Brake Fluid

[Keith Tedford]

When restoring a car, do you use the common DOT-3 or silicone brake fluid?

[SS427]

I usually restore my cars using silicone because of the lack of daily use and the safety of spilled fluids. Most stainless steel resleeve companies recommend silicone be used after they resleeve them as well. JMO
Rick

[JBB]

Hi. silicone brake fluid allows for no moisture to be introduced at all inside the brake system. Consequently, no rust. This info is per Steve Gregori, who rebuilds and replates brake boosters in Hemmings...........

[YENKO DEUCE REGISTRY]

Definitely DOT 5 fluid!
Expensive but worth it.

[Chevy454]

We've had trouble getting a pedal with synthetic fluid, even when using a pump. It's doesn't eat paint like the old stuff, but I've heard from others that they had trouble bleeding with it. I'm gonna try it again on my Chevelle, but I hope it goes better than on the last cars we tried it on.

[SS427]

Initially I too had trouble bleeding the brakes. The key here was to do it slowly. Bubbles form very easily if agitated and are very hard to remove. Gravity or pressure bleeding works best for me. I have been using silicone almost exclusively since 1981 and have had no failures or problems. In that time span, I have spilled numerous times. /ubbthreads/images/icons/shocked.gif Thank God for silicone. JMO

[JBB]

SS427 and Chevy 454 are correct, it is hard to bleed. I had a hard time myself after changing over to DOT silicone.....

[YENKO DEUCE REGISTRY]

This was my first time rebuilding an entire brake system, so I had never bled an entire system with DOT3. I had some trouble, and had a friend come over with his vaccuum bleeding system. He immediately noticed that my main trouble was that I had the calipers on the wrong sides, the bleeders were pointed down /ubbthreads/images/icons/confused.gif Once I got that figured out, it worded pretty well. We did it very slowly, and now my brake pedal feels fine.