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As I said before, race cars excepted. The requirements for race cars & normally driven cars are worlds apart. Since the car, fluid, & parts manufacturers must cover all bases they tend to cover the "worst case"
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Synthetic brake fluid
- Thread starter Ray Greene
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Roger
Luke Skywalker
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"The only approved hydraulic fluid for British brake systems is Castrol. The owners manual for the TR6, and the Bentley manual specify this very clearly."
Bunkum. I'm not saying the manuals don't say that, but I am saying that not all British manuals would specify Castrol, nor were they telling the truth.
Whne I was growing up and a young man in England, there were two main suppliers of brakes - Girling and Lockheed. Castrol made Girling fluid, AP made Lockheed. If you had Girling brakes, you were supposed to use Girling fluid from the green and crimson can. If you had Lockheed, you used Lockheed fluid from the yellow can. Oh, the days of pull-the-wool-over-the-customer's-eyes-'cos-there's-one-born-every-minute!
Then came consumer protection, and we found out that the fluids were all made to the same spec, were completely miscible, and it didn't matter which one you used. and independents made fluids to the saem specs.
Anyway, I had an A7 special with Gireling front and Lockheed rear brakes and it didn't care either.
Having said which, I'm a great Castrol fan and use DOT4 LMA today in my Miata - no LBC at the moment, sorry.
As for water, I believe one of the earliest hydraulic systems, the Duesenberg 3-litre single-seater had hydraulic brakes using a water and glycol anti-freeze mix. They worried about freezing too!
[ 02-20-2004: Message edited by: Roger ]</p>
Bunkum. I'm not saying the manuals don't say that, but I am saying that not all British manuals would specify Castrol, nor were they telling the truth.
Whne I was growing up and a young man in England, there were two main suppliers of brakes - Girling and Lockheed. Castrol made Girling fluid, AP made Lockheed. If you had Girling brakes, you were supposed to use Girling fluid from the green and crimson can. If you had Lockheed, you used Lockheed fluid from the yellow can. Oh, the days of pull-the-wool-over-the-customer's-eyes-'cos-there's-one-born-every-minute!
Then came consumer protection, and we found out that the fluids were all made to the same spec, were completely miscible, and it didn't matter which one you used. and independents made fluids to the saem specs.
Anyway, I had an A7 special with Gireling front and Lockheed rear brakes and it didn't care either.
Having said which, I'm a great Castrol fan and use DOT4 LMA today in my Miata - no LBC at the moment, sorry.
As for water, I believe one of the earliest hydraulic systems, the Duesenberg 3-litre single-seater had hydraulic brakes using a water and glycol anti-freeze mix. They worried about freezing too!
[ 02-20-2004: Message edited by: Roger ]</p>
Paul Johnson
Jedi Warrior
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I have to jump in, as this is always a fun one.
Someone mentioned that water would be a good brake fluid if it did not boil - true. It would also be a good refrigerant if it only would freeze a little lower. The point with the hydraulic fluid is, you cannot compress a fluid, so any will work.
Old (up to late 50s) Brit cars with Girling used seals made of natural rubber, and Lockheed fluid would destroy that rubber. Lockheed had already jumped into the 20th Century, and moved on to a synthetic rubber, so it didn't matter what kind of fluid. The DOT numbers in our country indicate the boiling point, and 3 is fine for street use.
Citroen used a mineral oil in their ID/DS series, which powered everything, including the brakes; but not in this country, where brakes were by law required to operate on brake fluid. Just like the old sealed beam law prevented us for a long time from having halogen bulb type lamps.
All you really need to know is that you don't have natural rubber seals (and if you do, they're already either ruined by synthetic fluid or dry rotted). Otherwise, use whatever you want.
In any case, change every couple of years, as brake fluid is very hygroscopic (not hydroscopic), and you want to purge the system of the moisture, not only to eliminate moisture that can boil, but to flush out the dirt that can eventually cut a seal at the perfectly wrong time.
Someone mentioned that water would be a good brake fluid if it did not boil - true. It would also be a good refrigerant if it only would freeze a little lower. The point with the hydraulic fluid is, you cannot compress a fluid, so any will work.
Old (up to late 50s) Brit cars with Girling used seals made of natural rubber, and Lockheed fluid would destroy that rubber. Lockheed had already jumped into the 20th Century, and moved on to a synthetic rubber, so it didn't matter what kind of fluid. The DOT numbers in our country indicate the boiling point, and 3 is fine for street use.
Citroen used a mineral oil in their ID/DS series, which powered everything, including the brakes; but not in this country, where brakes were by law required to operate on brake fluid. Just like the old sealed beam law prevented us for a long time from having halogen bulb type lamps.
All you really need to know is that you don't have natural rubber seals (and if you do, they're already either ruined by synthetic fluid or dry rotted). Otherwise, use whatever you want.
In any case, change every couple of years, as brake fluid is very hygroscopic (not hydroscopic), and you want to purge the system of the moisture, not only to eliminate moisture that can boil, but to flush out the dirt that can eventually cut a seal at the perfectly wrong time.
littlecars
Member
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OK so having read most of this thread. If you can use whatever type of fluid you like. What fluid does the least amount of damage to paint? Because we all want to keep the car looking good top and bottom/ inside and out. Or do they all destroy the color and allow moisture to start eating away at the related parts that get fluid on them when brakes are bled?
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<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by littlecars:
OK so having read most of this thread. If you can use whatever type of fluid you like. What fluid does the least amount of damage to paint? bled?
<hr></blockquote>
If this is your only consideration, use silicone fluid.
D
OK so having read most of this thread. If you can use whatever type of fluid you like. What fluid does the least amount of damage to paint? bled?
If this is your only consideration, use silicone fluid.
D
w. scott brunkhurst
Jedi Hopeful
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Paul has got it right. BMC manual for Austin Healey calls for Casterol Girling Brake Fluid or a fluid equal to Spec. 70.R3 and that could be made by any one. Littlecars, if you spill fluid, wipe it up.
SB
SB
ron wilson
Jedi Hopeful
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I have owned and driven all types of vehicles for about 50 years and have never changed the brake fluid in any of them and never had any sort of a water/rusting problem. Have a 66 Healey 3000 owned for 20 years and never a problem. Also have a 54 Chev pickup that I have owned for over 30 years and as far as I know still has the same brake fluid as the day I bought it and who knows how long before that.
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I would say yes but we will see what response you provoke.