I've finally gotten my 1930 3 window running. The brake shoes still have a lot of life in them, but there covered or encased in a heavy coating of petrified grease and oil. Is there a solvent or technique to remove this.
r/s Bob

Hmmm, if they are saturated with grease and oil, i would replace them to be safe !!

Even if you use brake clean fluid it only cleans the outer surface. As soon as you use your brake the heat created will cause the saturated grease to loosen and come to the surface. Replacing the lining is the only safe alternative.

You can try heating the shoes to bring the grease out but new shoes would be best.

There is no way to get all the grease out of the linings...Replace thm for sure.

Yep...New...

Thanks all, I'll go with new brakes. Thanks for the advice.

Jump88, while you are installing new brake shoes, make sure you also install new grease seals.

The shoes will continue to bleed grease..New seals or it starts allll over again.

The only solvent for removing oil soaked materials is Perchlorythene ( dry cleaning fluid). Some electrical cleaners contain this solvent.You can only tell by the smell. Dont know how eco friendly this process is but i warm some solvent on the electric stove(not gas)until it boils. The vapor does the work and dissolves the grease and oil.By the time the parts have cooled the oil is gone.First wait for the wife to leave and when you are finished open all the windows in the kitchen.

Be careful heating dry cleaning fluid. Heat can convert it to phosgene gas (highly toxic).

I agree heating with propane torch works.

Heating will cause the oil to flow but there is no way to remove it all and just a little oil can cause a BIG problem. I sold brake shoes and linings for big rigs and if there was a way to get ALL the oil out and still maintain the integrity and performance of the lining truckers would have done so.