What Type Brake Fluid? And One Bleeding Question Options

[kenshapiro2002]

OK...tried to be smart...can't find it in Haynes, the owner's manual or the search engine. Which DOT# brake fluid do I use?

Also, I'm gonna do all four, but I only opened the left front side. Should I do that one first or doesn't it matter?

[pcar916]

OK...tried to be smart...can't find it in Haynes, the owner's manual or the search engine. Which DOT# brake fluid do I use?

Also, I'm gonna do all four, but I only opened the left front side. Should I do that one first or doesn't it matter?

- Dot 4
- Sequence matters. Start with the farthest from the master cylinder and work your way to the closest.

1. R-rear
2. L-rear
3. R-front
4. L-front

Using this sequence, if you have calipers with inside and outside bleeders do the insides first. Then finish with the outsides.

Also it's helpful to alternate brake fluid colors so you can tell when you've completely evacuated the old stuff.

Good luck

[kenshapiro2002]

Thanks Ron...not out there looking now so no idea if I have inside & outside bleeders. In fact...no idea what that even means! The only time I ever bled brakes before (30 years ago?) there was only one per wheel. I have 911 "M" calipers up front and standard 914s in the rear (1970). So, you can get DOT4 in various colors?

OK...tried to be smart...can't find it in Haynes, the owner's manual or the search engine. Which DOT# brake fluid do I use?

Also, I'm gonna do all four, but I only opened the left front side. Should I do that one first or doesn't it matter?

- Dot 4
- Sequence matters. Start with the farthest from the master cylinder and work your way to the closest.

1. R-rear
2. L-rear
3. R-front
4. L-front

Using this sequence, if you have calipers with inside and outside bleeders do the insides first. Then finish with the outsides.

Also it's helpful to alternate brake fluid colors so you can tell when you've completely evacuated the old stuff.

Good luck

[underthetire]

I just totally did my fronts this weekend, re-built the calipers, new hoses, rotors, the works. I used the upper bleeder on them, and found that with that much of fresh fluid, i had to do a partial re-bleed the next day. Had to let the tiny air bubbles settle out. Just FYI.

[kenshapiro2002]

Upper? Inner? Outer? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/WTF.gif)

[kenshapiro2002]

Just went out and looked...only appears to be one bleeder per wheel, and it's up above the center line of the caliper.

Upper? Inner? Outer? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/WTF.gif)

[underthetire]

Here is a pic of the rear, looking from the inside of the car out.

[kenshapiro2002]

Not mine...no lower bleeder. Plus, mine are rusty, dirty, no dust cap on the bleeder... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/lol-2.gif)

Here is a pic of the rear, looking from the inside of the car out.

[underthetire]

So were my other 3. This one was re-plated, and re-built, got it at the swap meet for 20 bucks, happened to be the side I needed that has a slow leak. The fronts came out real nice to, but lots of wire brushing, cleaning, and then paint. The caps are one of those $1.00 items you throw in your shopping cart from eric. These are not original looking at all, but then neither is the blingy red paint.

[sean_v8_914]

ATE super blue, ATE gold, Pentosin is clear. damn near any brake fluid on teh market will do for non performance applications. it takes anout one litter of fluid to bleed the entire system.
some calipers have more than oen bleeder screw.
some are on teh top of teh caliper, some on bottom.
some bleeders are inboard, some outboard.
your 911 stuff is fairly straight forward. you only have one bleeder screw per caliper.

[kenshapiro2002]

Yep...thought I was going blind for a minute.

ATE super blue, ATE gold, Pentosin is clear. damn near any brake fluid on teh market will do for non performance applications. it takes anout one litter of fluid to bleed the entire system.
some calipers have more than oen bleeder screw.
some are on teh top of teh caliper, some on bottom.
some bleeders are inboard, some outboard.
your 911 stuff is fairly straight forward. you only have one bleeder screw per caliper.

[Eric_Shea]

For the street just get standard DOT4.

DON'T GET DOT5 (I've seen the problems first hand)

Get 5.1 if you feel the need.

Early calipers, front and rear, had only one bleeder per. Later calipers (post 72.8) had dual bleeders

[kenshapiro2002]

Don't know what I'd do without this group.

[IronHillRestorations]

I like the Castrol LMA. It's cheaper and easier to find than Ate.

[corsepervita]

I used dot4 in mine, but curious, since it shows dot3 on the cap, what is wrong with dot3?

[kenshapiro2002]

Many say "Dot 3 & 4" because it has the higher boiling point of DOT 4 but will also suffice in cars that can get by on DOT 3.

BTW...bought and used a Mityvac and it performed perfecty.

I used dot4 in mine, but curious, since it shows dot3 on the cap, what is wrong with dot3?

[underthetire]

I used dot4 in mine, but curious, since it shows dot3 on the cap, what is wrong with dot3?

It's almost impossible to find DOT3 now. It's usually a 3/4 combo. I just used Valvoline synthetic 3/4. Guess we'll see how long my seals hold up for.

[Drums66]

I used dot4 in mine, but curious, since it shows dot3 on the cap, what is wrong with dot3?

It's almost impossible to find DOT3 now. It's usually a 3/4 combo. I just used Valvoline synthetic 3/4. Guess we'll see how long my seals hold up for.

you'll have ALS....by that time.......don't worry (IMG:style_emoticons/default/stirthepot.gif)

[Cupomeat]

A couple of points to add.

One way to look at the calipers with 2 bleeder screws is; What are you trying to do?

If you are trying to get all the air out of the system, use the top bleeder as air bubbles rise.
If you want to get the gunk out of the caliper, bleed on both, with the bottom one first.

Also, there is a very interesting reaction that some MC rubber seals have with DOT4 brake fluid. I found this out on my 993, but it goes for other cars as well. The PO had DOT4 in the 993 and didn't change it often (ever?), which hardened the rubber bits in the MC and cause a slightly sinking pedal.
The shop that I use identified that if I were to use DOT 3 for a while until the pedal stiffened, then switch back to DOT4, and then regularly flush the DOT4 I should be golden (and not replace a $900 MC).

I was highly skeptical, but went though with the $150 flush.

Amazingly it worked perfectly (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)

So know that DOT3 and DOT4 does affect rubber seals differently.