Valvoline Synthetic Dot 3-4 brake fluid
10-25-2012, 01:50 PM
#1
Valvoline Synthetic Dot 3-4 brake fluid
Thanks for all the advice on the clutch fluid change for my GS. And the 2 videos on U-Tube were very helpful.
I went to Autozone today. They had Prestone Dot 4 and Valvoline Synthetic Dot 3-4. Would the Valvoline be ok to use in the clutch?
It appears that the difference between Dot 3 and Dot 4 is the boiling point, and the Valvoline Dot 3-4 has the same boiling point at Dot 4. Is that the only difference and is the Dot 3-4 ok of should I stick with Dot 4.
Also, does anyone know the difference between Dot 4 and Super Dot 4, the GM part description. Or, should I forget the aftermarket and stick with the GM fluid?
I went to Autozone today. They had Prestone Dot 4 and Valvoline Synthetic Dot 3-4. Would the Valvoline be ok to use in the clutch?
It appears that the difference between Dot 3 and Dot 4 is the boiling point, and the Valvoline Dot 3-4 has the same boiling point at Dot 4. Is that the only difference and is the Dot 3-4 ok of should I stick with Dot 4.
Also, does anyone know the difference between Dot 4 and Super Dot 4, the GM part description. Or, should I forget the aftermarket and stick with the GM fluid?
10-25-2012, 01:58 PM
#2
Team Owner
Thanks for all the advice on the clutch fluid change for my GS. And the 2 videos on U-Tube were very helpful.
I went to Autozone today. They had Prestone Dot 4 and Valvoline Synthetic Dot 3-4. Would the Valvoline be ok to use in the clutch?
It appears that the difference between Dot 3 and Dot 4 is the boiling point, and the Valvoline Dot 3-4 has the same boiling point at Dot 4. Is that the only difference and is the Dot 3-4 ok of should I stick with Dot 4.
Also, does anyone know the difference between Dot 4 and Super Dot 4, the GM part description. Or, should I forget the aftermarket and stick with the GM fluid?
I went to Autozone today. They had Prestone Dot 4 and Valvoline Synthetic Dot 3-4. Would the Valvoline be ok to use in the clutch?
It appears that the difference between Dot 3 and Dot 4 is the boiling point, and the Valvoline Dot 3-4 has the same boiling point at Dot 4. Is that the only difference and is the Dot 3-4 ok of should I stick with Dot 4.
Also, does anyone know the difference between Dot 4 and Super Dot 4, the GM part description. Or, should I forget the aftermarket and stick with the GM fluid?
10-25-2012, 02:24 PM
#4
Safety Car
And I've used the Prestone since 2008 in 2 different vettes with no issues.
For our street cars, I personally feel that the prep( meaning, keep the dirt/moisture out, flush multiple times, etc.) is far more important than the particular brand of fluid.
If I were seriously racing, I would do more research, and go with what the racers use.
For our street cars, I personally feel that the prep( meaning, keep the dirt/moisture out, flush multiple times, etc.) is far more important than the particular brand of fluid.
If I were seriously racing, I would do more research, and go with what the racers use.
10-25-2012, 04:49 PM
#6
Melting Slicks
Member Since: Nov 2007
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St. Jude Donor '10-'11-'12-'13-'14
I haven't been able to find any formal definition of Super DOT4. An Amsoil tech services rep told me: "DOT 4 brake fluids all meet the same minimum requirements. AMSOIL Series 600 DOT 4 Synthetic Racing Brake Fluid features a wet equilibrium reflux boiling point (Wet ERBP) nearly 100°F higher than the DOT minimum. (I suspect 'Super' Dot 4 may be similarly different than typical fluid.)"
So until I see otherwise I'm assuming "Super" DOT 4 is a marketing term for DOT 4 that has a higher dry and wet boiling point than the minimum spec.
So until I see otherwise I'm assuming "Super" DOT 4 is a marketing term for DOT 4 that has a higher dry and wet boiling point than the minimum spec.
That's absolutely correct!!!
The DOT used to have specs for DOT 3, 4, and 5. The DOT specs have requirements for dry and wet boiling points, viscosity, high temp stability, corrosion characteristics, effects on seals, and a number of things as well.
DOT 3 and 4 stuff is generally formulated with a glycol ether base, with the DOT 4 having more borate esters added in to raise the boiling temps.
DOT 5 had higher boiling point specs, but it's a silicone based fluid that is not compatible with the DOT 3/4 fluids, and it's slight compressibility makes it totally unacceptable for use in modern high performance ABS cars.
A number of years ago a bunch of mainly foreign car manufacturers wanted a higher boiling point fluid compatible with DOT 3/4 fluids, and the fluid providers came up with stuff they called Super DOT 4, or DOT 4 Plus.
When DOT came out with a spec for glycol ether based fluids with boiling points as high as the silicone based DOT 5, they designated the spec DOT 5.1.
Super DOT 4, DOT 4 Plus, and DOT 5.1 are all essentially the same, with the two higher rated DOT 4's just produced before the DOT came out with the 5.1 spec.
You can find a lot of Super DOT 4 fluids: BG, Bel Ray, Castrol Response, Pentosin (which I suspect is what is actually the stuff that is relabeled and sold as GM Super DOT 4), and many others.
There are also a number of DOT 5.1 fluids that have been formulated since the official DOT 5.1 spec came out, otherwise they would probably be called Super DOT 4 or DOT 4 Plus: AP DOT 5.1, Motul DOT 5.1, etc.
So.....I think it's perfectly acceptable to consider most Super DOT 4 or DOT 4 Plus fluids to be essentially the same as most DOT 5.1 fluids. That's what the StopTech site White Paper tech bulletin on fluids used to say. I reviewed it and it's been changed so that reference is no longer in there.
Of course you can check out the fluid manufacturer's specs and compare them To the DOT specs. Many racing brake fluids that just call themselves DOT 4 easily meet the DOT 5.1 specs.
Just MHO, YMMV!!
Bob
The DOT used to have specs for DOT 3, 4, and 5. The DOT specs have requirements for dry and wet boiling points, viscosity, high temp stability, corrosion characteristics, effects on seals, and a number of things as well.
DOT 3 and 4 stuff is generally formulated with a glycol ether base, with the DOT 4 having more borate esters added in to raise the boiling temps.
DOT 5 had higher boiling point specs, but it's a silicone based fluid that is not compatible with the DOT 3/4 fluids, and it's slight compressibility makes it totally unacceptable for use in modern high performance ABS cars.
A number of years ago a bunch of mainly foreign car manufacturers wanted a higher boiling point fluid compatible with DOT 3/4 fluids, and the fluid providers came up with stuff they called Super DOT 4, or DOT 4 Plus.
When DOT came out with a spec for glycol ether based fluids with boiling points as high as the silicone based DOT 5, they designated the spec DOT 5.1.
Super DOT 4, DOT 4 Plus, and DOT 5.1 are all essentially the same, with the two higher rated DOT 4's just produced before the DOT came out with the 5.1 spec.
You can find a lot of Super DOT 4 fluids: BG, Bel Ray, Castrol Response, Pentosin (which I suspect is what is actually the stuff that is relabeled and sold as GM Super DOT 4), and many others.
There are also a number of DOT 5.1 fluids that have been formulated since the official DOT 5.1 spec came out, otherwise they would probably be called Super DOT 4 or DOT 4 Plus: AP DOT 5.1, Motul DOT 5.1, etc.
So.....I think it's perfectly acceptable to consider most Super DOT 4 or DOT 4 Plus fluids to be essentially the same as most DOT 5.1 fluids. That's what the StopTech site White Paper tech bulletin on fluids used to say. I reviewed it and it's been changed so that reference is no longer in there.
Of course you can check out the fluid manufacturer's specs and compare them To the DOT specs. Many racing brake fluids that just call themselves DOT 4 easily meet the DOT 5.1 specs.
Just MHO, YMMV!!
Bob
