Trailer troubles....
 

On Mon, 22 Jun 2009 05:17:54 -0700 (PDT), Loogypicker
wrote:

On Jun 21, 7:39*pm, Wizard of Woodstock wrote:
So I'm on my way back from the lake, turn off the exit and begin to
stop - I hear this bang/thump from the back of the and the truck just
kind of lurched forward. *I pulled over, stopped and got out to look
around.

Nothing on the road so I didn't kill anything human or animal. Stern
of the boat looks fine - nobody behind me and nothing fell off. Looked
the boat over, no holes in the hull, tire are fine, looked under the
truck, nothing there either.

Hmmm - oh well. Got back into the truck and started to the end of the
ramp - bang/thump, truck lurches again. *WTH?

Got out look everything over, nope nothing. *Hmmm - look up at the
front of the trailer and notice something dripping from the trailer
tongue - brake fluid. *Oh oh.

Got back into the truck, pulled forward a little - bang/thump. Pulled
into the Wal Mart parking lot (more bang/thump), got out and
disconnected the trailer - I can move the actuator by hand. Open the
fluid resorvoir - not a drop - it's all dripping out the bottom. *Ok -
got a problem. *Locked out the actuator mechanically and got the
trailer hooked up and back home - no bang/thump but the damn trailer
and boat is heavy - 5,000 lbs and the truck takes time to slow the
load down.

Anyway, did the family thing, then took the tongue off the trailer and
much to my surprize..sure enough - theres my sign.

http://www.swsports.org/images/Solenoid.JPG

So I took the thing off the mount, but when I tried to take the brake
line off, the whole connector disintegrated into little flakes and I
was left with this.

http://www.swsports.org/images/Solenoid+line.JPG

Here's where it mounts.

http://www.swsports.org/images/Tongue%20mount.JPG

It looks like the actuator is ok, no rust or anything.

I guess I should have looked this over every year or so, but with just
under 14K miles on the trailer and it being ten years old with no
major issues other than disc and pad replacements (and one bad
caliper), it never occured to me to check the compnents inside the
tongue.

Lesson learned.

Now I gotta fund a brake release solenoid. *And revamp the entire
system inside the trailer tongue system with rubber instead of steel.

Oy...

I notice you didn't use a fine German made screwdriver.

Strictly Craftsman. :)

Ommmmmmmm....

Trailer troubles....
 

On Jun 22, 5:15*am, Wizard of Woodstock wrote:
On Sun, 21 Jun 2009 20:15:06 -0700 (PDT), Tim
wrote:



that looks like a serious dose of the clap, you got *there Tom. Too
much exposure to salt in a tight spot.

Don't think so - if that were the case, the entire system would be
compromised like this and it's pretty clean up the tube to the brake
actuator - just a dirt.

What I think happened is that the solenoid let go - that's basically
brake fluid corrosion. This has been leaking for sometime - that's
what I'm thinking. *I have had to add brake fluid over the years, but
it's a pretty open system so evaporation I figured - apparently not.

No indication it was leaking either until it let go.

On my trailer (23' Marquis) it's all exposed and so it has less means
of build up.

The pic of the brake line looks evil too. and it might be a lot of fun
trying to bleed the brakes with them baptized in brine as well.

I've seen that on an old Escort I had that had a brake line release.
Corrosive stuff brake fluid.

Well, I'm not one to dispute the Wizard, but I've sen many an old car
and/or truck that had a gazillion miles and years on them and no rust
on the cast iron brake reservoir.

I wonder what the difference is? something abotu the heat under the
engine compartment causing something not to rust and corroede?

Trailer troubles....
 

On Mon, 22 Jun 2009 05:32:17 -0700 (PDT), Tim
wrote:

On Jun 22, 5:15*am, Wizard of Woodstock wrote:
On Sun, 21 Jun 2009 20:15:06 -0700 (PDT), Tim
wrote:



that looks like a serious dose of the clap, you got *there Tom. Too
much exposure to salt in a tight spot.

Don't think so - if that were the case, the entire system would be
compromised like this and it's pretty clean up the tube to the brake
actuator - just a dirt.

What I think happened is that the solenoid let go - that's basically
brake fluid corrosion. This has been leaking for sometime - that's
what I'm thinking. *I have had to add brake fluid over the years, but
it's a pretty open system so evaporation I figured - apparently not.

No indication it was leaking either until it let go.

On my trailer (23' Marquis) it's all exposed and so it has less means
of build up.

The pic of the brake line looks evil too. and it might be a lot of fun
trying to bleed the brakes with them baptized in brine as well.

I've seen that on an old Escort I had that had a brake line release.
Corrosive stuff brake fluid.

Well, I'm not one to dispute the Wizard, but I've sen many an old car
and/or truck that had a gazillion miles and years on them and no rust
on the cast iron brake reservoir.

I wonder what the difference is? something abotu the heat under the
engine compartment causing something not to rust and corroede?

Got me, but that International L-110 I restored master cylinder was
clean (cast iron), but all the lines from it were toast.

Maybe it's the lines and not the cyliinder.

Trailer troubles....
 

On Jun 22, 7:36*am, Wizard of Woodstock wrote:
On Mon, 22 Jun 2009 05:32:17 -0700 (PDT), Tim
wrote:



On Jun 22, 5:15*am, Wizard of Woodstock wrote:
On Sun, 21 Jun 2009 20:15:06 -0700 (PDT), Tim
wrote:

that looks like a serious dose of the clap, you got *there Tom. Too
much exposure to salt in a tight spot.

Don't think so - if that were the case, the entire system would be
compromised like this and it's pretty clean up the tube to the brake
actuator - just a dirt.

What I think happened is that the solenoid let go - that's basically
brake fluid corrosion. This has been leaking for sometime - that's
what I'm thinking. *I have had to add brake fluid over the years, but
it's a pretty open system so evaporation I figured - apparently not.

No indication it was leaking either until it let go.

On my trailer (23' Marquis) it's all exposed and so it has less means
of build up.

The pic of the brake line looks evil too. and it might be a lot of fun
trying to bleed the brakes with them baptized in brine as well.

I've seen that on an old Escort I had that had a brake line release.
Corrosive stuff brake fluid.

Well, I'm not one to dispute the Wizard, but I've sen many an old car
and/or truck that had a gazillion miles and years on them and no rust
on the cast iron brake reservoir.

I wonder what the difference is? something abotu the heat under the
engine compartment causing something not to rust and corroede?

Got me, but that International L-110 I restored master cylinder was
clean (cast iron), but all the lines from it were toast.

Maybe it's the lines and not the cyliinder.

I know what your saying, but that cylinder of yours looks pretty
gawdy, but of course it has a steel cap on it too, Maybe the brake
fluid attacks the steel but not the cast iron.


Most strange.

Trailer troubles....
 

On Mon, 22 Jun 2009 05:32:17 -0700 (PDT), Tim
wrote:

On Jun 22, 5:15Â*am, Wizard of Woodstock wrote:
On Sun, 21 Jun 2009 20:15:06 -0700 (PDT), Tim
wrote:



that looks like a serious dose of the clap, you got Â*there Tom. Too
much exposure to salt in a tight spot.

Don't think so - if that were the case, the entire system would be
compromised like this and it's pretty clean up the tube to the brake
actuator - just a dirt.

What I think happened is that the solenoid let go - that's basically
brake fluid corrosion. This has been leaking for sometime - that's
what I'm thinking. Â*I have had to add brake fluid over the years, but
it's a pretty open system so evaporation I figured - apparently not.

No indication it was leaking either until it let go.

On my trailer (23' Marquis) it's all exposed and so it has less means
of build up.

The pic of the brake line looks evil too. and it might be a lot of fun
trying to bleed the brakes with them baptized in brine as well.

I've seen that on an old Escort I had that had a brake line release.
Corrosive stuff brake fluid.

Well, I'm not one to dispute the Wizard, but I've sen many an old car
and/or truck that had a gazillion miles and years on them and no rust
on the cast iron brake reservoir.

I wonder what the difference is? something abotu the heat under the
engine compartment causing something not to rust and corroede?

I've been arguing for years about how the "hygroscopic" quality of
brake fluid sucking up water is waaay overstated.
Never touched the 14 year-old fluid on one of my cars, and never had a
brake problem. I was called all kinds of names for that.
But I can't argue against fluid changes.
Too many brake mechanics say it happens.
Can't remember exactly now, but other brake mechanics/scientists say
the internal corrosion is caused by chemical reactions of the metal
with the fluid and has nothing to do with water.
Tom should slice that rusted line in half with a diatomic scalpel
(can't remember the SciFi short story, but it was a hell of a scalpel)
and take a look at the inside of the line.

--Vic

Trailer troubles....
 

On Mon, 22 Jun 2009 05:32:17 -0700 (PDT), Tim
wrote:

Well, I'm not one to dispute the Wizard, but I've sen many an old car
and/or truck that had a gazillion miles and years on them and no rust
on the cast iron brake reservoir.

I wonder what the difference is? something abotu the heat under the
engine compartment causing something not to rust and corroede?

Brake fluid absorbs water, which is highly corrosive. You are supposed
to replace it every couple of years. Do it at the same time you change
the glycol. The operation is the same as bleeding the brakes. You keep
adding fresh fluid and pump until you get new clean fluid at all the
bleeding nipples.

Casady

Trailer troubles....
 

On Mon, 22 Jun 2009 08:36:53 -0400, Wizard of Woodstock
wrote:

Got me, but that International L-110 I restored master cylinder was
clean (cast iron), but all the lines from it were toast.

Maybe it's the lines and not the cyliinder.

Steel is highly susceptable to rust, while cast iron is very corrosion
resistant.

Casady

Trailer troubles....
 

On Mon, 22 Jun 2009 08:00:39 -0500, Vic Smith
wrote:

On Mon, 22 Jun 2009 05:32:17 -0700 (PDT), Tim
wrote:

On Jun 22, 5:15*am, Wizard of Woodstock wrote:
On Sun, 21 Jun 2009 20:15:06 -0700 (PDT), Tim
wrote:



that looks like a serious dose of the clap, you got *there Tom. Too
much exposure to salt in a tight spot.

Don't think so - if that were the case, the entire system would be
compromised like this and it's pretty clean up the tube to the brake
actuator - just a dirt.

What I think happened is that the solenoid let go - that's basically
brake fluid corrosion. This has been leaking for sometime - that's
what I'm thinking. *I have had to add brake fluid over the years, but
it's a pretty open system so evaporation I figured - apparently not.

No indication it was leaking either until it let go.

On my trailer (23' Marquis) it's all exposed and so it has less means
of build up.

The pic of the brake line looks evil too. and it might be a lot of fun
trying to bleed the brakes with them baptized in brine as well.

I've seen that on an old Escort I had that had a brake line release.
Corrosive stuff brake fluid.

Well, I'm not one to dispute the Wizard, but I've sen many an old car
and/or truck that had a gazillion miles and years on them and no rust
on the cast iron brake reservoir.

I wonder what the difference is? something abotu the heat under the
engine compartment causing something not to rust and corroede?

I've been arguing for years about how the "hygroscopic" quality of
brake fluid sucking up water is waaay overstated.

I would have to agree with you actually. My tractors use standard
brake fluid and I've never had a water problem - well, the one time
the Super A ended up in the irrigation pond at the orchard, but that
wasn't my fault. :)

Ok it was - just shut up about it.

Can't remember exactly now, but other brake mechanics/scientists say
the internal corrosion is caused by chemical reactions of the metal
with the fluid and has nothing to do with water.

Had an interesting discussion with the trailer mechanic up at
Northeast Industries this morning about this very topic. According to
him, the only truly safe way is to use rubber hose, not metal
throughout the system.

I'm sure that will spark some discussion. :)

Tom should slice that rusted line in half with a diatomic scalpel
(can't remember the SciFi short story, but it was a hell of a scalpel)
and take a look at the inside of the line.

That's not a bad idea - I might do that.

Don't have a diatomic scalpel, but I do have a tubing cutter and some
fiber optic fibers.

Hmmm...

You're right Vic - I remember that story but I can't remember who
wrote it or what it was about.

Trailer troubles....
 

On Jun 22, 10:49*am, Richard Casady
wrote:
On Mon, 22 Jun 2009 05:32:17 -0700 (PDT), Tim
wrote:

Well, I'm not one to dispute the Wizard, but I've sen many an old car
and/or truck that had a gazillion miles and years on them and no rust
on the cast iron brake reservoir.

I wonder what the difference is? something abotu the heat under the
engine compartment causing something not to rust and corroede?

Brake fluid absorbs water, which is highly corrosive. You are supposed
to replace it every couple of years. Do it at the same time you change
the glycol. The operation is the same as bleeding the brakes. You keep
adding fresh fluid and pump until you get new clean fluid at all the
bleeding nipples.

Casady

Yup!

Trailer troubles....
 

On Mon, 22 Jun 2009 11:05:57 -0400, Wizard of Woodstock
wrote:



You're right Vic - I remember that story but I can't remember who
wrote it or what it was about.

Think it was this
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Little_Black_Bag

--Vic