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Which brake fluid should I be using?
Posted: 18 Feb 2011, 08:22
by fidget
Hi all
Going to be replacing the calipers this weekend and will need to bleed them, which brake fluid should I be using . I looked in the wiki but couldnt find anything , also managed to leave my haynes manual at work so cant check that either
thanks in advance
James
Re: Which brake fluid should I be using?
Posted: 18 Feb 2011, 08:41
by AdrianC
fidget wrote:Going to be replacing the calipers this weekend and will need to bleed them, which brake fluid should I be using . I looked in the wiki but couldnt find anything , also managed to leave my haynes manual at work so cant check that either
DOT4. It's the stuff that's easiest to get, anyway.
DOT3 is a lower boiling point.
DOT5 is silicone based, very difficult to bleed, and needs the complete system rebuilding before being used.
DOT5.1 is compatible with DOT3/4, but expensive and a bit unnecessary unless you're building something for track days. Which is certainly an interesting concept... <grin>
Don't forget to change it every two years, since it's hygroscopic, and absorbs moisture from the atmosphere - reducing the boiling point and causing internal corrosion of cylinders & calipers.
Re: Which brake fluid should I be using?
Posted: 18 Feb 2011, 08:51
by fidget
Thanks Adrian
Off up the road to get some now
thanks
James
Re: Which brake fluid should I be using?
Posted: 19 Feb 2011, 09:57
by Red Westie
As he said....DOT 4....starting from the furthest wheel from the master cylinder (thats the N/S/R on a R/H/D) then O/S/F then N/S/F finishing with O/S/F. About a litre should do it.
I tend to revisit the first cylinder (because the fluid was the old stuff in the resevoir) and give it a few extra pumps at the end to ensure it's new fluid is coming through, makes sense if you think about it.
Martin