what does changing the lines to SS and swapping out to race brake fluid actually do for braking?

I already have the goodridge lines, but should i go out of my way to change the brake fluid? and what is the best brake fluid to use?

I heard something about a blue fluid? :confused:

 

If you are going to do some agressive driving you may want to raise the wet and dry boiling point of you brake fluid.

Take a look at:
http://www.shotimes.com/SHO3brakefluid.html

 

There are several good brands of HP brake fluid, the cheapest and easiest to get is the Ford. Its dry boiling point is right up there with the good racing stuff, only the wet boiling point can be a problem. I solve that by flushing the system before each high speed event. I dont have my spec sheet in front of me right now, but there are some silicone fluids that have great specs but are disasterously incompatible with the C5 brake system. Others on this Forum can give you more details.....

 

The Blue stuff is ATE Super Blue racing fluid great for the price @$18 a quart. The only number to look for is wet boiling point, why? Factory resivour caps are vented so the fluid abosrbs moisture and falls to the wet boiling point over a short time. ATE Blue has a 392f wet boiling point. Most factory fluids are 300+/-, Castrol GT LMA is 312f. I run Motul RBF 600 with a wet bp of 421f it costs twice as much but my Brembo's were almost 4 grand so what is some $18 a pint fluid :D The new hot fluid to have is Brake Man extreme 600. It is very close to Castrol SRF and 1/3 the cost. I change it every three months due to heavy use. At 30K miles my fluid resivour is still clean and clear. When you pull the lines make sure to put a prop on the brake pedal. Once you depress it a little it keeps fluid from gravity bleeding out. You may have to pull the brake fuse or battery to keep from running the brake lamps while the pedal is propped down. The SS lines are self explanitory they reduce line swell under pressure for a firmer shorter pedal effort.


[Modified by Quick Brick, 11:03 PM 9/21/2002]


[Modified by Quick Brick, 11:04 PM 9/21/2002]


[Modified by Quick Brick, 11:07 PM 9/21/2002]

 

Super Blue has become very popular and the price is coming down:
http://www.autotechnic.net/store/asp...asp?product=70

 

Often you can find ATE (Blue and Amber) readily available via dutch auction on eBay for less than 9 USD but, oddly, there's non there today. Certainly, the going mail-order rate seems to be around 8.95 these days.


[Modified by chocoholic, 6:37 AM 9/22/2002]

 

Thanks richin chicago for the webb site! I am going to try the "Blue" too. :)

 

DRM recommends Castrol SRF or Motul 600 due to their high wet boiling points. All brake fluids absorb moisture, some faster than others (except silicone which is not recommended for anti-lock brake systems). Castrol SRF resists moisture contamination (non-hydroscopic) more than any other fluid they tested, therefore change intervals can be greatly extended. This reduces the effective cost over a season of racing. Many drivers say that they can run the same fluid all year long with only bleeding off the fluid in the calipers for each event. This way a can or two will last all year. Other fluids (hydroscopic type) require additional flushing of the system for each track event to maintain the lowest percentage of moisture and the highest boiling point. For cars over 3000 pounds on high speed road courses DRM recommends brake fluids that do not fall below 400°F wet boiling point.

Brand.................. Wet.... ..Dry
Castrol SRF........ 518°F.. .590°F
Motul 600...........421°F....'585°F
AP-600............... 410°F... 572°F
ATE-Super Blue.. 392°F... 536°F
Valvoline............ 333°F... 513°F
Castrol LMA........ 311°F... 446°F
Ford HD.............. 290°F... 550°F
Wilwood 570...... 284°F... 570°F
PFC-Z rated........ 284°F... 550°F
AP-550............... 284°F... 550°F

For street applications, where you are not using racing pads, Castrol SRF is probably overkill and it's ability to resist moisture is not much greater than Motul 600, according to the guy I talked to at DRM. At the track, a racer is concerned about the amount of moisture in the brake fluid because it affects brake performance. On the street, moisture in the brake fluid is bad because of the corrosion it causes in the brake parts. Most owners don’t change their brake fluid often enough. If you want your calipers, master cylinder, and ABS to live a long life, you should flush your brake fluid every year or at the very least every two years, according to the mechanics I have talked to as well as my own experience.

Stainless steel lines maintain a constant diameter under hard braking which results in a firmer feel in the brake pedal.

 

Quickbrick, :bs

According to SAE field tests performed by Leica Refractometers the average time it takes for brake fluid to absorb moisture equal to 1% total content in a street driven car is 6 months. A 1% moisture content will result in a boiling point that is 20 to 40 degrees lower than the original dry boiling point.

Change your brake fluid just before your track event and you should have a boiling point performance pretty close to the stated dry boiling point.