Leaky Clutch Reservoir

[chapindad]

My clutch reservoir is leaking from the lid.  I have the boot in correctly and I think I am tightening the screws enough.  I am cleaning the lid now in case it had some crude on it that was stopping the seal.  My question is, can or should I use liquid gasket if the cleaning does not work or should I be replacing something?

Thanks

[Dan Filetti]

Sounds like your fluid level is too high.  It needs to be between the two lines on the sight glass.  That is, below the upper line.  If you can not see the fluid level through the window, I can see this happening.

Address this ASAP.  Clutch/ Brake fluid will seriously damage paint and plastic.  If it comes in contact it must be washed off ASAP with soapy water.

Lock-tight, is also nasty stuff on paint and plastic BTW, but that's another story.

Dan 

[chapindad]

Thanks Dan.  I will lower the level.  I also cleaned the lid, it had a lot of crude built up on it.

Riddle me this, I placed the boot in a pool of wd-40 that I had some screws sitting in.  The boot grew!  I was able to heat it with a hair dryer to shrink it most of the way and now I am freezing it to get it the rest of the way.

Only good thing it I found a box of FJ stuff in my storage shed I had forgotten about and found all kinds of things! 

[Dan Filetti]

Riddle me this, I placed the boot in a pool of wd-40 that I had some screws sitting in.  The boot grew! 

No idea why the boot grew, some inapropriate chemical interaction, surely.  One of the list's smart guys could probably tell you why it hapened.  My advice: don't do that again.. 

Dan

[chapindad]

Yep.  Will Do.

[carsick]

Brake system soft parts cannot tolerate petroleum, as you found it makes them swell. This is why brake fluid is glycol or silicone DOT 5. I've seen several cases of motor oil etc. in vehicle brake systems, requires replacement of almost everything in the system. Don't let it happen to you! 

[chapindad]

That would make sense now. That for the info. It is slowly going back to normal. I clean with wd-40 all the time.  Not for brake and clutch parts any more.

[RichBaker]

Thanks Dan.  I will lower the level.  I also cleaned the lid, it had a lot of crude built up on it.

Riddle me this, I placed the boot in a pool of wd-40 that I had some screws sitting in.  The boot grew!  I was able to heat it with a hair dryer to shrink it most of the way and now I am freezing it to get it the rest of the way.

Only good thing it I found a box of FJ stuff in my storage shed I had forgotten about and found all kinds of things! 

I did  a similar thing, cleaned it with contact cleaner.... the "boot" was never the same and ended up costing me a fairing and scoop when it leaked one morning due to heat expansion from the sun. I had to get a new boot and a new fairing and scoop   

ABS does NOT like brake fluid..... it gets extremely brittle