What kind of brake fluid do you use?

[adamnitti]

getting ready to flush mine out and replace...

[makaio]

ATE Super Blue!

[pwd72s]

Adam, several brands over the years, but right now ATE Blue...it seems to works as well as any of the DOT 4 fluids I've used. Don't get any on your fingers. With your bass guitar talent, you should hire the job done...don't hurt those guitar fingers! LOvin' your latest CD, man! (And yeah...this is a blatent plug!) Best, Paul Oh Gawd...just struck me... blue brake fluid...liquid blue.

[pwd72s]

Hmmm, edit didn't take as I planned. Oh well, one thing about ATE is the idea of using the blue for one flush, the amber for the next. When the color changes, then you know the fluid flush is complete.

[carrera]

motul 500
any high performance fluid(read high boiling pt) is good.
most important is to change regularly, at least once a year, more if you attend the track regularly
this is certainly an aspect of good maintainence that many people overlook
it is really incredible how much of an improvement can be had with a high temp, fresh fluid

[adamnitti]

Originally posted by pwd72s
Adam, several brands over the years, but right now ATE Blue...it seems to works as well as any of the DOT 4 fluids I've used. Don't get any on your fingers. With your bass guitar talent, you should hire the job done...don't hurt those guitar fingers! LOvin' your latest CD, man! (And yeah...this is a blatent plug!) Best, Paul Oh Gawd...just struck me... blue brake fluid...liquid blue.

paul, you are too cool!!! i am so happy you are enjoying the music.

ATE LIQUID BLUE it will be!

[targa88]

Pentosin racing to start, subsequently changed to ATE Blue. The key was, at track events everybody was using ATE. So if you needed to top up, or bleed, etc. You coudl alwasy get your hands on some from a "neighbor".
The same thing goes for Mobil 1 engine oil

[campbellcj]

I switched to ATE blue early this year and have had zero fade or other brake issues since then, including about a dozen track events. Highly recommended. There are more expensive fluids but the ATE works fine IMHO...

While you're in there, make sure everything else in the braking system is in perfect shape. Sure, going fast is great, but stopping is essential!

[Jack Olsen]

ATE Super Blue

[Matt Holcomb]

I use this stuff (product description taken from the Castrol Australia website):

Castrol SRF

Extreme performance, silicon ester based brake fluid with a very high boiling point, easily exceeding DOT 5 boiling point requirements. Formulated for use in drum and disc brakes in competitive motorsport, including motorcycles, rallying, touring and Formula 1. Not for use in systems where a mineral oil is specified. SAE J1703.

It's around $120 (AUS) for 1 litre, so it ain't cheap! I'm not sure if it's available in the U.S.


Matt Holcomb
1974 911 Carrera 2.7 Euro
1975 Mercedes-Benz 280SE
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[Blizzard]

Does anyone know where I can find instructions on changing brake fluid?
Thanks

[T Bird]

Castrol LMA (Low Moisture Activity)- it's a DOT 4 fluid and is available locally (Pep Boys). If memory serves me, it costs about $6 or $7 a quart. I flush the system every 2 years.

[pwd72s]

My additional 2 cents...the real key is in changing often. Living in a wet climate I once learned the hard way that brake fluid attracts moisture. Even in my street machine, I try for a complete flush once a year. Before going with ATE blue and amber in rotation, I used most of the brands previously mentioned. They all worked well, unless I forgot to flush annually. Nothing like running out of brakes on a track to remind you!

[speeder]

I use Castrol LMA and keep it clean. Very important: If you go to a silicone based fluid, you have to first flush system COMPLETELY! Major PITA, and not neccesary with high-performance non-silicone products out there.

[Doug Zielke]

I would not recommend silicone-based brake fluids. The nature of these fluids, is to retain a lot of microscopic air bubbles in the system. Regardless of how much bleeding you do, the pedal will never get as hard as you'd like.

Harley-Davidson has been using silicone fluids for years now. When I upgraded the front brakes and master cylender on my '96 Road King (FLHR) to a P-M products system, I used conventional (DOT 4) fluid. Result: A very solid feel at the brake lever.

[emcon5]

Originally posted by Blizzard
Does anyone know where I can find instructions on changing brake fluid?
Thanks

You change your brake fluid the same way you bleed your brakes.
http://www.pelicanparts.com/techarticles/mult_bleed_brakes/mult_bleed_brakes.htm

The short version is you use a turkey baster to suck as much of the fluid out of the Master Cyl. as possible, then top off with new fluid. Use a fluid that is a different color than the old fluid, so it is easy to tell when tho old fluid is out of the lines. Then you keep bleeding the brakes at each wheel until only the new color fluid comes out. Start at the wheel farthest from the MC, (Right rear for LHD cars) and work your way to the closest wheel.

When you get the new fluid at every caliper, you are done.

Tom

[John Brandt]

I use Valvoline Synpower Dot4 synthetic (not silicone)

Boilingpoint is 504 i think, and i can get it at autozone, NAPA, sometimes at Wallymart, for about 6 USD per quart

I've tried the ATE and cannot tell the difference at the track, and as much as I change fluid, It's nice to have something thats priced right and works

I know a couple of guys who run Ford heavy duty truck fluid and insist it's the real deal.

Castrol Lma is a good choice for non track use P-cars because it's very stable. Lower boilingpoint of Lma is not ideal for racing applications

[Randy W]

My experience: If you are consistently boiling your brake fluid (from using too low a friction brake pad or too small of brakes) then Castrol SRF is a good band-aid, as it resists boiling better than everything else (at a price). However with proper pads and brakes the Motul fluids work fine and are much less expensive.

Randy Wells

[911pcars]

Current list of heavy duty brake fluids:

http://members.rennlist.com/911pcars/brakefluid.htm

Let me know if I've missed some.

Sherwood Lee