Brake system rebuild... Bleed with cheap fluid first?

[chrisbruck]

Rebuilding my calipers and replacing the brake master cylinder and reservoir....

Knowing I'll have to bleed a fair amount to get it all good again, should I first use some cheaper std brake fluid and then put in the good stuff? Just wondering if it makes sense to waste the cheaper fluid rather than putting the good stuff in and right back out.

[DRACO A5OG]

Heck, if on a budget why not.

Just get the blue stuff so you know when all the cheap stuff is out.

Geez, it is for your safety, why go cheap??? if you can afford it.

2 cents

[James Brown]

hummm, never thought of that. as long as it is the same type, sure. most if not all fluids are incompressible.

[boyt911sc]

As long as you use clean brake fluids rated DOT 3 or 4, you'll be fine. If you are using a pressurized brake bleeder on a newly installed brake MC, double check that the hoses are properly fitted and secured. A pressure of 10 psi. for the brake bleeding would be sufficient but for the G-50 clutch saver bleeding you'll have to adjust it slightly higher (15 psi or less). Learned this trick from KTL (Kevin). Test the brake and clutch pedals for firmness when depressed. Then introduced the 'blue' or expensive brake fluid if you desire to do so. It requires some level of proficiency or skill or practice to bleed the right amount of brake fluid to get a firm brake/clutch pedal feel. Saving a few ounces of brake fluid is not your main goal. Keep us posted.

Tony

[aston@ultrasw.c]

It's a sound strategy, why waste Motul 600.

[cobra935o]

Unless you are driving a race car, most of the stuff off the shelf at the parts store will work just fine.

[Jaybird12]

Originally Posted by cobra935o

Unless you are driving a race car, most of the stuff off the shelf at the parts store will work just fine.

+1 on that.

[wayner]

Mix the wrong types and you get thick goop.

[mercman]

if you're using a pressure bleeder, make sure to crimp the overflow on the MC. I learned this the hard way a few weeks ago.

[mpetry]

Remember you are probably going to have to re-bleed anyway after a couple heat cycles - so why not ? Using the blue as an indicator is a great idea !

[Porschekid962]

If you cannot pay to use proper brake fluid but still feel that you can own a high performance car I am sorry but that is just idiotic. I am a professional motorsports mechanic, I have worked on ALMS P1, P2, LMPC cars, GT cars, Indycars, F3 cars you get the picture. Never have I ever used cheap brake fluid as a means to save some money. At the end of the day the only input device the driver has to help avoid accidents and injury is the steering wheel and brake pedal.

Search around the web, there are plenty of good options on good to great brake fluid.

Castrol SRF
AP PRF (SRF knockoff)
Brembo LCF 600 plus
AP 600
AP super 600

Those are all great options, if you bench bleed your calipers and masters you should be able to bleed your entire car with two bottles of Castrol SRF (1 liter bottles). SRF and PRF are what I like because they are clear and hold up well do aggressive braking, think over 2,000 psi brake pressure with carbon brakes. Brembo is also great but is naturally a bit yellow in color and this is stupid but I just dont like the smell.

Stay away from the Ate and Motul stuff, Motul is very overpriced and Ate is great for lets say hmm nothing. We use SRF in everything, the racecar, pit equipment brakes, scooter brakes, our personal cars and so on.

100 dollars for proper brake fluid is pretty cheap peace of mind im sure a lot of you guys spend a lot more and cute interior bits and stickers.

[roblav]

Agree with SRF. I use that in my formula cars. And why scrimp on cheap fluid only to put better fluid in later???

[chrisbruck]

It was just a thought to get the initial air out of the system. Seems silly to pump out good fluid at first on a nearly dry system.

My plan is to bench bleed everything put it all back together and rebleed several time with my ATE Gold. That way I shouldn't have too much air to deal with.

[James Brown]

sounds like a good plan unless your entering the 24 hr. Daytona

[chrisbruck]

My car is 95% street daily driver and 5% track. The ATE Gold should work fine.

[Jdub]

I guess if the cheap fluid was the "first" fluid to lube MC & caliper seals, etc., and perform other critical functions that only the primary fluid meeting new parts can (and ever) do, then avoid the cheap and use the best right from the start.

Make sense? I am thinking flushing radiators, where water is water, is different maybe than this sort of first-time flush through a new/rebuilt system. I mean it is a 911 :>

[1976 TN Porsche]

I used ATE Blue and the fluid that flushed the air out I ran through a coffee filter and used it again.