My front disc brake pads have been contaminated from a minor front fork oil leak.

Any way of cleaning them?

Nah, get some new uns

Lots of stories about putting them into the dishwasher on a hot wash, but I’ve tried that and I’m not convinced.
A long hill and drag them? Alternatively, put up with the worse performance until they wear out and get some new ones!

Theres no point **** about trying to get them to work for the sake of a few quid.

Superstar break pads are only about £5 and will be at least as good as a set of contamindated pads.

previous thread spoke of either cooking them in a frying pan (minus the oil!) till they stop smoking, or put them in the oven at about 200c for 20-30 mins. supposed to make them good as new. Just clean the rotors as you normally would.

If you have a plumbers blow torch, you can use that to get them hot enough to burn any oil off. They tend to smoke a little bit while the oil is burning off.

Equally, you can do the same with the rotors – I wouldn’t heat them up too much though as they may warp. Usually you can see the thin film of oil burn off within a couple of seconds.

cheers
Ian

I dunno how much oil you’ve got on them but I’ve spilt small bits of oil on rotors before and just used them. Brakes didn’t work as well for a while, but after a bit they seemed fine.

I dunno how much oil you’ve got on them but I’ve spilt small bits of oil on rotors before and just used them. Brakes didn’t work as well for a while, but after a bit they seemed fine.

Ditto, not sure what all the fuss is about. Take them for a ride and they’ll be fine before long (I assume you have a functional readr brake). I’ve spilt all manor of things on my pads and never had to dispose of them as a result.

I’ve spilt all manor of things on my pads

That’s quite enough of that behaviour

Who can resist floating rotors and sticky rubber?

Er, degreaser. Tends to remove oil from my experience..

yeah, oven method has always worked for me. just make sure the mrs is out.

Don’t cook them too long or too hot otherwise the pad material falls off the backing plates!

Cheers, Rich

I bung my rotors and pads in the oven for 5-10 mins at 150 degrees, then turf them straight in to cold water, no ill effects so far and good stoppers.

Is it worth taking any chances with your brakes for the cost of a set of pads? IME after the cooking / burning with a blow torch method some pads tend to start crumbling or the pad material comes away from the back plate. Get some superstar etc sintered pads for about 6 quid.

Holding them over a gas hob, with a pair of BBQ tongs, and heating until they stop smoking, has worked for me a couple of times…

gas hob or torch until the smoke stops…. worked fine for me during the last years..never had any probs…works perfect…

Never had a problem with just washing off with brake cleaner.

Holding them over a gas hob, with a pair of BBQ tongs, and heating until they stop smoking, has worked for me a couple of times…

I’ve done this with different branyds of pads,and had results from working perfectly afterwards, to the pad falling off the backing plate. So, a bit hit and miss.

I’ve found scrubbing the pad in mud works brilliantly for Hope, Avid and Hayes pads.

London Clay is good for this, as is Malvern Mud, but Swinley Sand will just knacker them.

goodness me it’s only a bit of oil; just scorch it off either with friction generated heat or blow torch generated heat or oven or frying pan heat. You won’t die, (unless you crash and kill yourself, then you will) Seriously. don’t worry about it.

The other method I’ve heard about is to put them only just submerged in a small tray of meths and set fire to it, letting it burn until the meths has burnt away. No idea if it works tho. Probably best to just replace.