Brake fluid

[Mallett]

Fixing to change brake fluids. What type should I use?

[JC]

DOT 4

[hubcapsc]

There's kinds that don't mix. It is scary when you don't know what the last guy put
in there.

There's a very common valvoline dot3/dot4 kind I've always used...

I recently rebuilt my front brake master cylinder, I had never done it before. It turned out to be
easy. I rebuilt the caliper at the same time, that is certainly easy. I'm just saying this to reassure you
that if you put something in there that reacted poorly to whatever residue from the old stuff that
was in there, it wouldn't be too much of a disaster.

-Mike

[Mallett]

There's kinds that don't mix. It is scary when you don't know what the last guy put
in there.

There's a very common valvoline dot3/dot4 kind I've always used...

I recently rebuilt my front brake master cylinder, I had never done it before. It turned out to be
easy. I rebuilt the caliper at the same time, that is certainly easy. I'm just saying this to reassure you
that if you put something in there that reacted poorly to whatever residue from the old stuff that
was in there, it wouldn't be too much of a disaster.

-Mike

Thanks hubcapsc, I'll keep that in mind....

[Hooter]

   +1 on the Dot 4. If you have a vacum bleeder you will have it made. If not make sure when you depress the brake lever don't completely do so. Only go part of the way. Don't let the resevour get empty either.

[f6john]

  My 99 has 50k on her and I had only changed the fluid once in the 12 years I've had her. I left the master cylinder alone but I did rebuild the calipers. I thought I had power brakes after the refurbishing.

[Bronson]

I tried using speed bleeders last year, they are awesome, and make the process easy to do for one person alone. They are made in Illinois, and have a check valve inside that opens and closes the bleeder as you squeeze the brake lever or clutch lever. I change brake and clutch fluid in all the bikes every year. Hope your fluid change goes easy!
Bronson

[Mallett]

Thanks everyone for the advice...I'm gonna give it a try tomorrow....

[CB1]

When I had my tires changed this weekend I asked the mechs to change and flush all of the brake fluid. (brakes and clutch).

When I picked it up later on the mech told me that it was good I did that because there was a lot of buildup in the master cylinders. The little window is again clear instead of brown and everything feels better.

I let the mechs do it because I have rotten luck and I'd probably melt all the paint off of the tank.