Burnishing brakes removes winter rust from rotors

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 14/01/2005 (7544 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

QUESTION — Is there a way to avoid the rust that accumulates on rotors when a vehicle is put away for winter?

ANSWER — I assume you are referring to a collector vehicle or a seasonal vehicle such as a motorhome because you are storing it for the winter. The problem with rust accumulating on brake rotors differs greatly from one part of the country to the next. If you store the vehicle in a cold, dry environment, then only a slight film of rust will form on the rotor surface. This is similar to the rust you see that forms on the brakes after having driven on a rainy day and it is easily cleaned off. The next time the car is driven, you can clean the brake rotors by burnishing the brakes.

Burnishing is a method of heating the brake pad material so that it transfers some onto the rotor surface. Apply the brakes with medium effort from about 50 km/h and bring the vehicle to a complete stop. Wait about one minute for the rotor to cool and repeat with another stop. Do this about 10 times and you will have cleaned the rotors of rust and prepared them for optimum stopping power.

If you store the vehicle where the temperatures are warmer (around the freezing point) and the humidity is high, then the rotors can rust severely. Usually they rust the most where the brake pads touch the rotor surface and this causes uneven thickness of the rotor and brake pedal pulsation. Having the rotors turned is the only cure for this, but you can prevent it from happening by removing the calipers from the rotors so they don’t touch. Put a block of wood between the brake pads so the caliper piston won’t be accidentally forced out if you step on the brake pedal and leave a note on the speedometer that the brakes are apart. Otherwise you might forget in the spring or someone else may try to move the car without realizing what you have done. Don’t spray any oil or lubricant on the rotor to prevent it from rusting as this can affect braking performance.

Of course, storing the vehicle in a dry, heated shop will prevent them from rusting but very few of us have that option, so the best bet is dry cold storage to keep the rusting to a minimum.

QUESTION — I recently acquired a complete Duramax Diesel and plan to install it in my 1982 Chevrolet pickup with a 6.5 diesel engine. Are there any issues that I might encounter with such an engine switch?

ANSWER — Any engine or transmission swap can be done but it is all those little things that take time. Don’t expect to finish in a day or two. First of all, motor mounts and transmission mounts will have to be fabricated. I am assuming you have a transmission with your Duramax engine or you will need to find one with the correct bolt pattern. With the engine sitting in the chassis, you will probably also find the truck sits much lower. The Duramax is a heavy engine (close to a 1,000 lbs) and you will need stronger front springs for your truck.

The complete wiring and computer system will also have to be installed. Your truck would have had a 6.2-litre diesel engine originally and it has a mechanical throttle cable. The Duramax diesel engine you have purchased uses an electronic throttle so you will need the accelerator pedal assembly and wiring from a Duramax-equipped truck for your swap, too. Get a good wiring diagram before you start the swap and decide where you need to make all your electrical connections. Some of the more difficult ones will probably be from the engine computer into the instrument cluster to the gauges and warning lights work correctly.

You should use the Duramax fuel filter because it is a much finer filter than used on earlier diesel engines, and you should install a fuel cooler on the fuel return line. The fuel cooler is a small heat exchanger found on Duramax-equipped trucks to keep the fuel from overheating on hot days. Power loss will result if the fuel gets too hot.

Any engine swap is a challenge but planning before hand will eliminate many of the surprises. I think most of your challenges will be with the electrical system, so get that worked out first.

Jim Kerr is an experienced mechanic, instructor of automotive technology and freelance journalist. You can e-mail questions to Jim at the address below.

kerr.jim@sk.sympatico.ca