[tommo86]

Quick question, im about to change my brake fluid now i know that it is dot 4 but would it be better to put dot5 in as ive seen people talking about it in other threads?

 

[griffmonster]

No not for everday motoring anyway.Yes dot 5 doesnt yeild as much as dot 4 but there are pros and cons simply put dot5 will absorb water but it wont dissolve so what happes it falls to the lower parts in droplets and give a spongy pedal-fine if you are a race team always changing the fluid but for normal motoring stick to dot4.

 

[tommo86]

thankyou ill do that then,is it a hard thing to to change the fluid.it needs doing as i dont think its been done for over 2 years.the coour of it is very very dark

 

[griffmonster]

thankyou ill do that then,is it a hard thing to to change the fluid.it needs doing as i dont think its been done for over 2 years.the coour of it is very very dark

Its not a hard job but you need to cross bleed all the old stuff out.Obey the correct sequence and you will be fine.The most improtant tool is the bleeder dont use a 'eazebleed' or similar just a £5 two man bottle kit will do, that will ensure NO AIR will enter the system just means you need someone pumping the pedal.I get them to count them off and when I say down they (mostly the Mrs) hold the pedal DOWN then you tighten up the nipple its important you follow the 'DOWN then tighten' or air could be sucked in.

 

[tommo86]

were do i get a '£5 two man bottle kit'
i take it i have to do one calipeir at a time?

 

[troy.mclure]

The kit is essentially just a piece of rubber tubing. It channels the brake fluid away from the bleed nipple and into some sort of container. You should be abe to get it from any motor factors.

And yes, just the one caliper / drum at once. You need to get as little air in the system as possible, so its worth taking you time.

If you bleed them and they still feel spongy, it might be worth pumping the brake pedal a few times, and then opening the nipple, give it one more down stroke, and tighten the nipple back up. This can help push the last few air bubbles the end of the system where it can be bled.

Good luck mate

 

[griffmonster]

One thing I forgot to add was to keep topping up the master cylinder reservoir dot let it get empty.

 

[45Charles111]

Don't use DOT5 with a standard system. This is a silicon based fluid and cannot be mixed with the regular DOT4 or DOT5.1, and some of the seal materials may not be compatible with silicon.

If you pretend better than the regular DOT4, then use some DOT5.1. There are prices and quality for every tastes... Ferodo and Delphi is good enough and not expensive. Then there are AP, Castrol and so on, but these fluids are very expensive even for "fast road" use.

 

[griffmonster]

Good old comma dot 4 only £5!

 

[mac600]

Brake bleed

Hi,

Any clear flexible pipe thats a tight fit on a bleedscrew is fine, just pop into motor factor etc and see whats cheapest and simply use a clean milk bottle or similar to bleed into.
With clear pipe and bottle its easy to see air bubbles etc,
If its easier for you and youve got the kit its better to jack the vehicle up and put it safely on axle stands and work with wheels off front and rear.
Make sure the bleed screws are clean if theyve lost the rubber protectors and give them a good soak in WD 40 or similar to help loosen them and wire brush any rust or dirt from area.
If the bleedscrews are full of dirt clean out with a small drill bit or wire from wire brush and flush through with WD40 .
Make sure you have a good ring spanner or similar to slacken bleed screw and maybe use a socket if theres room to get in to iniatially loosen bleedscrew but dont go mad and sheer it off.
Follow correct bleed sequence as in your haynes book etc.
Get a decent sized bottle of fluid from motor factor as its more economical to buy it that way and you may have to flush alot of crap out the system and you may have problems bleeding.
Any dot 4 from a motor factor will be fine dont have to waste money on brand names.

cheers mac600

 

[MGJohn]

When the preferred second helper is not available, I use a two foot length of wood wedged between the front seat and the brake pedal to hold it down when bleeding the system. It works fine and does not take much longer single handed once you get started and into a regular rhythm.

No need to buy any kit either. A clean jam jar and a length of clear plastic tube to put over the bleed nipple and into the jar is all I need, plus a supply of new DOT 4 brake fluid. Do not be tempted to use the half bottle of brake fluid on the garage shelf you opened a few years ago. Even with the cap firmly on, it will have degraded - new brake fluid is not expensive anyway and will do a much better job.

Good point to keep topping up the brake fluid reservoir on the master cylinder. Because as you pump the new stuff through the system, that reserve will get used up.