Bearing Grease on brake shoes

docspenc

Petty Officer 3rd Class
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Jan 15, 2012
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I’m starting to work on the brake symptom of my 1993 Mastercraft trailer and when I took the wheel's off I found the brakes were filled with Grease . It is all over the brake pads. The trailer has bearing buddy's is this normal? Or is it because the rear seals are bad?
 
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CoffeeHound

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Jan 20, 2012
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Re: Bearing Greece on brake shoes

Re: Bearing Greece on brake shoes

Sure sounds like BOTH caused by too many strokes on the greasegun !! Overgreasing caused the seals to blow out and further grease filled the brake shoes to a point they are useless . Not only will you need seals ,, and a lot of cleaning -- new brake shoes will be needed too.
 

lckstckn2smknbrls

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Sep 18, 2008
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Re: Bearing Greece on brake shoes

Re: Bearing Greece on brake shoes

The seals are bad and or your putting in too much grease when using the bearing buddy's.
 

docspenc

Petty Officer 3rd Class
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Jan 15, 2012
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Re: Bearing Greece on brake shoes

Re: Bearing Greece on brake shoes

The seals are bad and or your putting in too much grease when using the bearing buddy's.

That's what I thought, but didn;t know.. I bought this boat in Jan of this year, Had to change the master cylinder and now the brakes... thanks for your help, and I won't use the greece gun to much..
 

ricohman

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Jul 30, 2011
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Re: Bearing Greece on brake shoes

Re: Bearing Greece on brake shoes

Buy some brake clean and clean the shoes with a good stiff brush. It may take a few tries but you will most likely save the shoes. I haven't found any that I couldn't clean.
Don't spray it on paint and make sure you protect your eyes.
Grease...not greece. Thats a nation in Europe.
 

T_Herrod

Petty Officer 1st Class
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Apr 1, 2012
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Re: Bearing Greece on brake shoes

Re: Bearing Greece on brake shoes

I second the brake cleaner. I use it all the time at work. Be sure to wear rubber gloves and a mask to keep from breathing the stuff in.
 

bgc

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Jul 13, 2011
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Re: Bearing Greece on brake shoes

Re: Bearing Greece on brake shoes

...keeps em from squeakin.......
 

Utahboatnut

Senior Chief Petty Officer
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Jan 15, 2009
Messages
785
Re: Bearing Grease on brake shoes

If you are going to be in there working on them anyways just replace them, if they have been used at all with that grease on there they for sure got hot and the grease melted all the way into the pads. You might be able to clean the outer surface and sand and dink with them for a couple hours but they will never be right. Been there done that too many times, i have also heard you can bake the grease out, try that too while you are messing with them. If this were a roadside repair by all means hit them with the brakeclean otherwise I would recommend just buying new shoes. I have been into VW powered buggies for many years and they are famous for leaking gear lube(heated grease) onto the pads, they will work with a good cleaning for 1-2 trips then they just fade like you never touched them. Its almost the exact same system as surge trailer brakes.
 

bruceb58

Supreme Mariner
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Mar 5, 2006
Messages
30,591
Re: Bearing Grease on brake shoes

Throw away your grease gun. :)

Some people seem to think you need to give the bearing buddy a squirt of grease before every trip. These are the same people that blow out the rear seal and have this same problem.

You will never get those brake shoes clean. Buy new ones.
 
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