i want to switch to DOT 5 brake fluid, DOT3 DOT4 to DOT5

[95lstegman]

okay, so i have a non-ABS S13, and i see no performance reason why i should continue using DOT3/DOT4. the only reasons i see are the inconvenience and cost. i know the two are imcompatible; it says so very clearly on a bottle of DOT5 brake fluid. but as far as i know, they tend to have higher boiling points, and are totally non-hydrophilic, which sounds like a great bonus. i think i'm actually looking forward to the "spongy" brake feel i've heard associated with DOT5 b/c i've gone fully manual brakes, and the pedal is still too solid for my liking.

1) how do i go about cleaning out the system? new seals are in order for this switch (probably); i know that. i'll do it just because it's cheap and i'll probably have to do it later. i'll feel better about not making a mess and losing a bunch of fluid and just do it first. but how to clean everything else, like the hard lines themselves? i've heard something about denatured alcohol? or just flush several times? seems a waste.

2) is there anything else i should know about DOT5 fluid? okay, so it's not hydrophilic, but is there something else that makes it a PITA? does it have to get replaced often anyways for some other reason? just feeling it out, so please advise. the car sees some street time, but not much, and i'm here in florida, where the only real regulation is that it has to work.

any insight you guys can give me would be greatly appreciated. this is one of those things i've never really looked into, and now that i tried, my searches came up empty-handed.

[crackler]

Just as a disclaimer I have no experience with DOT5 AND I have been drinking. . . .A LOT. . . tonight. With that said. . . .

If you want to switch to DOT5. . . . REPLACE EVERYTHING in you Hydrolic system, Period.

Ummm. . . I drove a 78 Ford F100 with no power brakes, no power steering, solid linkage clutch and no A/C, not even vents on the panel, just defrost and floor, with a giant hole in the floor from the old 3 speed, and a huge piece of sheet metal over the hole in the drivers floor board. In other words, hook the booster back up, or grow a pair. Like I said to a guy bitching about the Non-power steering in my miata; "They sell Mens clothes where you shop???" J/K. . . Seriously. . .

Brake fluid info from stoptechhttp://www.stoptech.com/tech_i...shtml

lWe won’t even discuss DOT 5 fluids as they are completely unacceptable to the high-performance enthusiast, but we’ll include them in the following table for completeness.

Read up.http://www.stoptech.com/tech_i...shtml

HERE IS WHAT I WOULD DO:Get some good fluid (Motul rbf600 or trueBlue) some good pads(Carbotech), and if you still have problems then get some ducting.

I don't know anyone who races and uses Dot 5. I don't understand why you would want to go to the cost and bother of switching from 3/4 to 5, other than saying you run .5. I always thought DOT5 was for OLD/classic cars???

BTW; do you have any REAL plans on ACTUALLY taking this car ONTO a RACE TRACK??? Or is this just for you street car????????? Not trying to be a d!ck, just trying to figure out what exactly your goal is.

[95lstegman]

WOW. thanks for the good read. stupid me, i didn't even think to check with the guys that freaking engineer brake systems.

i didn't say i was even thinking about going back to power brakes, it's just that driver fatigue is a killer of lap times just like lack of confidence. the human element of racing.

as for racing, yes; road racing to be exact, since the car is now too powerful to bother autocrossing it. though the car seems to spend a LOT more time inoperable in my garage than it does on the track or the occasional w/e drive or drive to the office . . . alas, such is life.

[crackler]

Glad too help. There seems to be a lot of "I want to race my mad tight car" threads from people who have no idea what kind of commitment really takes. Thats why I asked. And thats why I was being a bit of a smart ***; that, and the liquor. Disregard my smart assidry.

And I was just F'ing with you over the power brakes.

Good luck with it. What class do you plan to run? SCCA / NASA / Other?
Modified by cracker at 9:23 PM 5/26/2008

[95lstegman]

i don't build for a class. i just like to go out and have fun. the car has not seen track time for over a year thanks to a nuisance (sp?) oil leak, but i'm working on it, even on my limited [student] budget. back to classing, it's an S13 with an aluminum chevy V8, no emissions controls, modified chassis and non-stock suspension mounting, so i'm pretty much in the highest class wherever i go, either "competing" with tube-frame custom cars or full race-prepped cars. i'm last place [in my class] almost as a rule, unless nobody else is in my class, in which case i'm still last, but also first place.

and then there's the fact that it's a super low-budget car, so i have all sliding iron calipers, for instance. not the best brakes, but they're good for a while as long as i keep air on them. even at 296mm F/292mm R, i'm outrunning them again at 330whp, so i'm just looking for other ways to keep from buying more junkyard brakes. i swear they were great at 215whp . . .

actually, removing the power booster was really cool. it freed up a ton of space in the engine bay, and the brakes are extremely linear now as well, not to mention superb feel and modulation. plus, my dorky side got to get excited about removing some 5lb from a relatively high location, and almost right on top of the front contact patches. yes, i'm crazy, but i also have a rear weight bias w/o me or gas in the car; it just gets better with a full tank. i can put down all 330whp all through second, and it holds down well even when turning at higher speeds.

[crackler]

That sounds kick ***!!!

Got any video???

As far as overheating the brakes; there are only a few things I can suggest, and you probably already know them all. Pads/fluid, bigger brakes, ducting. I guess you could put it on a diet and get lighter weight wheels, those would both help. But neither are cheap, unless it involves a sawzall. of course you could put a throttle stop on the car. . . wait. . . what did I just say? ? ? **** THAT!

What kind of pads are you running? And I assume you are using good high temp fluid and changing if you boil it and all that good stuff?

Maybe some of the track Junkies can chime in with some tips. I just AutoX, so I only worry if I have ENOUGH heat in my brakes. Plus that my car has way less power and is probably much lighter than yours even after the diet.

[naed240sx]

nobody uses dot 5 for racing. Dot 5 sucks for just about everything.

Choose from these:

-ate superblue/gold is king for on a budget

-motul rbf is slightly better

-castrol srf for super ballers.

[Cone Junky]

From what I've read in tech articles, full synthetic DOT 5 is a pain and not that great.

Like mentioned, ATE super blue is (I think) 5.1, so it's completely compatible with regular brake fluid. You'll still want to flush the old stuff out, but you could just push the new stuff through to do that.The ATE has the same boiling points of synthetic, just no hassle of replacing everything. It will still absorb moisture like regular brake fluid, but that can be taken care by doing regular brake flushes, which should be done anyway