<VV> RE:Silicone Brake Fluid, was Re: synthetic oil

[Bill Elliott]

On Wed, 6 Jul 2005 13:37:49 -0400, Ruth Dorogi wrote:

>I would like to second Dan's experience with silicone brake fluid.  I put it
>in my 65 convertible in 1986 (all new brake lines, rebuilt wheel  and master
>cylinder).  Brake pedal is high and solid and fluid looks like it was put in
>yesterday.  The car is driven about 600 miles a year - very little.  Same
>experience with my son's 65 monza.  Other cars that I have with DOT 3 have
>developed leaky wheel and master cylinders just from sitting and little use
>and developed considerable rust.
>        From my experience I recommend silicone brake fluid highly.  

...As do I for a trailer queen which your 600 miles a year qualifies for. I have cars with DOT5 in them, but they are not driven hard or often.

I have seen one complete brake failure (and several "almost" complete failures due to a low pedal) on the road in a Corvair due to silicone fluid and heavy 
use. 

I have seen complete brakes failure in sitting cars with DOT3, but never a failure on the highway due to a leaky seal. 

 You can take the data points and draw your own conclusions; I was only countering that in my experience that silicone fluid is a bad idea for an 
agressively driven car (particuarly a Corvair) and that no one that I know uses it for the track.

If I _did_ have a Corvair with DOT5 in it, I'd still bleed it routinely. Moisture WILL get into the system and it will go somewhere since the fluid won't absorb it. 
The fluid may look great in the resevoir; how does it look at the wheel cylinders?

Some third party info for you:
http://www.secureperformanceorder.com/usbrakestore/fluidtech.cfm
http://www.gs610.com/abc.htm
http://www.gs610.com/silicone.htm
http://www.stoptech.com/whitepapers/brakefluid1a.htm
http://members.aol.com/tfrecord/page30.html
http://www.millersoils.net/pdf_downloads/Racing_Brake_fluid.pdf#search='glycol%20silicone%20compressibility%20brake'

Bill Elliott