlines in s/s
new master
new booster
new flex lines
complete rebuild rear ( drum and cylinders )
new 16v calipers and 11'1 rotors

we did trim 1.5 inches off each side of axle, welded a gusset to the backplate, all leaf springs and axle were powdercoated satin black before install

If I did it again I would have switched over to a g60 calipers and a 26 mm master as its less money up front

the brake headlines ( s/s ) for the later cabby are easier to match then the early 20 mm system

[Trips_B]

My MC also blew which resulted in fluid in the booster.

I drained all the fluid, did not use any solvents.  2 years ago on my daily driver no problems

[ORCoaster]

Hexed by this thread!  I was installing my custom gauge holder in the dash today and was double checking the voltage to the solenoids for the WVO system under the hood and noticed my rear resevoir was empty.  Looked out on the road and figured out that wasn't water draining out the wiper tray from last nights drizzle I was looking at.  Dang to take it apart is a pain.  But then so is not having rear brakes.  Always something.

[damac]

This happened to an 82 jetta I junked that a family member daily drove.  It was dumping fluid in their for months probably.  I think I filled it with purple power and let it sit for a day and then cleaned it and blew it out with air.  The one on my rabbit went and I wanted to put a new master in anyways, so I put the booster in and its still working. 

[mtrans]

I was installing my custom gauge...

How meny man do you have???

[fatmobile]

 I think soapy water will clean out brake fluid,.. I think it's water soluable.
 Sovents worry me when working with the brake system.
 Most of the seals don't deal well with petroleum products. Not sure what the booster diaphram is made of.
Been a long time but I'm sure I've washed one out before and it worked great.

[Rabbit79]

Well it looks like getting brake fluid in the booster may not be as bad a thing as I thought it might be. I know with brake fluid you read all the warning labels that basically say don't let it touch anything, so you get the impression that it's pretty nasty stuff, but I can't say that I have any idea really what the chemical makeup of it is. What I've done so far is pulled the booster, squirted it full of Palmolive (don't want it to get dishpan hands you know), then stuck the garden hose in there and let it rip. As best I can tell everything looks ok in there. New master cylinder is supposed to be here tomorrow, so once I get it back together let's hope it works.
Sorry OR Coaster.... didn't mean to put the hex on you. 

[ORCoaster]

That's what I get for trying to help I guess.  If I spent less time here and more time up under the hood I would have noticed it before.  Such is the case. 

Mtrans.  I work alone.  Can't find anyone else willing to wrench on this thing with me.  Maybe it isn't about the car? 

Mtrans you will be the one to appreciate what I have going the most.  The two pressure gauges at the bottom, Far right is engine oil but middle is IP pump running pressure.  Top right is WVO fuel tank level, below that is normal VDO coolent temp, then volts.  Nothing new there.  Top left is vac/boost gauge on the Racor filter for the veg oil.  Switches on the console are for the recirulation pump back to the WVO tank.  Don't need heat all the time now do we?  Two small switches are for the digital temp gauges in the dash.  Blue is temp of fuel going into IP.  Other red one cycles between channel 1 the temp in the tank and channel 2 the temp of the fuel going into the Racor filter. 

Sorry these won't seem to flip even though that is the way Photo Bucket is showing them. 



Finished product: 
From the Drivers Seat



Somewhat Closer Inspection:

[Gizmoman]

FWIW, petroleum (or petroleum based solvents) will destroy the rubber in the booster in short order. The Palmolive was a good choice