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C6 Brake Fluid - Type & System Capacity

Old 02-03-2006, 11:24 AM
  #21  
scrannel
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I use DOT 5 whenever I change a system -- always for my motorcycles.
Old 02-03-2006, 05:29 PM
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AU N EGL
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Originally Posted by scrannel
I use DOT 5 whenever I change a system -- always for my motorcycles.
DOT 5 or DOT5.1 ?? Motorcycles are different.

DOT 5 is a SILICONE BASE product. It does not absorbe water, which sound like a good thing. However, Silicone base fluids do not lubracate eh PBR brake caliper ABS system. If you brake hard and over heat a silicone fluid it will foam, not boil. Plus WHEN not IF, but when water gets into the brake system it will bead up in the silicone fluid and again cause the fluid to foam.

when DOT 5 foams it will not work, i.e. your brakes are screwed and wont stop the car.

The Motcycle brake system may require or work with the DOT 5, but ABS car and truck brakes dont.

May want to consider changing out the DOT 5 fo a good DOT 4.

Last edited by AU N EGL; 02-04-2006 at 01:44 PM.
Old 02-03-2006, 07:27 PM
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Originally Posted by AU N EGL
DOT 5 or DOT5.1 ?? Motorcycles are different.

DOT is a SILICONE BASE product. It does not absorbe water, which sound like a good thing. However, Silicone base fluids do not lubracate eh PBR brake caliper ABS system. If you brake hard and over heat a silicone fluid it will foam, not boil. Plus WHEN not IF, but when water gets into the brake system it will bead up in the silicone fluid and again cause the fluid to foam.

when DOT 5 foams it will not work, i.e. your brakes are screwed and wont stop the car.

The Motcycle brake system may require or work with the DOT 5, but ABS car and truck brakes dont.

May want to consider changing out the DOT 5 fo a good DOT 4.

Thanks for the info -- have never had a problem with my bikes on DOT 5. Have not touched my Vette. What is 5.1?
Old 02-04-2006, 09:54 AM
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Excellent thread! Looks like FAQ stuff to me
Old 02-04-2006, 01:46 PM
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AU N EGL
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Originally Posted by scrannel
Thanks for the info -- have never had a problem with my bikes on DOT 5. Have not touched my Vette. What is 5.1?
just a fancy name really. A very good and readily avalible DOT 4 brake fluid is Castol GT LMA. Can get it at allmost any auto parts store.
Old 02-04-2006, 03:02 PM
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6speedC6
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Originally Posted by Gearhead Jim
Ford brake fluid actually rates pretty well and it's cheap, I used it on my C5 for track weekends with no problems.

As previously posted, you will do fine with flushing once per year for most street driving, but flush it the day before for a road course.
Same here, I attend track events with a porsche/BMW club and most of them use the Ford performance fliud. No need to pay big bucks for the others.
Old 02-07-2006, 10:45 AM
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Originally Posted by scrannel
Thanks for the info -- have never had a problem with my bikes on DOT 5. Have not touched my Vette. What is 5.1?
DOT 5.1 is a synthetic glycol. This means it is compabible with the brake fluid that is already in the system, and has the same dry and wet specifications as the DOT 5 silicone fluid. DOT 5.1 is basically just a really good batch of DOT 4.

There are 2 problems with DOT 5 in automobiles. 1) it is a bitch to get the fluid in without tons of microscopic air bubbles which will destroy the firm pedal feel. 2) it is incompatible with the ABS function.
Old 07-28-2017, 03:46 AM
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corvette312
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So what is the best way to replace the brake fluid on your brakes if you are not going to bleed them ?
Old 07-30-2017, 07:05 PM
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Originally Posted by davidfarmer
If you aren't doing track events (or even if you are, really), I'd got with something like Valvoline Synpower. It is readily available, and with 6% of the boiling points of SuperBlue.

Racing fluids have awesome dry boiling points, but they absorb moisture really quickly, and lose several hundred degrees of boild points when "wet". Unless you plan on bleeding your brakes every weekend (like racers do), then you won't really gain anything with a racing fluid.
Thank you for that


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