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Re: Problem with brake fluid Posted by eric in vermont [Email]  (#2058) [Profile/Gallery]
(more from eric in vermont) on Tue, 25 Mar 2008 16:42:19
In Reply to: Re: Problem with brake fluid, Gery, Tue, 25 Mar 2008 16:01:07 Members do not see ads below this line. - Help Keep This Site Online - Signup |
I have one Sonett with DOT 5 and my other with Castrol LMA (DOT 3/4).
Back some 10 years ago... or maybe 15... I rebuild my entire brake system on my '73 Sonett. Rebuilt master, rebuilt calipers, and new rear cylinders. I decided to go with DOT 5 Silicone fluid. The main reason was that I seemed to always have brake corrosion problems on my other VSaabs and I THOUGHT that DOT 5 would be the solution. It doesn't absorb moisture (non-hygroscopic) and I thought great- no more corrosion problems. Because good old DOT 3/4 absorbs moisture- what a dumb thing...so I thought. DOT 5's other benefit is that it doesn't eat paint like the other fluids do. So I switched to DOT 5. Things went pretty well and I've yet to have a brake problem.
A year ago, I bought the '74 Sonett with the leaking master. I planned to go with DOT 5 again. However, I decided to do more research. So I talked to my respected VSaab friends. I talked to Castrol. And to Girling who make the brake "rubbers". And to people that rebuild/resleeve brakes for a living. I read tons on the internet and traded emails with a few experts. Lots of opinions, lots of misinformation, and lots of assumptions.
I learned primarily HOW moisture gets into all brake systems and WHY the majority of brake fluids absorb moisture. It's not some stupid flaw in which DOT 3/4 SUCKS gallons of fluid out of the air, they're MADE to absorb moisture in your brake system. They deal with the moisture problem quite effectively. You just need to buy new, good quality brake fluid (don't use that old half a pint that's been sitting in your garage since Aunt Matilda asked you to check her brakes in her DeSoto back before the war...) and change it out every 2 or 3 years.
So with all that, I decided to go with Castrol LMA for the second Sonett.
There's lots more detail to all this, but DOT 3/4 is now my choice. As for the '73 Sonett- it will stay DOT 5 until a drastic failure of some component, then I'll look into it again. However, I'm not so sure DOT 5 is going to be around forever- the military and the US Postal service are the only ones that use it. Plus some vintage car people.
Eric in Vermont
posted by 68.142.42...
, Tue, 25 Mar 2008 15:22:08, Tue, 25 Mar 2008 16:22:54, Tue, 25 Mar 2008 16:42:19 <-- Viewing This Message
, Wed, 2 Dec 2015 11:52:15, Wed, 26 Mar 2008 12:10:53
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