brake fluid flush?!?!

[rob-the-oil-nut]

What little I know about brake fluids was probably doubled when I read the "Castrol SRF" thread with insights from RobZ71LM7, OneQuartLow and others. It occurs to me that in all liklihood my brake fluid is the stuff that left the factory 10 years ago. I don't auto-cross and in 15 months I have braked and stalled it just once, that was not an all-out panic stop.
I am of the opinion that if I'm going to replace something on this car, I want to do it right, and I want to replace it with really, really good stuff.
Is there such a thing as used brake fluid analysis? If so, would there be a POINT in having one done? In terms of flushing it, would it be a good idea to replace it with standard quality fluid for X amount of time and then remove that and replace it with super-duper stuff? And what super-duper stuff to replace it with?
Thanks!

 

[rob-the-oil-nut]

PS: I also read "Reason to use DOT 3 brake fluid instead of DOT 4?" and "SRF Fluid" by JBRIII.

What do you suppose happens when the small amount of water in a brake system freezes? Surely this has happened. What are the symptoms?
Thanks

 

[digitaldrifter91]

i try and replace my brake fluid every year. since i have some times of road rage and drive like a race car driver i do put alot of pressure on the brakes. i use whats in my car which is dot 3 and i use prestone...im trying to find another one with a higher boiling point that iS NOT SYNTHETIC because i dont want to mix both types of oils. a synthetic may perform better than normal for ur car...i just dont know the process in switching a normal fluid into a syntetic.

when water is in the system braking is not soo great. usually u get less response and its just bad...just flush the system

funnie, brake system analysis, never thought of it.

i think if u put standard fluid in ur lines and change it so often u will be fine..maybe synthetic is co..im not sure myself.

 

[Ken4]

I changed mine when my camry hit 3 years. I was hesitant at first like you. Why change something that is not broke? Well, I asked around in the forums and most people seem to favour every 2 years. There were the odd few who never changed fluids and would argue that point until the cows came home. Well, there was no one else around the house to help me do it, so I had to ask my 63 year-old mother to do the pumping

, while I operated the bleed screws. There were no apparent air bubbles at all, but after I finished, I could see the old dot 3 fluid was much darker than the new. Also the brakes felt much firmer from that day onward, I never regretted.

 

[TheLoneRanger]

Since brake fluid is highly hydroscopic (absorbs water), I would recommend changing it regularly.

I have a Bronco that isn't driven much, and it develops master cylinder leaks. The leaks are not caused by wear, but by water (in the brake fluid) rusting the bottom of the MC cylinder. I change the fluid out every couple years, but even so, the leak eventually shows up.

 

[Greaser]

I drain and fill my master every year with a turkey baster...it's better than nothing I guess

 

[Bror Jace]

Problem is not with a panic stop ... it's with the stop following a panic stop ... when the heat is already in the brake pads. The sponginess/fade happens once the fluids has boiled.

... or a panic stop following a lot of stop 'n go driving. Same problem.

drifter, I believe ALL brake fluids are synthetic ... again, depending on the defintion of the word "synthetic."

Greaser, the problem is the worst fluid, the stuff most likely to be contaminated and boil, is right at the end of the system ... in the caliper (against the piston).

--- Bror Jace

 

[sprintman]

I change brake/clutch fluid every 12mths. Never have brake problems. It's a no-brainer IMO.

 

[Ken2]

Drifter,

All brake fluids are synthetic. I know, some companies have used the term to make their stuff seem special. I like Castrol GT LMA DOT3/4 brake fluid.

Avoid DOT5 brake fluid. This is the silicone stuff, and it won't mix with what you have.


Ken

 

[oilcanboyd]

i use castrol GT LMA in my car. the car had 187,000 miles on it and i never changed the brake fluid since i bought it with 86,000 miles so i suspect that the orginal brake fluid was in the car. the old brake fluid was black.

 

[lubechick]

You could go through the expense of getting your brake fluid tested or you could just faithfully change it every 12 months. DOT3 and DOT4 brake fluids are glycol-based. Dirt, moisture and sometimes petroleum products are the most common contaminants which may lead to brake system failure. Water in break fluid can significantly reduce the wet boiling point to below 300 F, which may result in vapour boiling in the master cylinder. I believe the service limit for it is about 3% moisture in break fluid. If your interested in the testing, it can be done, however, it may just be cheaper to change your brake fluid. AND REMEMBER...

once you crack the container of new brake fluid...throw the rest away..it will accumulate moisture.

 

[RobZ71LM7]

If you want good all-around fluid I'd use ATE Super Blue it comes in metal cans and it's $10 a liter. It's a great deal when you compare it's wet and dry boiling points to other fluids. I use it in my autocross car and other cars. I don't use SRF but probably will in the future when I run road courses so I don't have to flush the fluid so often.

 

[unDummy]

I bleed every year. Haven't change a master cylinder/wheelcylinder/caliper since I started yearly bleeding. Any quality fluid is good. If you're a racer, use something with a higher temp rating. Most people don't need anything more than cheap Dot3.
Yep, I agree that all brake fluids are synthetic. Give bonus $$$ to valvolines marketing dept. I switched to synpower from GTLMA and believe that it stays clearer longer. Ford brake fluid is also highly regarded.

These make bleeding ME proof:
www.speedbleeder.com