Advice on Swap to Dot 5 - New MC
Don't believe everything you read on the internet, the only real advantage of dot 5 is an increase in boiling temperature which is required for road coarse continuous braking and you will probably never need.
When swapping components stay with the factory pieces and you should be fine.i.e. take the front brakes off the car that you got the rear from.
Both statements are untrue.
First, DOT 5 does not absorb moisture, so the boiling point is more consistent, and does not damage paint, as well.
Factory proportioning was very poor and somewhere in Missouri is a bunch of kids that were on school bus in '95 that saw a dumbass in a '72 Dart try to pass, slam the brakes mid-pass, and swap ends. Thanks but no thanks, 9" drums.
Only one single reason why i would switch to dot 5. It wont destroy paint. Anything else is bonus. Denatured alcohol to flush old fluid, then a flush with dot5 and fill er up.
Agreed but
don't use alcohol to flush the system. It is NOT brake fluid, and absorbs moisture.
If you flush your brake fluid every couple of years, corrosion isn't an issue.
I use Castrol synthetic fluid (used to be called GTLMA) It's compatible with DOT 3 and 4, so if I have to, I can just pour in regular brake fluid.
It has a higher boiling point than DOT 4, and doesn't absorb moisture as readily. It costs a bit more than regular brake fluid, but not as much as DOT 5.
Agreed, but
all brake fluids (that are DOT approved) are compatible. That's part of the DOT specification.
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Is there a fluid that will mix w/ any type / I need to bleed my right front wheel cyl. and forgot what type I put in /about 10 yrs ago !
See above post.
OP, please don't put alcohol in your system. Either pull the components apart and flush and dry them completely if you're worried about it, or do what is designed; pour in DOT 5, pump till it bleeds purple, move on with life. It'll exist in the system fine, but they don't 'mix' together inside, so if you get a pocket of DOT 3/4 somewhere that has moisture in it, that can cause corrosion. Existing DOT 3/4 absorbs moisture, DOT 5 does not so....
If you're suspicious of your existing fluid, I'd flush with fresh DOT 3/4 first to mix n' flush with existing fluid, THEN start pouring the DOT 5.
