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Silicone brake fluid DOT 5, how and what ?

A common problem is the jamming of 1 or more brakes and lock cylinders.

Also a leaking main brake pump; and clutch pump are unfortunately issues that occur.

One or more brakes that do not or no longer want to brake immediately during a test drive unfortunately always results in extra work. After all, perfectly functioning and evenly braking wheels are of vital importance, especially if we have to make an unexpected emergency stop, which unfortunately happens more and more often in today's traffic, where nobody has time anymore. Every part that has to do with brake fluid can start leaking or get stuck, causing many hours of extra work.

However, this problem can be largely avoided by using a silicone-based synthetic brake oil. Available from us at a very favourable price (yellow packaging on the photo); see Webshop=> brakes

More on this later in this text.

 

A quick refresher on what we currently use in our cars:

The properties, differences and applications:

Brake oil has a boiling point. During prolonged braking, the brake fluid temperature rises very quickly, and of course so does the temperature of the brake shoes and brake drums. Their large heat build-up is also co-emitted into the brake fluid.  This happens especially during braking on a long downhill ride where we still want to control our speed, by braking quite a lot. When the fluid reaches the boiling point, fading occurs, causing you to suddenly, without any warning, go from good working brakes to brakes that do nothing at all. Personally experienced once in a 280GE automatic. 0 % braking, suddenly ! Panic!!!

Something that greatly affects fading is also the amount of moisture in our brake oil. Brake oil is hygroscopic, which means it naturally absorbs humidity from the air. This moisture (water) causes the brake oil to boil more quickly, resulting in fading. Also, the humidity (water) causes all metal parts in our brake and spring system to rust, from the inside. By the time we notice this, it is too late... . As a result, rust particles damage the internal rubber part, which then start to make little grooves and cracks, resulting in a leaking cylinder. Also, brake cups and their metal brake cylinders get very stuck, which affects the braking effect enormously, causing "slanting during emergency braking". Not to mention the leaking brake fluid that saturates the brake shoes in the meantime, resulting in additional costs.

Another disadvantage not to be underestimated is that brake fluid swells all paint quite quickly and thus definitively blisters the paint away to the bare metal, and then also starts to rust immediately.

Also note that conventional brake fluids should be completely changed at least every 2 years, due to their hygroscopic property! Do any of you do this .... Also, the dark brown colour instead of the light yellow colour is a clear indicator of end-of-life. If your brake fluid is almost black, it usually means that a brake rubber is entering a state of decomposition somewhere, requiring immediate repair!

At the time, DOT 3 brake fluid was used in our cars; especially as late as 1979. This had a fairly low boiling point, so in combination with humidity it quickly gave internal rusting and fading as a result. Boiling point for new brake fluid was 205°C and for >2-year-old brake fluid 140°C. This is always calculated at 3.5% humidity mixed into the oil.

But like everything else, this gave rise to a better brake fluid with a higher boiling point namely DOT 4. This is the brake fluid we actually all use today. Boiling point for new brake fluid 230°C and for >2-year-old brake fluid 155°C.

DOT 3 may be topped up with DOT 4, but not vice versa. The cost of this oil is between 10 and 16 € per litre, depending on the manufacturer's brand and the quantity you buy. 0.5L or 1L or 5L. If you don't use brake fluid often, buy a small pack, because once opened the hygroscopic effect also starts to take possession of your bottle. Several new cars today, ex-factory are still filled with DOT4.

Originating from racing and now applied mainly to the more "fast" cars you can buy, there is now also DOT 5.1 Important : pay attention to the .1!

Boiling point for new brake oil 270°C and for >2 years old brake fluid 190°C. This type , the DOT 5.1 ( Again, note the .1 !! ) is actually totally useless and not applicable in our oldtimer. In fairness, I should mention that this oil has a boiling point of 270°C new and 190°C at old. However, the composition of this oil is totally unsuitable for our cars, is mainly also developed to provide better performance in an ABS unit, because of the many additives and the almost completely synthetic composition. Moreover, this oil is expensive.

All the above brake fluid types continue to have the 3 major drawbacks viz :

*His boiling point affected by humidity relative to age. Due to the hygroscopic effect.

*The humidity absorbed causes damage and stuck brake components.

*Change every 2 years, no longer, even with little use of the car.

*Causes rust in all brake parts

*Fading may occur due to lower boiling point.

 

 

So is there an ultimate solution ?

Yes, the DOT 5.

This oil is silicone-based. Yet fully synthetic but has a superior lubricating property, and does not give any chemical reaction on rubbers, of any age, which cannot be said of any other brake fluid mentioned above.  So this reduces classic natural wear.

History of it:

This DOT 5.0 oil was developed at the time by order of the US Army to be usable in all environmental conditions without generating any maintenance or degradation.

It had to be perfectly combinable in DOT 3 and DOT 4 without any modifications to it.

Further positive features :

*Totally harmless to paint parts

*Has no corrosive properties whatsoever, so no internal rusting can occur.

*Totally flammable.

*Biodegradable.

Is there no disadvantage?

Unfortunately, it does.

The cost of this oil is about €69 per litre, see our site . So not cheap, but if you calculate what 1x damage or replacement of a brake or locking part costs, this is a negligible cost.

Unfortunately, the oil is still slightly hygroscopic in some form, but does not absorb this in the brake oil itself, but creates a water ball in usually only 1 place in the brake circuit. Well after many years! Personally, I have already seen this in one of my G Classes in the rear brake pump.

Some disassembly work is required when switching from DOT 4 to DOT 5 for the first time. No expenses are required, just work.After the conversion, after 50 km another smaller flush is necessary.

After that, flushing every 7 years is the order of the day anyway. Don't feel like doing this? No big disaster, but somewhere in a brake cylinder a water bubble will start to form. Still better than generating corrosion everywhere.

How to switch your car to this brake oil:

First of all, make sure your brake system is in perfect working order, otherwise using this oil is totally useless. This oil does not cure brake or locking parts of course, just keep them in better condition!

Maybe also a good time to have a look at the brake flexibles and possibly replace them. These flexibles can show cracks from the outside but can also clog up inside, which can also leave you with "sticking" brakes. Replacing these often forgotten parts in time may be better now during the changeover also because of the low cost of a flexible. These are also for sale on our site, and are really cheap.

Flush your brake circuit completely with classic DOT4 so that you have removed every last drop of corrosion and contamination. Also make sure that the brake reservoir is clean and free of any deposits on the inside. If necessary, use a neat cloth ( possibly soaked in Methanol ) to clean the container on the inside.

Now suck out all the DOT 4 brake fluid everywhere.

Now disconnect all brake lines from the brake cylinders and blow through the lines with compressed air.

Of course, your compressed air should be moisture-free, so it should not contain water.

So with the compressed air you clean the lines and get rid of most of the DOT4 brake oil and any other contaminants.

Open the bleeder of each brake pump and blow compressed air into it, which will get any remaining brake oil in the brake pump out.

Then massage each brake pump again to make sure it is still in perfect condition.

If possible, if you can also disconnect the line/pipes from the main brake pump, fill a little DOT 5 into the reservoir and operate the brake pedal until pure DOT 5 comes out.

Now reconnect all pipes, and also close all bleeders back up.

Start bleeding as always, right at the back The longest line you do so first.

 

Is this not going to be easy? You can solve it with a simple trick:

You open 1 breather, connected by a hose to a jar/bottle.  Then blow a compressed air pressure of 2 to max 3 bar on the hole of the cap of the brake oil reservoir or the barrier oil jar. This way, you place a slight pressure on the brake/spar oil and it squeezes itself through the pipes to the open breather. Possibly combine with gently operating the brake pedal in and out. Handy huh. Of course, the compressed air used should be as moisture-free as possible!

The brake force remains the same as before. So you won't notice any improvement in that, as only the fluid has changed, which has no meaningful influence on the braking distance.

Personally, I then change the oil every 7 years after the "conversion", which is certainly sufficient.

The oil is of course for sale on our site, at a very favourable price (yellow packaging on the photo); see Webshop=> brakes

 

Remember :

Cheap is expensive afterwards !

Avarice deceives wisdom!

And if your brakes fail; you may have all the money in the world; it may be your last day!

And, we as G riders, this rather low cost, can really get rid of it right? After all, this is an added value, both in value of the car and in safety and long-term efficiency.

Our G class is worth this!

                          Order now !!!  Everything is on the site. click : Webshop=> brakes