Restoring rear master cylinder reservoirs

Posted: Sat May 09, 2015 5:05 pm

Just documenting how I cleaned up some faded brake fluid reservoirs (NLA from Honda) to make them look like new again. The process uses a hydrogen peroxide creme from a beauty shop and UV light. I have tried a UV lamp but it seems the sun does a good job as well. Here is what I am starting with

Visit your local beauty supply shop and ignore the strange looks and ask for bleaching creme similar to this:

My store had a liquid and a creme so I went with the creme (just $4) thinking it would hold better to the surface of the reservoirs.

Next place in ziplock bags, pour some creme in and seal. I removed all the air from mine and you will see they will puff up (I am assuming this is O2 from the breakdown of the peroxide). I then placed them outside in direct sunlight.

I pulled them the next day and here is what I now have:

I am going to leave them a few more days but even after one day a cosmetically challenged brake fluid reservoir can look like new again.

Posted: Sat May 09, 2015 5:44 pm

Awesome! I'm replacing my rear master cylinder now so your post came at the perfect time.

Posted: Sat May 09, 2015 7:33 pm

Great tip as long as there is sun!

Jebby

Posted: Sat May 09, 2015 7:54 pm

Amazing Rick and super good info to know!!!!! I've got plenty of sun in Palm Beach Jebbysan!!!! Bring em down here and hang out for a few days!!!! It's only 94F today and not a cloud to be seen!!!!! Ok Rick, you know I gotta ask this one. What in God's green earth gave you the idea to use a hair product to do this?!?!?!?? It's wild! But I love it......and only 4 bucks!!!! Perfect.....

Posted: Sat May 09, 2015 8:09 pm

It's on the Internet, normally I would not be caught dead in a Sally beauty supply store. I guess it's a popular technique with hobbyists restoring old Apple IIs cases and keyboards.

Posted: Mon May 11, 2015 11:51 am

They have now spent three days outside, cloudy and rain yesterday so not the full UV treatment

The one under the cheap UV lamp is not doing so well, obviously Walmart UV lamps have been emasculated to the point there is no 'real' UV in these so I plan to stick to sunny days in the future

Next up I would like to try a crankcase ventilation storage tank but don't know if I have a spare to test with.

Posted: Mon May 11, 2015 4:05 pm

Such a good idea!

CB1100F Joined: Feb 17, 2009 Posts: 2111 Location: Oz

That's very cool, thanks for sharing. By the way, how did your hair turn out? Wink

Posted: Tue May 12, 2015 12:58 am

Looking at the results it's worth going in Sally for....If I send the wife it'll cost me $50

Posted: Tue May 12, 2015 2:08 am

Wow!

Posted: Tue May 12, 2015 6:49 am

You might be able to achieve the same thing with a bucket full of regular bleach. Thats all your really doing with the peroxide and sunlight. Heck, regular old Hydrogen Peroxide would probably do it too.

Posted: Tue May 12, 2015 12:06 pm

Wayne750F wrote:

Looking at the results it's worth going in Sally for....If I send the wife it'll cost me $50

Wayne, ...there is an alternative......... Wink

http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=salon+care+40+volume+creme

Posted: Tue May 12, 2015 12:10 pm

Grumpy32 wrote:

Wayne750F wrote:

Looking at the results it's worth going in Sally for....If I send the wife it'll cost me $50

Wayne, ...there is an alternative......... Wink

http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=salon+care+40+volume+creme

Thanks Grump....on line!!! Free shipping....no going to Sally, and no risk if sending the wife of enormous impulse spending on freakin hair cair and dam make up products.....

Posted: Tue May 12, 2015 3:02 pm

This is a great thread!

I certainly learned something here!

Posted: Tue May 12, 2015 4:47 pm

DonR wrote:

That's very cool, thanks for sharing. By the way, how did your hair turn out? Wink

Didn't dare try it on me but I did the goose and it worked pretty well except for the frizzies.

Before

After

Boy is my wife going to be proud of me when she returns.

Posted: Mon May 18, 2015 2:58 am

I'm more curious as to how you got the goose in the ziplock bag?

Posted: Mon May 18, 2015 4:53 am

Fantastic idea. Have lots of old yellow brown plastics which will make the restos look shite.
Going to give this a go on the weekend.
Only down side is the 950ml is $25 here.
Thanks sillygoose.
You must have taken one for the team coating that damn goose with the cream. They are bad tempered little buggers. Looks good though. Can you leave it off the beak to keep a black beak?

Posted: Tue Nov 10, 2015 7:02 pm

LOL
Good stuff to know!!! Imma try it out

sillygoose wrote:

Before

After

Posted: Wed Nov 11, 2015 3:16 am

Shawn_Mc wrote:

regular old Hydrogen Peroxide would probably do it too.

Regular peroxide doesn't work. I tried it. Left it out in the sun for a week... nada.

Posted: Sat Nov 14, 2015 1:43 pm

This is fantastic - thanks so much for posting it.