Viper

First, got my steenless steel brake lines smile.gif

I was wondering I can use DOT 5.1 brake fluid which is full synthetic, don't know what I have now but it's probably DOT 3 or DOT 4.

Is the 5.1 better ? I have a Tubby '99 with 40k miles on it (NO abs).

Second, is it hard to replace the brake lines with the car on the ground with 2 jacks under it. So no bridge only 2 jacks.

-update-

second, if I'm installing my brake lines, I wanna paint my brakes as well. What's the best way to do this. I figured clean them up with a steel brush from any rust and then get some high temp. paint and paint them.

Mad-Machine

I would not use the DOT5 Silicone Fluid. You will HATE It. Silicone, while it does not compress, traps and holds air bubbles. It is near impossible to keep them out. The more bubbles you have, the more spongy your pedal. It takes a trained and talented professional to keep them out while even pouring the fluid into the resevour. Yes, it is THAT easy to get airbubbles in silicone fluid.

Brake lines are not hard, but you are going to need flair wrenches, 11mm I think, to undo the soft lines from the hard without destroying the connectors. Standard wrenches will round off the soft metal of the connectors, so do not even think about it. Spend the money and do it right!

I used a two part paint on my Calipers, painted it right over the metal after cleaning up the worst of it. No complaints in over two years... but I think I am going to grind the stuff off this year and go from Red to Black.

sharkev

I am also thinking about change the brake fluid for a better one, and I was thinking about the Ate ( that is thee brand ) its from Germany.

but I´m not sure about how can I do the change,

should I take out all the fluid first and then fill the lines with the new brake fluid?

or can I just start to taking out the brake fluid and before it get empty ( before the air enter in the pump ) I start to fill the pump with the new fluid?

its not bad if I mix the fluids?

Viper

^

Depends on the type. I would let the old fluid out first then refill with the new, then bleed the system. Otherwise you don't know when you're old fluid is out and you're new fluid begins laugh.gif

^^

So you're suggesting just to get DOT 4. I didn't know there could form air bubbles due to braking. But why is DOT 5 used then for all the newer cars


Do you have a pic of a flair wrench. I don't know what they call that in my language so I don't know if I have it yet :unsure:

-update-

Found a interesting article about brake fluid:

http://www.belray.com/consumer/Q&A%20pages/q&abf.html

@MM

DOT 5 in Europe (where I am) is DOT 5.1 in America. Glycol based, we don't even know the silicone one here (YOUR DOT 5). So I don't think that the 5/5.1 I was looking at is the silicone one.


And we learned something new today smile.gif

(revenge)

Spanishark

as for painting your calipers. i think the best way to do it would be a brush on type paint. don't use the metalicast or whatever paint by duplicolor. it covers darker in some areas and lighter in others. it doesn't have to be extremelyhigh temp paint your calipers barly heat up anyways unless you plan to slam your breaks often.

Mad-Machine

ok.. Glycol based is a different beast all together. I do not think you would have a problem with that.

A flare wrench is also known as a line wrench.



Flare-nut wrenches, also known as flare wrenches or line wrenches, are similar to regular open-end wrenches but feature more facets to allow better grip. In contrast to a regular open-end, in which only two sides of the jaw will be in contact with the nut, the flare wrench offers more efficient turning power. In applications where nuts or bolts are very tight, difficult to access or made of softer metal, use of a flare wrench may prevent marring or rounding the head of the fastener.

Viper

Oh.. why didn't you just say line wrench then lol.gif

hamhead

You sure you painted properly with Duplicolor High-Temp? It covered great for me... although I've never used brush-on the spray came out just great.

And you most definately do need high-temp if you want the paint to last longer than a few months... go out for a Sunday drive and then park your car and slap your hand on your brakes. I'm not responsible for burn marks. wink1.gif

Mad-Machine

Normal braking can heat up the brakes to the point that you cannot touch them. That is what they do. Because you can destroy energy, you can only convert it. Brakes take momentium (forwards or back) and convert that inertia to thermal energy. The old law about not creating or destroying energy is certainly true, you can only change it's form.

Racing and rally cars (and street cars on the track) and convert enough inertia to heat to make their brake discs glow. That is hardened steel, and a large amount of it. I suggest using the best paint you can find.

Spanishark

strange mine don't heat up. i must have somekinda supersonic jetcooled brakes