Thirty five years ago I completed the restoration on my 1955 Speedster. The brakes were rebuilt but not the Hydro-vac. The car was only twenty years old and the HV was still working good. If it ain't broke don't fix it! I knew that the piper would at some point have to be paid, but it just wasn't his time.
Silicone brake fluid was recent arrival on the automotive scene and seemed to be the way to go, so I used it. There were few cautions regarding it's use and no negative information regarding a HV equipped car. It was years later that I began to hear about the real chance that the fluid will be sucked into the engine by vacuum from the HV, not good! The car has been used sparingly since the restoration, but the brakes have been a non-issue for the last thirty five years, until the other day. I guess that this can serve as an advertisement for SF (Dot 5). The two cars that I own that I used Dot 5 in performed flawlessly for thirty five years, I wish that I could say that about my other cars in which I used Dot 3. It had been over a year since the Speedster had been started and run, but after an oil change and some prep it started and ran good. However there was no brake peddle and pumping did no good. Thinking that there was a fluid leak and the piper might be ready to collect his due, I checked the master cylinder, but it was still full of fluid. I haven't yet checked to see if the piston in the MC is stuck, but it is difficult to tell if there is any resistance at the peddle. Ideas anyone?
I know that it is strongly recommended that all the rubber parts be changed when going from Dot 3 to Dot 5, but has anyone been successful flushing their hydraulic system, with alcohol, without changing the rubber parts before making the switch? What about going the other way, switching from Dot 5 to Dot 3/4. Unlikely that many have gone in this direction but in a HV equipped car I would now consider it.
Silicone brake fluid was recent arrival on the automotive scene and seemed to be the way to go, so I used it. There were few cautions regarding it's use and no negative information regarding a HV equipped car. It was years later that I began to hear about the real chance that the fluid will be sucked into the engine by vacuum from the HV, not good! The car has been used sparingly since the restoration, but the brakes have been a non-issue for the last thirty five years, until the other day. I guess that this can serve as an advertisement for SF (Dot 5). The two cars that I own that I used Dot 5 in performed flawlessly for thirty five years, I wish that I could say that about my other cars in which I used Dot 3. It had been over a year since the Speedster had been started and run, but after an oil change and some prep it started and ran good. However there was no brake peddle and pumping did no good. Thinking that there was a fluid leak and the piper might be ready to collect his due, I checked the master cylinder, but it was still full of fluid. I haven't yet checked to see if the piston in the MC is stuck, but it is difficult to tell if there is any resistance at the peddle. Ideas anyone?
I know that it is strongly recommended that all the rubber parts be changed when going from Dot 3 to Dot 5, but has anyone been successful flushing their hydraulic system, with alcohol, without changing the rubber parts before making the switch? What about going the other way, switching from Dot 5 to Dot 3/4. Unlikely that many have gone in this direction but in a HV equipped car I would now consider it.
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