Castrol DOT 4 vs Other Brands

[AUSMHLY]

1964 BJ8. I've always used Castrol LMA Dot 4 brake fluid. It's time to flush the system. Believe it should be changed every couple of years. Currently Castrol isn't in stock locally or online from places I used to buy it from. When I do find it, it's selling for much more then it used to. Some are twice the price. Supply and demand?
Why is Castrol recommended for the Healey?
Thoughts on Prestone, Valvoline, Lucas Dot 4.

 

[kozelding]

IMHO, DOT 4 brake fluid is DOT 4 brake fluid — I've used Valvoline (which my local auto parts store stocks in large bottles) for years without issue.

(I've also duly used Castrol LMA when available, which might get dark slightly faster than the Valvoline stuff, but otherwise seems no different performance-wise or parts degradation-wise. I also dutifully change my brake fluid every handful of years.)

 

[bdcvg]

Originally Castrol was needed because other brake fluid would eat the rubber seals on the wheel cylinders. I believe the seals are a different compound now and it's not an issue.

 

[DerekJ]

Any Dot 4 fluid can be used and you can even mix different makes together without a problem.

 

[DrEntropy]

1964 BJ8. I've always used Castrol LMA Dot 4 brake fluid. It's time to flush the system. Believe it should be changed every couple of years. Currently Castrol isn't in stock locally or online from places I used to buy it from. When I do find it, it's selling for much more then it used to. Some are twice the price. Supply and demand?
Why is Castrol recommended for the Healey?
Thoughts on Prestone, Valvoline, Lucas Dot 4.

Castrol has been hard to find here as well, but as others say, DOT 4 is a standard and all DOT 4 should be the same. Early recommendations were as bdcvg says, the seals were deteriorated with other fluids. Time marches on, better hydraulic seal compounds and ethanol resistant fuel lines are good examples.

I found Castrol LMA available through a local Harley-Davidson (of all places!) shop but had to "special order" it. A case of pint bottles at a time. Figured that was not a bad thing, in that using small bottles with not much remaining in each was better than an opened quart, half-full and sitting on the shelf for some extended time.

 

[LarryK]

Available online at Roverparts.com and MiniMania, miniparts, etc. Have at my local Advance auto parts store. Amazon too.

 

[prb51]

I had a leak in the master on my TR3 that dripped down the fire wall and into the cockpit....really screwing up nice paint. I bought a gallon of milspec military DOT 5 silicone and purged the system and changed out. No hydroscopic, high temp levels better than Dot 4 and if it ever leaked no issues.
I did not note a soft pedal it felt exactly the same as the Dot 4.
I will do the same to the 100-6 in short order.