brake fluid

[brad.gale53]

This was probably already addressed in another post, but I'm currently going though my brakes and replacing all the seals and brake lines as well, and I'm wondering if dot 5 brake fluid would be ok to use?

[mterrens]

Brad,
Heres what one expert says about dot3 vs dot5 in our 600s
Steve

[kingtrans2003]

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When i raced circle track dot 5 fluid was the best thing since peanut butter. The peddle would fade as the system would get hot with dot 3 or 4 (air-boiling). But with dot 5 i  never had to worry about brake fade and also the storage time over the winter gave no problems with corrosion. I put dot 5 fluid in all of the vintage restorations i build.        Kingtransmission/Kings Klassics Vintage Auto Works. ,Mike in Weaverville N.C.
On Fri, 20 Dec 2013 09:48:24 -0500 Steven Michelsen Brad,
> Heres what
> one expert says about dot3 vs dot5 in our 600s
> Steve
> From:
> billmyong@...
> [mailto:billmyong@...]
> Sent:
> Friday, February 08, 2002
> 3:04 AM
> To:
> 2cylinderhondas@Yahoogroups. Com;
> anzhonda600owners@yahoogroups.com
> Subject:
> RE: [anzhonda600owners]
> Rear Brake Fluid Leaking
> Tim;
> &.
>   I have attached a couple of sites
> that may be of use.  They are a quick read and offer definitions of 4 > different brake fluids including DOT 5.1.
>     I have used DOT 5 in
> Honda 600's and in a older Corvette I have, changing it about once every 7 to > 10 years.  And I have not had wear and only limited corrosion, where > as with DOT 3 in my Corvette brake system, I was rebuilding calipers every two > years.  I use DOT 3 in my 1967 truck, it's cheap and I change it > often.  Newer vehicles that have ABS systems state in their factory > manuals, that DOT 5 should not be used because it will foam and cause a > spongy peddle.
> http://www.synlube.com/brake.htm
> http://www.motorcycleproject.com/motorc ... fluid.html
> http://www.gabma.us/docs/dot5.pdf
> http://www.dnd-automotive.com/chassis/brake-fluid.htm
>     If you are going to
> change over to DOT 5 fluid you should flush a good
> operating system.  But what do you use to flush your brake > system?  Some say flush with denatured Alcohol.  Since DOT 3 > and DOT 4 are alcohol based what's the difference?  The idea is to > remove all the contaminated fluid.  The best way to do that is to pull > all your brake cylinders and clean them.  If you don't want to pull > everything apart, then just remove what you have in the master cylinder > reservoir and fill it with clean fluid and bleed your brakes.  Then > remove the fluid from your master cylinder reservoir and bleed the brakes > until you see purple fluid coming out.  (caution, if any DOT 3 or 4 is > left in the system it will continue to do what it is supposed to do and that > is to absorb moisture which will cause corrosion)
>     1st myth - DOT 5 is
> not compatible with DOT 3 and DOT 4.  Wrong, it is a DOT requirement that > DOT 5 will still work if DOT 3 or 4 is added to the system.  However, > because DOT 5 will create bubbles when agitated, it is not okay to add DOT 5 > to an ABS brake system.
>     2nd myth - DOT 5
> is high maintenance.  Not when compared with DOT 3 or 4.  I started > using DOT 5 in my Corvette in 1982, and have changed it twice since then > without brake failure.  DOT 5 was made for the Military so they > could store their vehicles for long periods at a time.  It works or > they wouldn't still be using it.
>     3rd myth - DOT 5 has a
> spongy peddle.  Not at all.  However, when bleeding the system with > DOT 5 you must not pump the brake peddle, it should be pushed on to the count > of 20 from the start of the push to the bottom of the peddle.  When you > "PUMP" the brakes to obtain a hard peddle while the bleeder is closed, do so > slowly.  And, when the bleeder valve at the wheel is opened, don't allow > the peddle to move quickly, this will create thousands of bubbles which > will take considerable time to go away.
[/quote]
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[brad.gale53]

Thanks for all the information guys. Too many rumors floating around about dot 5... I'll definitely be using it!

[Bill]

Brad;
I have been using DOT 5 in my Vette and my Honda 600 Sedan for years.  The only issue I have noted is that if you just purge the system and don't clean everything there will be a chance of DOT 3 remaining in the system.  A couple of pistons on my 78 Vette had to be changed out because they corroded under the seals.  But that is a car that has had
D OT 5 in it since 1980.   You will not be disappointed.
Bill