Break Fluids

[John D.]

Re: Brake Fluids....Silicon NOT

Clem:

I understood it to be better in a vehicle that was not a daily driver due to it being hydrophobic. I have purged with air and alcohol and rebuilt with silicone. Looks like I am committed.

Boy did I open a can of worms!!!

John.

[Duke W.]

Re: Brake Fluids

Good points, Joe. When doing fluid changes on my cars I sometimes place slightly damp rags under the m/c in case I spill any and keep a clean damp rag readily accessible on the fender or cowl. Glycol based fluid is water soluble, so if any spills on the paint, wipe it down with a damp rag IMMEDIATELY!

Duke

[Harmon C.]

Re: Break Fluids

Their has been lots of ways told to clean lines blow them out and ect. when changing to silicone fluid. I drained the M/C poured in the silcone pushed it thru the lines till it was blue then put on the new calipers and bled the brakes in 2001. Drove the corvette 6000 miles round trip to the National convention in Galviston. I drove it the other day and the brakes are still good and haven't touched them and if it ain't broke I won't fix it. If I had read and did every thing posted I might still be flushing out the lines and rebuilding calipers. It worked for me and this is my two cents.

[Clem Z.]

Re: Brake Fluids....Silicon NOT

controversary is what makes the world go round.

[John H.]

Re: Brake Fluids....Silicon NOT

Clem, I think it's primarily to alleviate the fear of caliper corrosion and the fear of damaging paint if brake fluid dribbles on it, and the appeal of essentially "zero-maintenance" (relatively speaking) compared to glycol fluid. I just use Castrol GT-LMA DOT4 and bleed every two or three years and don't worry about it. I guess if I had a museum full of cars that were never driven and were full of fluids, I'd use DOT5 in them.

[Clem Z.]

Re: Brake Fluids....Silicon NOT

john that is my point if you drive the car why would you do it. seem to me that is a lot of extra work,like getting the air bubbles out, that it has no benefit for the average corvette owner. i did a test and i added water to std brake fluid in a close jar and left it set for 3/4 months and it never changed color so the dark color that the fluid changes to is coming from the rubber in the system

[Ray C.]

Re: Brake Fluids

Thanks for all the responses!!
I have purchased DOT-4 break fluid and will be bleeding the breaks soon.

Again, Thanks!

Ray

[George C.]

Re: Brake Fluids

I am replacing some brake lines, and pretty much have the whole brake system apart.
Can anyone tell me how to identify what kind of fluid, glycol vs silicone, might be in the system now? The fluid that was in the M/C was nasty colors, and looked to contain allot of rust particles Seems to me that it was not silicone. Any help in how to identify the existing fluid?

Thanks in advance,

George

[John H.]

Re: Break Fluids

I am original owner of a 72 vette. I redid my brake system in 1978 with silcone
The pedal had been soft prior to this change over. Even tried other mc.
I have not touched the brake system since, thanks to Stainless Steel Brake Corp. and their fine products.
My car is driven only on occasion, and the pedal is ROCK HARD.
I had driven the car hard in 1970-1980 in NCCC reginal events autocrossings.
For what it's worth I believe in Silcone very much. Big John