[Tom9489]

I was rebuilding my front calipers and replacing front brake pads on my 2002 Taurus. I had a pan under the caliper to catch the brake fluid. As I was installing the pads, I knocked one of them into the pan of brake fluid. I immediately grabbed the pad and flushed it liberally with denatured alcohol and then dried it with compressed air.

My question is whether I ruined the brake pad with this brief encounter with brake fluid?

Thanks. Tom

 

[shoz123]

No....

 

[KhanTyranitar]

The pad may breifly have lowered performance, but it should have no long term effects on the pad. Once it heats up and burns and residual oil that might still be there, it will be fine. Seeing as how you cleaned in throughly, I doubt you will even have any up-front effects.

 

[shoz123]

Brake fluid is more an alcohol than an oil. It will evaporate if you just let then sit out for a couple of days.

 

[Tom9489]

After about 500 miles of running on these pads, I removed them and inspected them. Both inner and outer pads looked identical so I think we are OK for the long run. It certainly stops better with no grabbing or pulling to either side - just smooth stops!