# Oops, i got lube on my rotor...



## DannyHuynh (Sep 13, 2011)

i was cleaning and lubing my chain for the first time and accidentally got some on my rear brake rotor...

i didnt notice till i test rode it and could not lock up the rear wheel as hard as i pulled on my levers (mechanical brakes). i tried to wipe it off with paper towels but its still not gripping enough what do i do?!


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## HelloMyNameIsSean (Sep 14, 2011)

* I do this, maybe it's not kosher with everyone, but it works for me * 

I would try cleaning the rotors with #000 or #0000 steel wool with some degreaser. If that doesn't work, your pads are finished, just try replacing them. Just don't touch them braking surface with your fingers.


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## QuickSilverZ (Oct 23, 2011)

Best thing to clean the rotors with is isopropyl alcohol. Wipe them off real good with the alcohol and then wipe any remaining alcohol off of them with a clean, lint free towel. I wouldn't doubt that your pads may be contaminated like Sean mentioned. There are some ways to try and restore the pads, but they are cheap enough that I would suggest just replacing them if they still won't grip the cleaned rotor.


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## AndrwSwitch (Nov 8, 2007)

I've never had great luck cleaning rotors. Threw a contaminated one on the electric burner on my stove, though, and that took care of it. Heat it enough to smoke.

As far as the pads go, sometimes sanding with a low-grit (coarse) sand paper works. Sometimes it doesn't. I've had no luck cleaning them, and they're supposed to be manufactured at a low enough temperature that heating is not a good solution for some models.


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## krott5333 (Aug 6, 2009)

isopropyl alcohol will clean it up no problem. 

As for the pads, just take a cloth or cotton pad soaked in alcohol, put it in your caliper, squeeze the brake lever, and move the cloth back and forth to try to get the oil off the pads.


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## DannyHuynh (Sep 13, 2011)

thank you everyone ill try to alcohol trick today


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## 006_007 (Jan 12, 2004)

I guess I am the only one that has had success in baking the pads as well.

For sure clean the rotors w alcohol - thats super easy and will recover the rotor.

The pads - if they are worth attempting to recover (ie relatively new) then I would suggest placing them on a hot plate / stove element with the metal backing facing down/onto the element, heat em up till they smoke (that will be the oil burning off) then turn the element off and let them cool. 

Do NOT cool them by running them under water.

Once cool, sand the pads lightly to rough them up, reassemble and you may well have recovered a set of pads.


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## Ilikemtb999 (Oct 8, 2010)

I just take a torch to the pads and rubbing alcohol or brake cleaner to the rotor. 

Works every time.


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## ProjectDan35 (Jul 19, 2010)

How did you manage this? The rotor is on the other side of the bike. Quit using those spray lubes!


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## 006_007 (Jan 12, 2004)

ProjectDan35 said:


> How did you manage this? The rotor is on the other side of the bike. Quit using those spray lubes!


Probably had the bike laying on its side (chain up) and it dripped through the wheel would be my guess.


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## Decatur_Tide (Nov 30, 2011)

krott5333 said:


> isopropyl alcohol will clean it up no problem.
> 
> As for the pads, just take a cloth or cotton pad soaked in alcohol, put it in your caliper, squeeze the brake lever, and move the cloth back and forth to try to get the oil off the pads.


This is the correct answer.


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## DannyHuynh (Sep 13, 2011)

ProjectDan35 said:


> How did you manage this? The rotor is on the other side of the bike. Quit using those spray lubes!


bike was normal orientated on the ground against a wall. i didnt angle my spray lube/cleaner down enough and it went across the spokes to the rotor, noobie mistake.:nono:

whats wrong with spray lube?


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## AZ (Apr 14, 2009)

DannyHuynh said:


> bike was normal orientated on the ground against a wall. i didnt angle my spray lube/cleaner down enough and it went across the spokes to the rotor, noobie mistake.:nono:
> 
> whats wrong with spray lube?


It got on your brakes right? You can bake or otherwise heat the pads to remove the lube, get them hot enough to smoke.


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## DannyHuynh (Sep 13, 2011)

i dont even know how to take the pads out LOL


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## Ilikemtb999 (Oct 8, 2010)

What brake is it?


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## AZ (Apr 14, 2009)

DannyHuynh said:


> i dont even know how to take the pads out LOL


. The manual may have been included with your bike, if not Google the users manual for your brakes.


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## DannyHuynh (Sep 13, 2011)

i have wiped the rotors and pads 3 times with 91% iso alc and all i can get it to do is squeal... still wont lock up. F word!! guess i have to do some cookin.


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## AZ (Apr 14, 2009)

DannyHuynh said:


> i have wiped the rotors and pads 3 times with 91% iso alc and all i can get it to do is squeal... still wont lock up. F word!! guess i have to do some cookin.


You have to clean the rotors and the pads at the same time, if you do not you contaminate the parts you have cleaned with the lube on the parts that have not been cleaned. Don't give up, be patient and take your time.


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## Ilikemtb999 (Oct 8, 2010)

DannyHuynh said:


> i have wiped the rotors and pads 3 times with 91% iso alc and all i can get it to do is squeal... still wont lock up. F word!! guess i have to do some cookin.


It's because the pads are contaminated. You need to figure out how to get the pads out and torch them.

What mechanical brakes are they? Most mechanicals just pull out once you push the pads together but without knowing the specifics it's hard to help.


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## DannyHuynh (Sep 13, 2011)

Shimano BR-M475 Mechanical Disc brakes


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## AZ (Apr 14, 2009)

DannyHuynh said:


> Shimano BR-M475 Mechanical Disc brakes


Remove the cotter pin and pull the pads, here is a link to some exploded drawings:

http://search.yahoo.com/r/_ylt=A0oG...BR/EV-BR-M475-2179D_v1_m56577569830654476.pdf


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## DannyHuynh (Sep 13, 2011)

thanks!


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## swingset (Oct 14, 2010)

Brake cleaner, it's called that for a reason.


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## DigitalDJ (Jan 3, 2012)

Good to know lol.


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## DannyHuynh (Sep 13, 2011)

after cleaning them for a 4th time together i think i got it. i got the back wheel to skid in my driveway with two finger hard pull on the lever LOL . thanks guys!


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## Bill in Houston (Nov 26, 2011)

AZ.MTNS said:


> It got on your brakes right? You can bake or otherwise heat the pads to remove the lube, get them hot enough to smoke.


I did the "heat-til-they-smoke" method and it worked great. I definitely shut off the heat as soon as the smoke came out. Not sure about the long-term effects, but it seems to be a widely recommended technique.


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## DannyHuynh (Sep 13, 2011)

Good to know I'm not the only one that has done this.


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## AZ (Apr 14, 2009)

DannyHuynh said:


> Good to know I'm not the only one that has done this.


And you most certainly will not be the last.


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## Bowen1911 (Nov 3, 2011)

I retardly left my pads in when bleeding my brakes, and spilled the oil on them that way.

No idea why I forgot to take them out that time and put a rag there.

New pads for me...


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## Will Goes Boing (Jan 25, 2008)

DannyHuynh said:


> after cleaning them for a 4th time together i think i got it. i got the back wheel to skid in my driveway with two finger hard pull on the lever LOL . thanks guys!


Did you torch the pads? Let me know how you cleaned them because I did the same thing as you. I was spraying lube on my cassette and when I went for a ride the rear brake was almost non-existent. I cleaned the rotors and I got braking power back about 60%, sure would like to know how to clean the pads though.


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## DannyHuynh (Sep 13, 2011)

soak a paper towel with 90% iso pro alc and stick it inbetween the calipers. let it sit for a while then squeeze the lever and pull the paper out. keep doing this untill the paper towel come out clean. theres guna be a lot of grit and grime but eventually after 5 or 6 paper towels all the residue should come off.

u could probably use a rag too. the rag will not rip easily like the paper towel. if you know how to take the pads out(i didnt) then take them out and clean them that way. alcohol is our friend!


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## ProjectDan35 (Jul 19, 2010)

Will Goes Boing said:


> Did you torch the pads? Let me know how you cleaned them because I did the same thing as you. I was spraying lube on my cassette and when I went for a ride the rear brake was almost non-existent. I cleaned the rotors and I got braking power back about 60%, sure would like to know how to clean the pads though.


And why the heck were you spraying lube on your cassette? :skep: :eekster:


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## Will Goes Boing (Jan 25, 2008)

DannyHuynh said:


> soak a paper towel with 90% iso pro alc and stick it inbetween the calipers. let it sit for a while then squeeze the lever and pull the paper out. keep doing this untill the paper towel come out clean. theres guna be a lot of grit and grime but eventually after 5 or 6 paper towels all the residue should come off.
> 
> u could probably use a rag too. the rag will not rip easily like the paper towel. if you know how to take the pads out(i didnt) then take them out and clean them that way. alcohol is our friend!


Sweeeet, I'll give that a try, thanks :thumbsup:


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## DannyHuynh (Sep 13, 2011)

ProjectDan35 said:


> And why the heck were you spraying lube on your cassette? :skep: :eekster:


i spray lube on the chain where the chain meets the cassette. thats what my mechanic told me to do so thats how i do it. he forgot to mention to try not to hit the rotor on the other side LOL


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## Nietz (Mar 18, 2010)

I had this happen to me once and the answer that I got was "replace the pads they are shot" ... they were not. 

I cleaned the rotor itself with isopropyl alcohol, then removed the pads and laid some sand paper on a hard flat surface (used a bench) place the pad onto the sandpaper and moved the pads one at a time on the paper in a circular motion (I went both ways and sanded until the pads were a constant color) I replaced the pads and the wheel and broke them in. That was 2 years ago and I still have the same pads on the bike and can lock the back tire up if I need/want to, I'm not a small fellow either  oh and the whole process took 15 minutes maybe?

of course I would think that the amount of lube on the pads could make a difference in the outcome but it worked for me, hope that could help someone.


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## Bill in Houston (Nov 26, 2011)

DannyHuynh said:


> i spray lube on the chain where the chain meets the cassette. thats what my mechanic told me to do so thats how i do it. he forgot to mention to try not to hit the rotor on the other side LOL


I got the same advice somewhere around here, or park tools, or sheldon brown, or bf...


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## ProjectDan35 (Jul 19, 2010)

DannyHuynh said:


> i spray lube on the chain where the chain meets the cassette. thats what my mechanic told me to do so thats how i do it. he forgot to mention to try not to hit the rotor on the other side LOL


You should really lube the chain right after it comes off the lower pulley of the rear deraillure. Put the bike in a low gear on the cassette so the deraillure is farthest away from the wheel. :thumbsup:


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## DannyHuynh (Sep 13, 2011)

my mechanic said its good to have some on the cassette too. im not one to argue about bikes as i am super noob.

oh and i did it again today while trying very hard not to. LOL! oh well at least i know how to fix it.


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## ProjectDan35 (Jul 19, 2010)

DannyHuynh said:


> my mechanic said its good to have some on the cassette too. im not one to argue about bikes as i am super noob.
> 
> oh and i did it again today while trying very hard not to. LOL! oh well at least i know how to fix it.


Go find a different mechanic. :thumbsup:

There is NO need for excess lube on the cassette. It serves no purpose, it just makes everything stick to it and makes a mess. You ONLY want lube on the inside( inside the rollers ) of your chain, which is why you lube on the inside of the chain, and you wipe all the excess off.


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