silicone brake fluid

[John D.]

Re: silicone brake fluid ?? for Duke or Joe

Duke or Joe:

How do I tell if my car has silicone or glycol in the brake system. Any easy way to tell??

Thanks, John

[Duke W.]

Re: silicone brake fluid ?? for Duke or Joe

It's like making a martini for James Bond. Take a small sample from the master cylinder - say about a half ounce, and put it in a small container - as close as what you can find around the house to a test tube.

Then add about and equal proportion of water and mix them - shaken not stirred, of course. Set them down and observe the results. If the fluid is silicone the water will remain separate and above the silicone fluid because it is lighter.

If it's glycol fluid, the water will mix with the water and the result will look homogeneous.

Duke

[Christopher R.]

Re: silicone brake fluid

Doesn't the Army use silicone in its vehicles?

[John H.]

Re: silicone brake fluid

Yes, and they tap their calipers with $800.00 hammers!

[Wendel H.]

Re: silicone brake fluid

For what it is worth, I have four vehicles with dot 5 brake fluid and 1 trailer.
The longest term is 20 years. The fluid has not been changed. There is no rust and there has been no air. My 69 vette, 84 vette, datsun truck, and EZloader trailer all have dot 5 fluid. To test the Gods, none of the systems were flushed with alcohol, though I drained calipers off the car and pumped silicone through the lines and pumped silicone through the calipers off the vehicles. Glycol fluid, if present, shows up as little brown globules in the silicone.The published argument about air, to which I paid attention, was not to use dot 5 in an ABS vehicle as the pump would aereate the brake fluid. Sounds scary, but I do not have any ABS vehicles. Based on my experience defying the Gods, I would try it in an ABS system. I am totally sold on silicone, and have seen so many corvette brake failures due to corrosion that I would say we are nuts not to use it. As for bleeding, gravity and patience are your best friend.