Anyone have any experience with any of the higher DOT rated brake fluids (i.e., higher boiling temps). (i.e., Motul 600, etc.)

I've always used ATE SUper blue.

Thanks.

Never used anything more "exotic" than ATE Super Blue either...

With your brake setup, I don't see you boiling any brake fluid soon though

cheers,

Jeroen

Karl, Ive used Motul 600..........ATe superblue... Castrol synthetic.. Im not sure I could tell any difference between them

Then again my brake fluid is in my car for a year max....

If you "burp" your fluid once in awhile....... you really never have to worry about it... turkey baster to drain the reservoir... top off with new fluid.. pump andf bleed...

I have never tried the ATE Super Blue.
I can tell you that I do like the Valvoline DOT 4 better than the Motul 600.
(plus it is cheaper) I have boiled the Motul but never the Valvoline.

Ford Heavy Duty Brake Fluid is just as good as the racing fluids, but at a much better price.

"Me too" on the Ate Blue. I have been running it for quite a few years with no probs, although our local tracks are not known for being tough on brakes. (Actually the local canyon/mountain roads are a lot harder on brake fluid and cooling.) Paragon throws in a free can of Ate with certain sets of brake pads...hard to not use it when it just shows up in the box like that!

I've used many types of brake fluids through the years,Castrol, AP 550,Ate Blue, but since having switched to the Motul 600 several years ago our braking issues with the 914 went away. Just don't use silicone!

Rich,
What is the best way to flush a brake system that has silicone fluid in it? My car when I bought it years ago had silicone fluid and I have never went back.
Thanks
Van

I have run the ATE superblue for years. Always bleed before each event and have never had a problem.

Also, it comes in a clear version, same stuff without the dye. Good when doing a complete fluid change because you can monitor when the fluid color changes.

At $9/liter, you can't go wrong.

dr

BTW, Blue isn't being manufactured any longer....

I use both the blue and gold....easy to know when to stop bleeding...

As to the blue not being available anymore, well I looked into THAT and it seems to be an urban legend. It's still avaialble and there is no DOT ban that I can find on the net....

Can someone post a pic of the label of that stuff? The local Ford dealer's parts monkeys just stare at me blankly when I ask about it. "What car is it for? The Focus uses this stuff, but everything else uses that stuff." Neither can they showed me says "Ford Heavy Duty" on it...

--DD

Why?

I have it in my Gold Wing and my Squareback and nary an issue. Giving it to my Jetta once the weather warms up.

Info on silicone brake fluid for those who don't know about it: http://www.icbm.org/erkson/ttt/silicone.txt

Check out the early 911S reg.
http://www.early911sregistry.org/

They have a nice chart of all the fluids with wet and dry boiling points.
As for me, I've used the Valvoline without any trouble. ATE works well.

I'm almost positive that the Super Blue is still being made. My supplier has 1600 cans in stock.

Matt

Toby,

I wont swear to it (and I dont have time to look it up) but at one time SCCA banned the use of the silicon break fluid after several brake related failures traced back to silicon fluid. You probably wouldnt have a problem on the street, but most of our engineering that makes it to the street is learned from racing.

B

Sorry! It's "high performance, not "heavy duty".
Minimum dry boiling point - 550F, minimum wet boiling point - 284F.
I bleed the fluid from each caliper at every event, so the wet BP is never an issue.

Thanks, Mister Tangerine Man. (Run a bead for me? )

--DD

Can someone explain the hydroscopic properties of brake fluid. Wet boiling pt vs. dry boiling point.

Since I am in a humid environment (Florida), should I look at brake fluids with different hydroscopic properties?

I know routine changing and bleeding is the best prevention for problems...

Just learning and brainstorming

Well, as we all know brake fluid will suck water out of the air. Since our brake system is not completely closed off from all air (it can't be or the fluid wouldn't move!) it will eventually get a fair amount of water in it. The "wet" boiling point spec is tested at some specific level of water contamination, but I don't know what that level is.

The short answer here is, "No--just change your fluid every other year, or every year if you're at all worried about it."

--DD

This morning I forgot to post the picture you asked for Dave,

In the past we have fully drained the complete brake system, when silicone was used, removed the resorvoir and flushed it out with brake kleen. Then run the fluid we were going to use through the complete system bleeding until no remnants were found of the silicone fluid. Bleed Master cylinder first,then, RR, LR,RF,LF. Drive car for some miles then repeat bleed. I also believe that SCCA banned the use of silicone, because of many loss of brakes that were blamed on the silicone fluid. But I haven't checked the rule book recently. But since I know a very knowledgeable friend that swears that silicone fluid cost him his mustang in the tires at turn 11 at sears point, that's enough for me!

"Ford Heavy Duty" Part Number C6AZ-19542-AA is for the Heavy Duty Trucks and comes in a METAL can. It is a DOT 3 with has a dry/wet boiling point of 550/290 deg. F.

"Ford High Performance" comes in a plastic bottle and according to the parts guy replaced "Heavy Duty". different part number too. It is DOT 3 with dry/wet boiling point of 550/294. I heard it may be a cheap version of "Performance Friction".

Either one's Dry BP is well above DOT 3 requirements and exceeds DOT 4 and is above ATE at 536/392 . Wet BP for the Ford stuff is below DOT 4 standards so if you use the Ford stuff use it fresh and flush.

Allegedly Ford Heavy Duty was developed because on a truck model the brake line ran too close to the exhaust causing the brake fluid to boil. Rather than recall and redo brake lines an retool the assembly line Ford just specified a high BP brake fluid and offered it at regular DOT 3 prices.

Anyone ever try Motul 600?

Motul Racing Brake Fluid 600
DOT 4
594ºF/421°F Dry/Wed BP

Yea Karl, that's the fluid I like the best. The only problem I see if you use it on the street , I would reccommend a fluid change every 6 months because it picks up a lot of moisture. At the racetrack we bleed 2-3 times a day, so it's always at it's best.

Thanks to Matt and Chris for helping on my confusion with the Ford stuff!

--DD