brake fluid
- Thread starter dgw
- Start date
Guest
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Yeah, I bet it is ATE Super Blue Racing. It is DOT 4 fluid and an excellent product used on the tracks.
The blue is just a dye and the same fluid comes in amber. The reason for the two different colors is it makes it easier to bleed the brakes and tell when you have purged all the old fluid in the lines. The plan is alternate between the two colors.
The blue is just a dye and the same fluid comes in amber. The reason for the two different colors is it makes it easier to bleed the brakes and tell when you have purged all the old fluid in the lines. The plan is alternate between the two colors.
Guest
New member
What sort of fluid are you using? The fact that it is racing fluid should not make it go soggy unless it is an incompatible fluid that is attacking the piston seals. Even then I doubt that would show up immediately. The rubber portion of the lines to the calipers can degrade and start expanding giving a soggy feel but that usually doesn't happen over night.
I'd suspect you have air in the system so how did you go about bleeding them and in what order did you do the wheels? If you drained all the old fluid out and then added new, I'd put money on air introduction.
Another posssibility would be if you had the little black rust residue in the reservoir. I suppose it would be possible for some of that to lodge between the master seals and wall and allow minor passage of fluid.
But, I bet it is air entrapment.
I'd suspect you have air in the system so how did you go about bleeding them and in what order did you do the wheels? If you drained all the old fluid out and then added new, I'd put money on air introduction.
Another posssibility would be if you had the little black rust residue in the reservoir. I suppose it would be possible for some of that to lodge between the master seals and wall and allow minor passage of fluid.
But, I bet it is air entrapment.
Guest
New member
ATE super Blue can be purchased from eurocarparts for about £10 per litre. Its probably the best value high performance fluid. The ATE Gold is exactly the same spec exept its gold, the reason for this is so that when you replace your fluid you know when the new stuff is coming throught, either bule or gold.
There should not be any issues wth mixing different DOT types. The DOT number relates to a minimum standard that the fluid must reach, its not a maxmum spec!!!
ATE super blue is what to go for, its chep has a pretty high spec for both dry and wet boiling point, its not the highest but its close especially for road use.
There should not be any issues wth mixing different DOT types. The DOT number relates to a minimum standard that the fluid must reach, its not a maxmum spec!!!
ATE super blue is what to go for, its chep has a pretty high spec for both dry and wet boiling point, its not the highest but its close especially for road use.
Guest
New member
The brake fluid you want to avoid is DOT 5, which is a silicone fluid. You don't want to mix it with DOT 3/4 and you can never be sure the rubber seals in your system can take DOT 5. I had someone add DOT 5 to my Austin and the system failed within a week, leaking like crazy.
There is no problem to top off the system with new DOT 3 or 4. However, you should make sure the fluid in the system isn't too old. It is very hydroscopic and will suck moisture out of the air like a vampire. That moisture will rust out the steel parts from the inside out. Which is why you want to change out at least every 2 years.
ATE Super Blue and Gold are the same, except for color. It is very good fluid and switching between the two makes it easier to tell when you have flushed the system without running a half gallon of fluid through.
There is no problem to top off the system with new DOT 3 or 4. However, you should make sure the fluid in the system isn't too old. It is very hydroscopic and will suck moisture out of the air like a vampire. That moisture will rust out the steel parts from the inside out. Which is why you want to change out at least every 2 years.
ATE Super Blue and Gold are the same, except for color. It is very good fluid and switching between the two makes it easier to tell when you have flushed the system without running a half gallon of fluid through.
berg944
New member
I think the brakes will probably fail before they rust, unless they are left standing.
When you get water in brake fluid due to it being hydroscopic, it can pool in the calliper.
When the calliper gets hot the small amount of water turns to steam. Unlike liquid the steam will compress when you brake, your foot goes to the floor but the pads don't move.
This has happened to me on a motorbike and was very scary, good job a bike has two separate braking systems.
In reality in a dual system you will probably only lose half your brakes, but it can happen without warning. Don't think half the brakes will be twice the distance.....its a lot longer!
I guess I have just boosted halfords sales of DOT4 this weekend[8|]
Mike
When you get water in brake fluid due to it being hydroscopic, it can pool in the calliper.
When the calliper gets hot the small amount of water turns to steam. Unlike liquid the steam will compress when you brake, your foot goes to the floor but the pads don't move.
This has happened to me on a motorbike and was very scary, good job a bike has two separate braking systems.
In reality in a dual system you will probably only lose half your brakes, but it can happen without warning. Don't think half the brakes will be twice the distance.....its a lot longer!
I guess I have just boosted halfords sales of DOT4 this weekend[8|]
Mike
I use Dot 5.1 from halfords it is not silicon like Dot 5 but is supposed to be synthetic (and mixable with dot 4). It is easier to get hold of when you suddenly need to bleed the brakes on the mornig of a trackday 'cos when you changed the discs you clamped the electrics rrather than the brake line [
].
Tony
].Tony
Guest
New member
I don't worry so much about the calipers as the actual brake hard lines rusting. I had this happen to me once in my father's Ford Crown Vic. Brake fluid was 10 years old and never changed. The hard line burst open and no brakes. I didn't like that one bit.
Our calipers are aluminum and something special for the pistons. Porsche had Brembo make them out of something special just for them. So not much rust there. The master cylinder is just plain old steel so any rust can pit the walls and chew up the O rings causing failure.
You really need to pay attention to this issue as our cars are not newborns.
Diver944
Active member
It's Gold (or amber like normal brake fluid) and is called ATE TYP 200
http://www.paragon-products.com/product_p/ate_gold.htm
I can find quite a few online stockists in the US but nothing over here. I am positive that Demon Tweeks used to list it on their website but it's not there anymore. It may be worth ringing stockists of Super Blue and seeing if they can get hold of teh gold too
http://www.paragon-products.com/product_p/ate_gold.htm
I can find quite a few online stockists in the US but nothing over here. I am positive that Demon Tweeks used to list it on their website but it's not there anymore. It may be worth ringing stockists of Super Blue and seeing if they can get hold of teh gold too
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