Brake fluid in carpet

benyflyguy

benyflyguy

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benyflyguy
I was up with a guy that I have flown with a few times. He has a piper Cherokee. He apparently had brake/hydraulic fluid leak under his door pedals on to the carpet- must have been a lot. It just stinks in his plane. Worse now that you have some heat running. You get out your clothes just stink. how could he get that out???
Can you shampoo carpets in plane?? I’m not sure. Can you pull the carpet up and take to laundromat? Can’t be good to just have that laying in there. He has a checkride coming up and I mentioned that the DPE is gonna ask about that smell.
 
If he can easily remove the carpet, he could likely take it to an auto detailer with a carpet extraction machine (glorified carpet shampooed with high heat water). I wouldn’t want to do it in the plane in case any residual soap/water might cause corrosion.
 
Just sprinkle on some hydraulic fluid it'll cover the brake fluid stink.
 
Omalley1537 said:
If he can easily remove the carpet, he could likely take it to an auto detailer with a carpet extraction machine (glorified carpet shampooed with high heat water). I wouldn’t want to do it in the plane in case any residual soap/water might cause corrosion.
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While you're at the auto dealer just buy some new carpet and ... wait ... you gotta have "certified carpet" ...

Seriously, the brake fluid can damage the paint and that can lead to corrosion under the carpet. I would get it out, clean & dry the metal, and repaint. If an extraction machine won't clean the carpet then replace it.
 
weilke said:
Just sprinkle on some hydraulic fluid it'll cover the brake fluid stink.
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And to cover that stink, add some gear oil. I'm not sure if any planes use it, but cars do, and man does it smell bad!
 
NoHeat said:
And to cover that stink, add some gear oil. I'm not sure if any planes use it, but cars do, and man does it smell bad!
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The Bo uses it in the gear transmission. A few drops sprinkled on the floor boards give the plane it's distinctive aroma.
 
Not sure about cleaning the carpet, but presume it's 5606 that leaked. I have converted to royco 782 for greater flashpoint.
 
Take the carpet out of plane...take it outside the hangar...spray the stain with CRC BrakeKleen (Red Can).

After you spray stain area, use a shop vac and vacuum carpet . You might have to do this a couple times to get out all the oil. Solvent vapors are not good so be careful not to use inside the hangar. This works on all types of oil stains. Good luck !

The solvent is non flammable so there is no fire hazard.
 
NoHeat said:
And to cover that stink, add some gear oil. I'm not sure if any planes use it, but cars do, and man does it smell bad!
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Yeah, I just changed the rear drive oil in the motorcycle, 75W90 hypoid, you certainly can tell it comes from dead dinosaurs.
 
A Cherokee should be using 5606 for brake fluid. 5606 doesn't stink. Did someone put automotive DOT3 fluid in the brakes? It stinks mightily, and it would explain the big leak, since DOT3 will eat the seals used in a 5606 system and dribble oil everywhere. And it eats paint. It will run under the floor and out some drain holes or seams and take the paint off the belly.
 
Dan Thomas said:
A Cherokee should be using 5606 for brake fluid. 5606 doesn't stink. Did someone put automotive DOT3 fluid in the brakes? It stinks mightily, and it would explain the big leak, since DOT3 will eat the seals used in a 5606 system and dribble oil everywhere. And it eats paint. It will run under the floor and out some drain holes or seams and take the paint off the belly.
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That might explain a lot. I’m forwarding that to the owner. I bet that is the issue here. Really does stink to high
 
just remove the carpet and wash, should be done anyway.
 
As others have said, brake fluid is extremely corrosive. Pull the carpet not so much for the carpet cleaning but clean and repair whatever hoses, wire insulation, rubber components that brake fluid has eaten into.

And don't fly if you can smell it that much. Besides being distracting while you should be flying, it's doing some damage to your lungs.
 
WDD said:
As others have said, brake fluid is extremely corrosive.
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NOT TRUE. ! it is 5606 hydraulic fluid.
Anything other than that will have "0" ring/rubber problems.
 
Tom-D said:
NOT TRUE. ! it is 5606 hydraulic fluid.
Anything other than that will have "0" ring/rubber problems.
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I thought we / Dan determined that it wasn’t 5606 because it smelled, and that it was probably Dot 3 which is corrosive?

And yes - all brake fluid isn’t corrosive. In my post I should have said DOT 3 brake fluid as that was what I had in mind for what I wrote.
 
WDD said:
I thought we / Dan determined that it wasn’t 5606 because it smelled, and that it was probably Dot 3 which is corrosive?

And yes - all brake fluid isn’t corrosive. In my post I should have said DOT 3 brake fluid as that was what I had in mind for what I wrote.
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If that PIPER had DOT 3 fluid in it, they would have bigger problems than they do.

Old rugs stink. specially those that have a ****-tube.
 
I can smell 5606 or whatever it is now, a mile away.
BTW I thought all good aviators used avgas to clean everything! Followed up with a match!
(j/k everyone knows or should know avgas = "don't make an ash of yourself"
 
I wouldn't waste time trying to clean the carpet. I'd just pull it out, clean the floor under it as best you can and replace the carpet with new. It shouldn't cost much more and will be much nicer.
 
JOhnH said:
I wouldn't waste time trying to clean the carpet. I'd just pull it out, clean the floor under it as best you can and replace the carpet with new. It shouldn't cost much more and will be much nicer.
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Agree. Trying to clean that carpet is like trying to get cigarette smoke out of upholstery. Just buy new and be done.
 
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Tom-D said:
If that PIPER had DOT 3 fluid in it, they would have bigger problems than they do.
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Which is why I suggested it. The system leaked oil into the carpet, an indication that something failed. DOT3 ruins the seals in any system designed for 5606: all the master cylinder stuff, the caliper seals, probably even the hoses.

Many years ago I made my living rebuilding heavy-duty brake system components, both air and fluid. A big part of the hydraulic work was due to system failure when drivers topped up brake fluid reservoirs with motor oil, because that's all they had and the pedal had gone flat. It gets really expensive. It's the opposite of what I figure might have happened with this Cherokee, but the same effect: the use of an incompatible fluid that destroys the seals.
 
Dan Thomas said:
Which is why I suggested it. The system leaked oil into the carpet, an indication that something failed. DOT3 ruins the seals in any system designed for 5606: all the master cylinder stuff, the caliper seals, probably even the hoses.

Many years ago I made my living rebuilding heavy-duty brake system components, both air and fluid. A big part of the hydraulic work was due to system failure when drivers topped up brake fluid reservoirs with motor oil, because that's all they had and the pedal had gone flat. It gets really expensive. It's the opposite of what I figure might have happened with this Cherokee, but the same effect: the use of an incompatible fluid that destroys the seals.
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question? how did the DOT-3 get in there? how did it get spilled? the resorvoir isn't near there?
the master cylinder for the pipers is a sealed unit?

the more you think about it the weird-er it gets.
 
I’ll keep you posted. It’s odd. But it sticks!!! He’s having it looked at more throughly.
Would the flush the system of old fluid if the found a leak and fixed it? Imagine it’s in the logbook.
 
Dan Thomas said:
5606 doesn't stink.
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I think something is wrong with your smeller Dan. ;)

Someone else touched on it but because its POA, I'll say the same thing. Everyone is talking about cleaning the carpet. If the brake master cylinders are still leaking, get them fixed. Don't treat the symptoms, treat the cause.

My Cherokee has dual brakes which means 5 (five)....freakin" FIVE master cylinders, each with leak potential.
 
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If new carpet isn't possible, after cleaning it for the mess sake if there is any smell.... buy an ozone machine off ebay. These things are amazing and eat any odor, literally eat it, not cover it or mask it... Once you have one you will find 100 uses for it. I'd put the carpet in a rubbermaid and let the ozone machine rip.
 
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You should first fix the problem. Leaking master cylinder or brake hose. yes remove carpet and clean if you like. I took the carpet out of the Sport. Easier to clean floor, no place for mold and mildew to develop.
 
benyflyguy said:
I’ll keep you posted. It’s odd. But it sticks!!! He’s having it looked at more throughly.
Would the flush the system of old fluid if the found a leak and fixed it? Imagine it’s in the logbook.
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Any update ?
 
JOhnH said:
I wouldn't waste time trying to clean the carpet. I'd just pull it out, clean the floor under it as best you can and replace the carpet with new. It shouldn't cost much more and will be much nicer.
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What’s new carpet run (serious question, I know what it is for a 60’s muscle car, but not for an airplane)?

A decent detailer should be (at most) .05-.1 AMU for carpet extraction. I used to detail cars for a friend in college....we made some really nasty (translation, minivans with kids) carpet look nearly new with an extractor. That was with 5-10 yrs of fries, candy, spilled drinks, soccer cleats...etc
 
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Carpet was pulled. There was a leak at the parking break. Was flushed and repaired. Guy scrubbed soaked and scrubbed and placed back in plane. Apparently is good now-no smell but I haven’t been in plane to confirm. Honestly the owner didn’t really see the problem until I brought it would an impending checkride the DPE is gonna ask about the smell and told him he better have a good answer.

Might fly with him this week.
 
Glad it got settled out. Suppose you’ll never know if it was DOT 3 or what was causing the smell
 
RyanB said:
Agree. Trying to clean that carpet is like trying to get cigarette smoke out of upholstery. Just buy new and be done.
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Huckster79 said:
If new carpet isn't possible, after cleaning it for the mess sake if there is any smell.... buy an ozone machine off ebay. These things are amazing and eat any odor, literally eat it, not cover it or mask it... Once you have one you will find 100 uses for it. I'd put the carpet in a rubbermaid and let the ozone machine rip.
Click to expand...

My brother owns-operates a car dealership. They throw a ozone generator in the used cars to eliminate smoke smell. If buying an ozone generator, they vary from 3000 to 100k cubic feet with a 2/4/6 hour timer. The stronger ones can kill insects and bed bugs and are used in hotels as well. You can't be in the room/facility/car when it's doing its thing ...
 
danhagan said:
My brother owns-operates a car dealership. They throw a ozone generator in the used cars to eliminate smoke smell. If buying an ozone generator, they vary from 3000 to 100k cubic feet with a 2/4/6 hour timer. The stronger ones can kill insects and bed bugs and are used in hotels as well. You can't be in the room/facility/car when it's doing its thing ...
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yup my old suburban was used by a caterer before I bought it and looked fine but reeked... an hour or two of ozone and the smell was gone for good...

not very pricey either for a homeowner grade one.
 
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Huckster79 said:
yup my old suburban was used by a caterer before I bought it and looked fine but reeked... an hour or two of ozone and the smell was gone for good...not very pricey either for a homeowner grade one.
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County won't let us run one at my medical facility (out patient). But could sure come in handy traveling:

1. Check in at early check in 1pm
2. Start your Ozone generator and throw "Do Not Disturb" on the door and go sight seeing until dinner
3. Return around 6pm after timer times out, run in, hold breath and open some windows to ventilate
4. Go to dinner while room "recovers" and converts O3 back to breathable O2.
5. Germs and bed bugs eliminated
 
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