Completely Draining Brake Fluid
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 190
Likes: 0
From: Melbourne FL
Completely Draining Brake Fluid
Long story short. Somehow my brakes got Dot 3 and Dot 5 brake fluid mixed. I want to completely drain out the system and put Dot 5 in. All the other posts I have seen involve keeping some of the fluid, which I obviously don't want to do. Any one have some suggestions? Thanks
Melting Slicks
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 3,330
Likes: 13
From: Europe , Luxembourg
Hi
I think that if you want to 100 % replace all fluid, you need to remove the brake calipers for draining. The bleed srews are on top and just bleeding will not replace the fluid completely. Also, if there is water in the calipers, it will have the tendency to stay on the bottom and not find its way out the top bleed screws.
If you decide just to replace by flushing with DOT5, assure not to empty the master cylinder tank completely. This will just produce problems to bleed the system later on and the master cylinder might require bench bleeding again. Just suck out the old fluid from the tank, refill with new fluid and start bleeding one brake after the other till new fluid comes out. Watch that the master cylinder never empties and sucks air.
Rgds. Günther
I think that if you want to 100 % replace all fluid, you need to remove the brake calipers for draining. The bleed srews are on top and just bleeding will not replace the fluid completely. Also, if there is water in the calipers, it will have the tendency to stay on the bottom and not find its way out the top bleed screws.
If you decide just to replace by flushing with DOT5, assure not to empty the master cylinder tank completely. This will just produce problems to bleed the system later on and the master cylinder might require bench bleeding again. Just suck out the old fluid from the tank, refill with new fluid and start bleeding one brake after the other till new fluid comes out. Watch that the master cylinder never empties and sucks air.
Rgds. Günther
Drifting
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 1,714
Likes: 42
From: Austin Texas
I removed the lines from the M/C and from the caliper and used a rubber hose to connect the M/C side to an air compressor and cleared the lines with compressed air.
so first i pumped most of the fluid out and then forced the dregs with the compressed air.
so first i pumped most of the fluid out and then forced the dregs with the compressed air.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 1,024
Likes: 1
From: AL
the only way i know to get the system 100% dot 5 now is to disassemble the master cylinder and calipers. 3 and 5 will work in the system together, i.e., you will have brakes, but the dot 3 needs to be completely removed.
Race Director
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 10,674
Likes: 121
From: Millington Illinois
St. Jude Donor '08-'09
There are drain plugs on the bottom end of the calipers also. Might want to drain completely, Blow it out, Fill with denatured alcohol, pump the pedal, Drain completely, blow it out, fill with DOT 5, Bleed.
