Friend accidently got WD40 on brake discs - best way to sort it?

Col200sx

Long and short of it is a friend was cleaning my bike as a favour, and he wiped down my brake discs with WD40

(And before people are thinking, it wasn't me making a rookie mistake).

So now I've very little brakes compared to before.

I've taken both wheels off, dried discs, scrubbed them down, cycled over 20k yesterday giving them a good go as often as i could, and they still feel very spongey.

The brakes have not been adjusted in any way since before and they worked very efficiently beforehand.

Any suggestions on how to sort it?

Lumen

New pads.

ford2600

Col200sx wrote: »

Long and short of it is a friend was cleaning my bike as a favour, and he wiped down my brake discs with WD40

(And before people are thinking, it wasn't me making a rookie mistake).

So now I've very little brakes compared to before.

I've taken both wheels off, dried discs, scrubbed them down, cycled over 20k yesterday giving them a good go as often as i could, and they still feel very spongey.

The brakes have not been adjusted in any way since before and they worked very efficiently beforehand.

Any suggestions on how to sort it?

Pads will be after picking up contaminant, boiling in water may remove but if not new pads I would think.

Also give discs a good clean

Col200sx

Thanks folks.

Pity as there was plenty left on the pads too

I've scrubbed the discs already.

Sir Arthur Daley

Would it be a good idea to put a sheet of sand paper on a flat surface and slide the pad back and forth on it. It should knock the glaze of them.

Eamonnator

Clean discs with surgical spirits. You can get it in any pharmacy.
Take pads off bike. Put them in an oven, highest setting. bake for 10 minutes.
Allow them to cool, reinstall. If this doesn't work, get new pads.

Zyzz

Sandpaper them down a bit.

Col200sx

Took them out and sanded them down a bit, enough to take off the top layer anyway.

Still the same upon re-installing

(Don't have access to an oven to heat them up right now).

Looks like might be new pads so.

Thanks for the replies folks.

Sir Arthur Daley

Is there contamination on the discs so still, would be worth using very fine sandpaper and rub down the disc.

Eamonnator

I've heard of people, getting a result, by pouring Coca Cola on their pads, might be worth a try.
As a last resort, try using a cigarette lighter on the pads. This might burn off any residue. But, and I want to emphasise this, BE CAREFUL. Remember, what your Mom said, about playing with matches.

breanach78

Same happen to me a few years back and my LBS stated only way out was new brake pads. I am sure there is another way out tho. Best to me seems to sand off the pads and deep wash/clean the rotor disks.

robertxxx

Washing up liquid.

JBokeh

Hold the pads with a tongs,and get a blowtorch and blast them with it for 10 seconds at a time,and go away from them with the torch for a couple of seconds. Keep repeating that until they stop smoking,and do it twice more again. Then rub them down with some sandpaper,or else rub them off something like a concrete doorstep,just to get the burnt look from the surface.

You'll need to bed them in again after this,do some hard braking from 25Km/h to 1 without locking the wheel up,and it should bed in the pads after a few runs of it,you'll feel it getting better

This only works for the sintered pads,and not the resin ones though,and do it outdoors,the smell is a bit foul

Oryx

Jesus no need for sandpaper and a blowtorch. You can get brake cleaner in an autofactors or motorbike shop. Designed for just this issue!

kona

Don't **** around with brakes. Just change them.

triggermortis

get brake cleaner for the discs and new pads