How much brake fluid
 

Without disclosing the type of brake fluid to use (Don't want to start the ball bouncing once again), how much brake fluid will I need to fill a 67? I have bench bled the MC and now need to fill and bleed the lines. How much by volume will I need?

Fill it about 1/4 inch from the top and start bleeding at the back. Check the master cylinder frequently since if it runs out you will have to do the bleeding again. Put the cap on the MC as sometimes air will cause splashes. Not a problem with DOT 5 but any others will damage the paint.

I think you are asking how much brake fluid to have on hand when you start bleeding. Well, I've never used as much as a quart start to finish, and that includes filling the master cylinder.

Jim

I recommend buying 3 pint bottles from your FLAPS, which should give you enough to get all but the most aggravating brake flush done. You didn't say whether your wheel cylinders/lines were replaced or fluid drained, so you'll need a bit to either fill the system or flush the old bad stuff out.

Only open the bottles as you use them, and return any unopened bottles.

If you use a hygroscopic type of brake fluid (again, not wanting to invite the "which brake fluid is best" argument) an opened bottle will absorb water and has a short shelf life as a result.

All you need is a quart of fluid. Sometimes it's cheaper buying in pint bottles, sometimes it isn't.

That was the answer to the question. Thank you.

And to stem the tide of suggestions for the type of fluid I should use, I'm using whale oil from a non-endangered harp seal whale that was ethically euthanised just before he was about to expire of old age after he lived his life in the Happy Dale Whale Farm and Goat Milk Emporium located in Mosquito Knee, Arkansas. :crazy2::crazy2:

I agree with a quart. :thumbs: However based on what you've already done, the pint bottles may make more sense (I'd start with three at this point).

Glycol based fluids do start to absorb moisture as soon as they are opened so having an unopened bottle (or two) is preferable to a half full quart bottle sitting on the shelf. :D

Good luck... GUSTO

I would be surprised if glycol brake fluid absorbed any water sitting on the shelf if the container was resealed with the cap.

I could be wrong of course because I'm no brake fluid packaging engineer.:thumbs:

Jim,

DUH..... I guess I need to stop reading posts at 11:56 PM.

Thanks,
Bruce B

If I have brake fluid left over, I take a piece of Saran Wrap, fold it over a couple times, cover the top of the brake fluid container and then put the cap back on.

You could also put a piece of rubber whoopie cushion over the top before putting the cap back on. Wouldn't that be like covering the MC?

Either way, I think you would be fine for 6 months to use what was left in an opened container.

I started out with four pint bottles. The MC took almost a full pint. I believe the lines are empty so when I bleed the car using a Motive power bleeder, the lines will have to be filled. I didn't want to run out before the job is done. I also did not want to dump too much fluid into the power bleeder container and end up throwing it away due to the opened container and moisture issue.

I'd bet I can guess what kind of brake fluid you're using!:D

Best to store brake fluid in factory sealed containers. I have no problem using brake fluid that is 2-5 years old that's been previously opened and re-capped. If it absorbed moisture in closed jars on the shelf, you'd have to flush your car's system every month to get the water out of it. When I've tested the boiling point of brand new brake fluid vs stored fluid, the results on my test meter always read the same: "Boiling point over 445F".

You knew that wasn't going to stop the tide from coming in. Nice warning though. :rock:

As for dumping the excess new fluid after 6 months, think about it:
It is in a sealed air tight container protecting it from moisture intrusion. :toetap:

The master cylinder is vented and thus prone to moisture intrusion and condensation with temperature change. :toetap:

Guess we need to change the brake fluid in all of our cars every month or two??? :D

Of course if you dump it in the ocean, you can naturally kill another harp seal whale to be processed for the next monthly brake fluid change. :woohoo:

Don't forget to change you oil and PS fluid once a month too. :cheers:

You'd need a pretty darn big club to kill a 'harp seal whale'!!! LOL! Now, it's off to the shop to drain all my sealed, but old and therefore expired, bottles of motor oil, ATF, brake fluid, etc. And I need to change the differentials and transmissions in all my cars, too, because the sulfur in the gear oil dissolves bronze and brass, and gears just go bad from age. Man, that's a lot of work ahead of me.............Do frame's go bad sitting there, too? Do they get stale or brittle or soft? I may need new frames, too..........

A comment on MC venting. The '63 thumbscrew MC is vented to atmosphere. The '64'later MCs with the bail wire are not vented into the fluid reservoir but do maintain a vent below the cap. The purpose of that thick bellows cap gasket is to allow for sealing as the level of the fluid goes down without drawing air through the cap.

Good info.

Also "topping off" the M/C with DOT-3 is just asking to sling fluid around when you pop the lid off and make some nice "idiot spots" in the fender paint or cowl grill. I fill to 1/4" of the top and only check the fluid after the car has sat overnight and ALWAYS with a rag around the master cylinder and the painted areas nearby covered up... Usually just tilting the cap a few degrees is enough to peer in and confirm the fluid level...seldom need to snatch it all the way off...

You forgot to change the air in the tires from winter air to summer air. Old and out of season air air causes global warming as well as the heartbreak of psoriasis dontcha know.:crazy::crazy:

Waited 7 years....too long?
 

Just changed the fluid on my brakes after 7 years and 70,000 miles. I put 1 1/2 qts thru system to make sure all lines were clear. I installed "speed bleeders " and that made it a 1 person job.

I did not have to do it as there was no sponginess, pads were good also. But I get frighten listening to all theses people changing fluids so often.

lol lol...

Jack

You should always leave about 1/2" space between the fluid and the top of the cap. Overfilled master cylinders can cause dragging brakes when the system heats up and the fluid expands. The fluid needs some space to expand into.