francoblay1
The Spaniard
How Often Should Brake Fluid Be Flushed? Thanks.
How Often Should Brake Fluid Be Flushed?
- Thread starter francoblay1
- Start date
I do mine once a year but then again, everyone's different.
KaptinAmerika
Guru
I would do it at every pad change.
that's more my thought on the question.
Moespeeds
Well-Known Member
I've gone 5 years between flushes but what you should really do is every time you change your oil, open the reservoir and use a small turkey baster to swoosh the fluid around and then suck it all out, and pour new fluid in. This keeps new fluid circulating all the time. If you want to go nuts, suck out the reservoir, then pressure bleed from the bleed screw up, this forces all the crap outa the lines. If you always keep fresh fluid in the reservoir, you'll find that not much crap accumulates in the lines anyway.
francoblay1
The Spaniard
Cool. Thanks guys. :up:
Mickeetwo
Guru
Man I am a slacker.......25,000+ miles and just put a set of front pads on mine. Same fluid since 2006
I'll put it on my list for when I replace the front again 
Nukeranger
Nukeranger
I don't flush mine but do suck some out of the reservoir and replace it with new once in a while when I feel like it. It will normally be when I change pads and have to refill or bleed the brake lines if needed.
bigdogtech01
Well-Known Member
DOT 3, 4 and 5.1 are all Glycol based. The Gycol traps moisture and should be changed out ever 2-3 years at most. Or if it changing to an off color rather than clear, it should be changed.
DOT 5 (used in Big dogs) is a silicone based fluid and will not draw in moisture like the other fluids. So, as long as you know the system has not been contaminated with outside water or dirt, there is no need to change it. Studies have shown that after many years of use, it still gives the same hydraulic and boiling limits as it would new. Because it doesn't trap moisture like the others, there is no concern about corrosion in the braking system.
I believe DOT 5 is also used a lot in military and in Northern parts of the world such as Alaska, Russia, Canada....
Soooo, change it if you feel you need to, otherwise if it's clean, don't worry about.
DOT 5 (used in Big dogs) is a silicone based fluid and will not draw in moisture like the other fluids. So, as long as you know the system has not been contaminated with outside water or dirt, there is no need to change it. Studies have shown that after many years of use, it still gives the same hydraulic and boiling limits as it would new. Because it doesn't trap moisture like the others, there is no concern about corrosion in the braking system.
I believe DOT 5 is also used a lot in military and in Northern parts of the world such as Alaska, Russia, Canada....
Soooo, change it if you feel you need to, otherwise if it's clean, don't worry about.
francoblay1
The Spaniard
Good info, as always, thanks Andrew. :up:
Mickeetwo
Guru
See maybe I'm not a slacker, maybe I already knew this and thats why I haven't changed the brake fluid........Naw....I'm a slacker Thanks for the info Andrew
francoblay1
The Spaniard
:roll::roll::roll:
:up:
Speaking of Fluid - Anyone know where we can order the replacement brake MC Gaskets?
francoblay1
The Spaniard
Thanks Franco I don't need full rebuild kit just the gasket. I bought the rebuild kit for about $10 just missing the gasket.
$65 is outrageous!
I have been reading old threads today and have come across this one obviously.
Please note.
Dot5 five fluid has most of the pro's compare to Dot3,4 and Dot5.1 but there is one con!
If water gets in your brake system, it will not mix with your fluid but will sit in the bottom of your brake cylinder.(water is heavier than fluid) To get it out removal and dis assembly of your cylinder is unavoidable. Simple bleeding of the brakes or flushing will not get the water out.
Paul.
Please note.
Dot5 five fluid has most of the pro's compare to Dot3,4 and Dot5.1 but there is one con!
If water gets in your brake system, it will not mix with your fluid but will sit in the bottom of your brake cylinder.(water is heavier than fluid) To get it out removal and dis assembly of your cylinder is unavoidable. Simple bleeding of the brakes or flushing will not get the water out.
Paul.
+1
Say we go past those limits and we find a pauly drop. What happens next after many years listening to your science. Someone leaves a lid open and oh look, no water on the bottom. That sounds like what you looked up and not thought thru how simple that science is.
Drain your brain with this one. When I boil something and a bubble occurs, what is left in that void? Vapor/oxy/h2o/boil drop to the lowest point of the caliper.
What holds the piston from leaking and pushing that pad into the disc? A 4 sided ring with 4 flat sides locked in a groove. What would displace that oil under the quad-ring? Something heavy. When water makes contact with something, what happens? A mold, a crystal, a white powder forms under the q-ring and presses against the ring.
What happens when your pads drag? The q-ring has memory and when the ring settles back into its groove: it presses out the oil. It cannot press out this white powder made thru years of neglect. So this ring is locking the piston in place, rather than rolling back into the groove and taking the piston back with it so the pad does not drag.
And that movement heading back into that groove is in the thousands of an inch not your lever comes back to the grip with some sort of q-ring movement? No. It's that small of a move and now the suggestion is to leave it lay I use dot5...
Some just bleed on my red rug you go squidstepping on the tech shit and fuck it up. Pauly comes to the rescue and cleans up dis mess. :roll: