How do I change brake fluid?
#1
Burning Brakes
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How do I change brake fluid?
I currently have Motul 600 and bought Castrol SRF. What are the steps I need to do to flush out one and fill with the other..can they be mixed?
I bought 4 liters of SRF...is that enough to flush and change out..
I have a stock GS
Tom
I bought 4 liters of SRF...is that enough to flush and change out..
I have a stock GS
Tom
#2
Melting Slicks
More than enough. Take a turkey baster (something you can extract fluid with) and suck out the brake fluid in the master cylinder. Fill it up with SRF. I always start at the right rear of the car. Bleed as you normally would bleed your brakes using an assistant or a brake bleeder. I use clear hose over the bleeder valve. Look for the change in color of the fluid and no bubbles and you're good. I then do the right front because it's in the air already. Some say go to the left rear. Some say it makes no difference.
Important!!!! Keep adding fluid as the level in the master cylinder goes down. If you run it dry you will pull air into the system and NEED to start over!! That's not fun.
Bleed through all four with fresh fluid and you're finished. Don't over tighten the bleeder valves.
I am headed to do mine right now. Same car. Same fluid. Should take a 1 1/2 liters or so for a full flush, 2 max.
#3
Burning Brakes
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They will be fine mixed with each other. In the end it will be SRF in there anyway.
More than enough. Take a turkey baster (something you can extract fluid with) and suck out the brake fluid in the master cylinder. Fill it up with SRF. I always start at the right rear of the car. Bleed as you normally would bleed your brakes using an assistant or a brake bleeder. I use clear hose over the bleeder valve. Look for the change in color of the fluid and no bubbles and you're good. I then do the right front because it's in the air already. Some say go to the left rear. Some say it makes no difference.
Important!!!! Keep adding fluid as the level in the master cylinder goes down. If you run it dry you will pull air into the system and NEED to start over!! That's not fun.
Bleed through all four with fresh fluid and you're finished. Don't over tighten the bleeder valves.
I am headed to do mine right now. Same car. Same fluid. Should take a 1 1/2 liters or so for a full flush, 2 max.
More than enough. Take a turkey baster (something you can extract fluid with) and suck out the brake fluid in the master cylinder. Fill it up with SRF. I always start at the right rear of the car. Bleed as you normally would bleed your brakes using an assistant or a brake bleeder. I use clear hose over the bleeder valve. Look for the change in color of the fluid and no bubbles and you're good. I then do the right front because it's in the air already. Some say go to the left rear. Some say it makes no difference.
Important!!!! Keep adding fluid as the level in the master cylinder goes down. If you run it dry you will pull air into the system and NEED to start over!! That's not fun.
Bleed through all four with fresh fluid and you're finished. Don't over tighten the bleeder valves.
I am headed to do mine right now. Same car. Same fluid. Should take a 1 1/2 liters or so for a full flush, 2 max.
Tom
#4
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The order to bleed is RR, LR, RF, LF. Basically farthest from the MC first, closest last.
#5
Melting Slicks
Some people have a sequence they follow. I can tell you I did it today exactly as I stated and I have a rock hard pedal and clean, fresh SRF at all four corners. Did the flush, rotor and pad change. Used exactly one liter of SRF doing the brake fluid change.
I do apologize for being vague in my original answer. That was my fault and I am sorry for that. I never want to mislead anyone. I have done this procedure so many times I feel like I can do it in my sleep.
Years ago when changing out fluid using ATE Blue I did it after every race and DE event (sometimes even during the event because I like the hard pedal) and I became tired of putting the car completely up on jack stands or jacking up the right side, doing the RR, putting it down and jacking up the left side to do the LR and then back down and up again on the right to go do the RF. So I tried it. Put the right side up and did the RR first and then the RF. Went around to the left and did the LR and LF. Could not tell any difference at all. None. Pedal was the same. No air in the system. I have always done it that way since 2003 on my 03' Porsche C2 with ABS, on my Nissan 240SX race car without ABS, on the GTR and now the GS and the ACR. Now that I use different fluid I don't do it as often but I have never had an issue. I don't like the time wasted if I were to do it my old way and I don't have a lift. That I need to remedy but that's for another time. lol!!
So that's MY sequence. RR,RF,LR,LF. I am not suggesting that anyone else needs to do it that way and in fact I would say follow the GM service manual if you want to do it exactly as GM recommends.
I am excited to get to Summit Main this week to see my friends and have some fun driving!! I can't believe the car is ready with two days to go til the event. That's a first for me. LOL!!
I do apologize for being vague in my original answer. That was my fault and I am sorry for that. I never want to mislead anyone. I have done this procedure so many times I feel like I can do it in my sleep.
Years ago when changing out fluid using ATE Blue I did it after every race and DE event (sometimes even during the event because I like the hard pedal) and I became tired of putting the car completely up on jack stands or jacking up the right side, doing the RR, putting it down and jacking up the left side to do the LR and then back down and up again on the right to go do the RF. So I tried it. Put the right side up and did the RR first and then the RF. Went around to the left and did the LR and LF. Could not tell any difference at all. None. Pedal was the same. No air in the system. I have always done it that way since 2003 on my 03' Porsche C2 with ABS, on my Nissan 240SX race car without ABS, on the GTR and now the GS and the ACR. Now that I use different fluid I don't do it as often but I have never had an issue. I don't like the time wasted if I were to do it my old way and I don't have a lift. That I need to remedy but that's for another time. lol!!
So that's MY sequence. RR,RF,LR,LF. I am not suggesting that anyone else needs to do it that way and in fact I would say follow the GM service manual if you want to do it exactly as GM recommends.
I am excited to get to Summit Main this week to see my friends and have some fun driving!! I can't believe the car is ready with two days to go til the event. That's a first for me. LOL!!
Last edited by Racingswh; 08-14-2012 at 09:17 AM. Reason: More explanation required
#6
Burning Brakes
I think because of the diagonal configuration of the brake lines, the sequence suggested by the manual is RR, LF, LR, RF. However, it looks like the order depends on the method used to bleed the brakes. I've seen a brake bleed with a Tech II and I'm pretty sure it doesn't follow that sequence at all.
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/1580936057-post7.html
It probably doesn't make a difference really. Once you have fresh fluid along a given portion of the line to a certain corner and cap it off, there won't be too much "dirty fluid" that makes its way into that section as you're bleeding the other corners.
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/1580936057-post7.html
It probably doesn't make a difference really. Once you have fresh fluid along a given portion of the line to a certain corner and cap it off, there won't be too much "dirty fluid" that makes its way into that section as you're bleeding the other corners.
#7
Burning Brakes
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Tom
#8
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I would cycle or flush the abs system...I changed my brake fluid a few month back.. Put 2 quarts through it..bled all 4 corner fluid looked great.. Took it out and cycled the abs on a sandy road.. Checked fluid again.. Not so clean... Had to do it again..
#9
Burning Brakes
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good observation...I will check later and see what it looks like..