Interesting article on Brake Fluid
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 852
Likes: 0
From: Katy TX
Le Mans Master
Joined: Apr 1999
Posts: 6,134
Likes: 46
From: Raleigh North Carolina
Re: Interesting article on Brake Fluid (PatG)
Interesting. But I take issue with a few points.
1) Compressability of DOT 5 - I have it in my 66 since 1975- with rubber hoses... and the pedal is hard as a rock.
I have absolutely no compressability issues. This may be a racing only thing. But for a street driven car, based on my own personal experience"compressabiliy" is not a problem with DOT5. It may be more compressable (according to the experts) than non-DOT5, but the average person will not be able to tell the difference.
2) "Never re-use brakes fluid"
I will re-use DOT 5 as long as it is clean. I put DOT 5 in my 66 in 1975 and just recently replaced the front brake hoses. The fluid is as clear & clean as it was the day I installed it, over 25 years ago. I re-cycled it... and the brakes work fine, with the pedal still as hard as a rock. Dirty DOT5 or used non-DOT5 should always be replaced. But if your DOT5 is clean, there is no need to replace it... based purely on a 25 year test. The non-power brakes (with 25 year old DOT5) on my 66 work far better than the DOT3 power brakes on my 70. Nuff said.
I did not read the rest of the articles... it's a GOOD web site... very informative. But I wouldn't consider what they say as "gospel". Engineers don't always have a grip on reality as provided by a trip to the trenches. Racing & daily drivers are two different arenas... apples & oranges.
1) Compressability of DOT 5 - I have it in my 66 since 1975- with rubber hoses... and the pedal is hard as a rock.
I have absolutely no compressability issues. This may be a racing only thing. But for a street driven car, based on my own personal experience"compressabiliy" is not a problem with DOT5. It may be more compressable (according to the experts) than non-DOT5, but the average person will not be able to tell the difference.
2) "Never re-use brakes fluid"
I will re-use DOT 5 as long as it is clean. I put DOT 5 in my 66 in 1975 and just recently replaced the front brake hoses. The fluid is as clear & clean as it was the day I installed it, over 25 years ago. I re-cycled it... and the brakes work fine, with the pedal still as hard as a rock. Dirty DOT5 or used non-DOT5 should always be replaced. But if your DOT5 is clean, there is no need to replace it... based purely on a 25 year test. The non-power brakes (with 25 year old DOT5) on my 66 work far better than the DOT3 power brakes on my 70. Nuff said.
I did not read the rest of the articles... it's a GOOD web site... very informative. But I wouldn't consider what they say as "gospel". Engineers don't always have a grip on reality as provided by a trip to the trenches. Racing & daily drivers are two different arenas... apples & oranges.
