# Rohloff oil contaminating disc rotor.



## shwinboy (Jan 13, 2004)

Has any one here had any issues with their rolhoff leaking and fouling their rotor and brake pads? I Have had my Rolhoff for a few years now , no problems, swapped it to a new bike build with new XTR discs and same old rotor. For 6 months all was awesome Then I had an accident and dislocated my shoulder. Off the bike for 3 months. When I get back on it the rear brake has no bite. So I swap out the pads and clean the rotor, caliper , hub of anything with rotor cleaner, bed the pads, all seems fine. Then the next morning same no grip braking. I can't see any oil from Caliper or the hub migrating. The really strange thing is that If I squirt the pads and rotor with water I have braking again until the next day. 
I've read a lot about mysterious issues like this afflicting Shimano brakes but thought I'd try here to see if anyone has had a similar experience.


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## Stray Mutt (Dec 3, 2011)

The seal on the non drive side will tend to weep some oil with changes in temperature and/or pressure. I've had it foul a disc rotor from being stored. There's not much you can do about it weeping as far as i know so the best bet is to make sure the bike is stored so that anything that weeps cannot drip it's way to the brakes. One of mine seems to weep some and the other none at all.


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## shwinboy (Jan 13, 2004)

So I had some time to really dig in and investigate this issue. I'm convinced that it is oil from the hub leaking from the big left hand seal that has caused the problem most likely due to air expansion caused by temperature fluctuation. Where I live it's hot days and cold nights. 
The thing that surprised me is how little oil it takes to ruin your braking. It doesn't have to be visible. I noticed oil grime built up around the rotor bolts and figure the centrifugal force was making the thin oil migrate out onto the rotor surface.
The remedy: I cleaned the hub and rotor with alcohol ( mentholated spirits) and then cooked the pads with a blow torch. I gave the pads a light sand re installed and went for a ride to bed them in. Braking is back.
I'll pay a bit more attention keeping my hub clean more regularly.


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## itsdoable (Jan 6, 2004)

I use to get that after an oil change, but using less oil really helped.

There is a serpentine path breathing hole from the inside of the hub out the axle, it allows the hub to equalize without putting pressure on the seals. Typically when the wheel is upright, it works fine, but when you lay it down after a ride (like throwing the bike in the back of a wagon or pickup) there is more of a tendency to get some leakage (so keep the rotor side up). However, when the breathing hold gets clogged, you get oil forced out the seals - I got a puddle on the floor one day after bringing in the hub from a winter ride. The weeping usually stops after the excess oil leaks out.


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## vikb (Sep 7, 2008)

shwinboy said:


> Has any one here had any issues with their rolhoff leaking and fouling their rotor and brake pads?


Happened to me once.


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