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Ripper
Fri Sep 12th, 2003, 09:23 PM
Found this, good info. I learned some new stuff about brake fluid


Author: CCA Webmaster
Email: cca-webmaster@corrado-club.com [email author about this]

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Answer:
Brake Fluid: The life blood of the Brake System




One of the more interesting topics of discussion around the race

tracks the past few years has been the controversy over the choice of brake

fluid, specifically silicone or the more conventional polyglycol fluid,

(known at the race tracks as DOT 3,4 & 5.) Since the discussion usually ends

up being by opinion, and since opinions are worth exactly what you say for

them, I have decided to supply you with some interesting factual data about

each to allow you to make up your own mind. (I'll also make it clear as to my

preference and why.) A hydraulic brake system will not operate without brake

fluid. To a large degree tthe level at which the brake system does operate is

dependant on the choice of fluid. Among other things, the more important

elements of brake fluid are high boiling points, consistent viscosity and

good lubricating ability. All brake fluids commonly used in automobiles sold

in the United States, are regulated by the department of transportation

(DOT). The can will have a number such as DOT 3, which refers to the DOT test

designation that the fluid meets. Please note, the number disgnation does not

imply a rating for comparison between the fluids. (Refer to table for minimum

boiling points.)







DOT Minimum Boiling Points


Type
Dry
Wet


DOT 3
401 F
284 F


DOT 4
446 F
311 F


DOT 5
500 F
356 F





Both the DOT 3 and DOT 4 fluids are normally polyglycol base fluids.



Polyglycol fluids are hygroscopic, which means they absorb moisture. As the

amount of mooisture absorbed increases, the point at which the brake fluid

boils, decreases. In a well sealed brake system these fluids will require

changing approximately every 1-2 years, depending on the severity of use.

Unfortunately, racers have access to a variety of aftermarket master

cylinders which do not have diaphragms that tightly seal the brake fluid from

the air. Use of these types of master cylinders should be avoided, since the

moisture in the air will be assimilated by the brake fluid immediately. This

is why you should never buy brake fluid by the gallon, because once you have

used the quart you needed to freshen your system the moisture in the air

inside the can will ruin the remaining fluid in the can. It is for this same

reason you should never reuse fluid removed from your system. Once your

system has been filled, re-place the cap immediately to avoid affecting fresh

fluid.




Never get any fluid in your brake system unless you are absolutely

sure as to what it is. Petroleum products, such as oil and transmission fluid

can quickly destroy the seals and cause major brake failure. Some import cars

do not use fluids compatible with those used in this country. For instance,

Rolls Royce uses aircraft mineral fluid in the brake system that would

quickly destroy your brakes, so it is not even safe to assume that if it says

brake fluid, its OK. Always look for a DOT number. DOT 3 and 4 can be mixed,

but DOT 5 should never be mixed with any other fluid. Both DOT 3 and DOT 4

fluids will attack paint. Since most race car owners pride themselves on the

appearance of their cars, this would sound like the "kiss of death" for these

brake fluids, but let's not jump to conclusions until we finish exploring all

the facts. If brake fluid is spilled onto the paint, flushing with water and

quickly wiping up the mess will not result in any damage. This should not be

any problem fro a race as a bundle of clean rags is standard equipment.




DOT 5 fluid uses silicone as its base. Silicone has none of the

problems we have described above because it is not hygroscopic so it does not

absorb moisture. Also, it does not attack paint, so spillage is no problem.

Unfortunately, it does have some major drawbacks. First, it is extremely

expensive often costing 5-10 times as much as polyglycol fluids. Secondly,

and more importantly, the compressiblity of silicone fluid is very unstable

throughout the temperature range encountered in normal usage. As the

temperature increases, the pedal travel necessary to compress the fluid

changes, resulting in unpredictable pedal height.




Altitude also affects the compressiblity of the fluid further

compunding the problem of pedal travel. This would not be such a problem

except for the fact that as we discussed in an earlier article, we must not

only be able to develop pressure in a brake system, we must also be able to

remove that pressure. In the case of silicone fluid, the expansiveness can be

so severe that when you take your foot off the brake, residual pressure could

remain high enough to cause brake drag that would cause further heating of

the fluid and therefore further expansion, therefore more excessive drag that

would end up locking the entire brake system, rendering the auto unable to be

moved.


It is for this reason race teams that have experimented with silicone fluid

long ago found they could not use it.




Another characteristic of the fluid is if you experienced

excessive sponginess in your pedal after the car is used for a while, then

you know the most likely cause. What you may not know if that you may be

tremendously shortenin the life of your brake pads due to excessive dragging.

The other factor that has come to light recently is silicone brake fluid

affects the seals found in standard brake systems.




Ethylene propylene rubber seems to loose its durometer

(hardness) when exposed to silicone fluid. This results in a change in the

size and an increase in the wear rate of all rubber components in the system.

To further complicate the problem, if your system has the master cylinder

mounted under the floorboard and you don't have a two pound residual valve

(see last issue) present, you may have trouble identifying the problem due

to the absence of this most important valve.




Street rodders are avid users of silicone brake fluid,

primaril because of the expensive paint jobs they have on their cars.

Unfortunately, since many of their brake systems are composed of components

off of other vehicles, the additional problem of the wrong brake fluid makes

many of these cars very unsafe.


In essence, the point of this entire article is that although

both types of fluids have advantages and disadvantages, the bottom line is

that the disadvantages of silicone brake fluid render it unacceptable as a

safe and reliable alternative to polyglycol fluids under all conditions. On

the other hand, although DOT 3 and 4 fluids have problems, these problems are

controllable given reasonable care and maintenance. We all have a tendency to

take the pedal travel of our brake pedal for granted, but I want to assure

you that there is no fear any worse than the fear of stepping on the pedal

and finding nothing there. Consistent even pedal travel is extremely

important to safe stopping distances. It is even more important to giving a

race car a consistent, repeatable feel to the pedal, so the driver knows he

can depend on maximum performance.




Whther you own a race car or a street rod, or in fact, any

car, this article offers some critical information for safety's sake. The

next time you see a bottle of brake fluid on sale for $2.90 you may want to

ask yourself is what you are buying truly will handle your intended use. What

may be OK to stop your passenger car at 55mph, probably has no place in a

race car at 125mph.





Editors Note:


Warren Gilliland, President of "The Brake Man!", has over 27 years in the

design ad development of brake systems for industrial and racing

applications. He feels that the need for technical support on all products

used on race cars is essential and supplies in-depth instruction with all of

the products he supplies. This article was supplied courtesy of "The Brake

Man!" to assist you in your racing activities, and make your vehicle safer

and more reliable.




>From TurboTim


Comparison of high performance brake fluids on the market.




Dry Boiling

Point


Petrosin 500/ Castrol LMA Not sure ? 500/ Motul 5.1 509/ Motul 300oC 572/ Ferodo 554/ Girling Dot 5.1 552/ Brake Man: 570 H.P. Fluid 570/ ATE Super Blue 536/ ATE Dot 4 509