Storing used brake parts that have had fluid in them

[TJ Hopland]

What have people done to store brake parts that have had fluid in em?   Master cylinder,  calipers, wheel cylinder,  prop valves,  and even lines?    How about an ABS unit on the newer cars?

I sometimes wonder this when I'm parting out a car.   Other times I wonder this when a not currently in use car blows a line.  I'm sure many of us have had that happen, just trying to drag the car to a new location and pop!   

Sometimes its just a parts car and you want to save the parts and other times maybe its a car that someday you hope to get back on the road.   I know ideally you would repair the line asap and get fresh fluid in it but that can't always happen.

What sort of process have people used and what sort of products?

[dadscad]

It seems like I read years  ago, more like decades,  to wash the parts in denatured alcohol to Clean the fluid off of the parts. Brake clean would most likely be just as good.  But the question is,  how to keep the cylinders and metal parts from rusting during storage. I have a master cylinder and some wheel cylinders stored, all I did was drain the fund out and plug the openings to keep the air out. I guess ,if you had a vacuum food saver, you could vacuum seal the small parts in the bags. That would take away the humidity and would lesson the chance for rust to grow.

[The Tassie Devil(le)]

What I do is when removing the parts from a parts car, I simply cut the brake hard line, about 1 1/2" from the screw nut, and fold the und over, and squish it, thereby sealing the fluid that is inside the part from the air.

I never sell the hard lines, as they are easily replaced.

Bruce.

[76eldo]

Double bag them and put them in a plastic tub type container.
A good cleaning as mentioned above first would be a good idea.
That DOT 3 is nasty stuff.

[Mike Josephic CLC #3877]

You can use WD40 to clean the brake fluid and
it will keep things from rusting as well.  Just spray
the parts and put in a Zip-Loc bag.  You will have
to replace the rubber parts to reuse the item,
which would be good practice anyway.

As far as the electronics like an ABS unit, there
is a product called Deoxit that is made for that
application:
https://www.amazon.com/deoxit-gold/s?k=deoxit+gold

I've used it and it works wonders.

Mike