Brake booster frozen, how to get rid of water/moisture?

[fastfredracing]

My buddies 5 series brakes freeze up whenever it gets cold out. Checking it today, and found the drain for the well where the booster sits , was clogged, it filled up, and water must have gotten inside.
I used my suck gun and must have pulled out a quart of rusty, oily nasty water , and could see ice crystals all throughout the inside.
I defrosted it, and keep blowing shop air through there, and pulling it out with my vacula. I believe that i got most of it out. Will probably be fine the way it is, but would like to get all the moisture out if possible, to avoid rusting, and other future problems.
Short of pulling the master and drying it inside, can you think of a good way to make the water disperse ? A little dry gas, wd40. ?

[masraum]

Interesting. I would think a heat gun would help, in conjunction with your vacula. My only concern would be harming the diaphram with heat. Would it be possible to seal a plastic bag around the booster with some dessicant inside the bag? I think it would be hard to seal the bag and time consuming.

[wdfifteen]

It's up to your buddy of course, but if I had a brake booster with rusty gunk coming out of it I would replace it. I value my neck too much.

[RANDY P]

replace it. It's done.

[Arizona_928]

Drill a hole in the bottom, tap, and put in small bolt?
I vote replace.

[onewhippedpuppy]

Originally Posted by wdfifteen

It's up to your buddy of course, but if I had a brake booster with rusty gunk coming out of it I would replace it. I value my neck too much.

Agreed. And make sure all of the drains are totally clean before you do.

[stomachmonkey]

Desiccant.

Wrap it tight in plastic with a full bag of rice for a couple of days.

I vote replace.

[GH85Carrera]

Replace it.

[masraum]

Originally Posted by stomachmonkey

Desiccant.

Wrap it tight in plastic with a full bag of rice for a couple of days.

I vote replace.

If you're going to go that route, buy some actual dessicant, much, much more effective than rice.

I agree, if it's an option, replacing sounds like the best option. Other than a bad master cylinder that's allowing brake fluid to leak into the thing which is the most common cause, but usually includes a big loss of brake fluid, where's the water coming from? Why/how is the booster filling up so much?

If the replacement deal is about cost, how about a used part from a junk yard, but then you don't know if that's good or not.

[stomachmonkey]

Originally Posted by masraum

If you're going to go that route, buy some actual dessicant, much, much more effective than rice.

True but if we are not replacing here I assume we are going for cheapest solution.

[fastfredracing]

Nope, not replacing. It will open a huge can of worms, and easily be big $ before we are done .
I am going to put it on my ac vacum pump for the day, and draw it all out while I blow a heater up under the car to get it good and warm.
The brakes work 100% when they work. We have had a real mild winter, and only a few snaps that were really under freezing . It has only happened a few times to him . Bringing the car inside, or letting it warm up for 30 miutes, and it is no problem . Weird huh? This is one I've never seen before .
He is one of the best body men I have ever worked with . Now 2 years into a fight with lung cancer . He is not doing so good right now, and I know it is killing him to have to ask me to fix his car . Money is tight for them .I'm getting this thing done for them asap . They need it .

[flatbutt]

I'm not a car guy so bear that in mind...can you push some methanol/isopropanol mix thru the booster?

[wdfifteen]

You're a good man Fred.

[Dan J]

Hey Fred, that was a common problem on early Boxster and 996 mostly what they did to fix it was change the boot maybe you could try that. Also if the water is on the side of the diaphragm that doesn't have vacuum I "think" you could drill a drain hole in it. Careful on that though

I agree with WD15 you're a hell of a guy. Hope you get some good Karma in return

[Por_sha911]

Originally Posted by fastfredracing

The brakes work 100% when they work.

That is a scary statement.
I understand pro bono so you want to keep it low cost but I would be crushed if someone got hurt when the brakes didn't work. Can you "gofund" the new booster via others that know your buddy?
Masraum asked a good question: where is the water coming from?

[wdfifteen]

Originally Posted by Por_sha911

Masraum asked a good question: where is the water coming from?

From the OP:
"Checking it today, and found the drain for the well where the booster sits , was clogged, it filled up, and water must have gotten inside."

Sounds like the booster sits in some kind of well in the firewall. Water got into the atmo pressure side through the vent hole. I guess. I've never seen one in person.

[Por_sha911]

thanks wd15 missed that part.

[Tervuren]

Originally Posted by Por_sha911

That is a scary statement.
I understand pro bono so you want to keep it low cost but I would be crushed if someone got hurt when the brakes didn't work. Can you "gofund" the new booster via others that know your buddy?
Masraum asked a good question: where is the water coming from?

Brakes still function without the booster, its just an extra leg to push the pedal for you. If a car isn't too heavy, its not a big deal. I can safely stop my 944 with the booster plugged and I'm not that strong.

[Por_sha911]

"If the car isn't too heavy" - A 5 series is 2 tons.
That said, I respect your professional opinion is more qualified than mine.

[fastfredracing]

This is not something that happens unexpectedly ,when they are rolling down the road either. It's failure mode, is that the car sits outside overnight when it is REALLY cold out, and the brake pedal is frozen solid, un moveable . Cannot even push the pedal enough to get the car out of gear .
These are car people also.Owns a custom hot rod/body shop . Not someones teenage daughter . I am confident that it will work fine, and give them no problems .
By the end of the day today, I could not detect any more moisture in there .
I'm gonna put it back together tomorrow .