[DeTomaso] DOT-5 Brake fluid

[adin at frontier.net]

Mr. Garth,

thanks for posting and documenting this VERY important information!   
You may have save a wrinkled fender or ego . . .

It is important (for me) to be able to determine WHY something is  
said.  i.e.: Jack will say: I saw this work.  Mike will say: I like  
yellow cars. or someone might say "I only use ATE Blue"  because they  
can buy it locally NOT because of quality.

I know I can't change the world, but I reserve the right to be . . .

Grouchy and Dirty, in Durango



Quoting Garth Rodericks <garth_rodericks at yahoo.com>:

>
> David-baby,
>
> The data in the table came from the same StopTech article that Mike posted:
> http://www.stoptech.com/tech_info/wp_brakefluid_1a.shtml
>
> I did verify a couple of the specs cited in the table with the   
> manufacturers published specs
> at the time and they checked out, but I didn't verify all of them.   
> As Mike pointed out, it's
> published data readily available from the manufacturers.
>
> The info subsequent to the table comes from a variety of sources...
>
> The 1st bullet in my previous post:
> The statement regarding Ford Heavy Duty brake fluid being the best   
> kept secret by racers
> has been repeatedly touted on this list - you can search the   
> archives to find the
> references.  I found the same thing cited on other online forums as well.
> Here's a reference on another forum where they also list the specs   
> of the Ford Heavy Duty brake fluid too:   
> http://www.v8sho.com/SHO/BrakeFluid.htm
>
> The Hot Rods and Horsepower claim was originally at this link:
> http://www.hotrodsandhorsepower.com/101techtips/101techtips7.html (which is   
> no longer online)
> I recall reading the same claim elsewhere online when I was   
> researching brake fluilds, but
> the other places were likely perpetuating the same myth or linking   
> back to the same
> source. It's amazing how quickly mis-information or rumor spreads   
> across the net when
> one person posts something to a forum and it gets picked up and   
> repeated across ten
> more automotive forums within a week. The different specs between   
> the two fluids means
> it's highly unlikely that they're the same. I don't need a source   
> for that conclusion. You may
> disagree, and that's fine.
>
> Castrol SRF specs (Here's just one source for the specs:   
> http://www.performancefriction.com/pages/access.htm)
> Dry Boiling Point 310C / 590F
> Wet Boiling Point 270C / 518F
>
>
> Ford Heavy Duty specs (cannot find this fluid for sale online with   
> specs, only references to
> it in other articles and forum posts with the specs. Ford websites   
> just wants to sell me cars
> or parts, not fluids, so couldn't verify there)
> Dry Boiling Point 550F
> Wet Boiling Point 290F
>
>
> And how quickly a fluid absorbs moisture is a function of the wet   
> boiling point. The lower
> the wet boiling point, the quicker it absorbs moisture. And, the   
> lower likelihood of causing
> corrosion in your braking system over the same given time period.    
> As others have pointed
> out, this may not be a concern if you flush your fluid often (after   
> every track session). But if
> its a street car and the brake fluid will sit for 1-2 years before   
> being flushed, I'd rather have a
> fluid with a higher wet boiling point, such as the ATE Super Blue   
> (or Amber). That's just my
> opinion, but it is consistent with the recommendations on the   
> Porsche, BMW, Mustang,
> and other forums too.
>
> The 2nd bullet in my previous post:
>
> ATE Super Blue costs less per ounce than the Ford Heavy Duty brake   
> fluid if you compare
> the "quoted" prices in the table. Again, I couldn't find an online   
> source from which to
> purchase the Ford Heavy Duty to verify the price, and I didn't   
> bother to call my local Ford
> dealer to get a price. So, this could be incorrect.  Regardless, I   
> thought the ATE Super
> Blue was a bargain compared to any other performance brake fluid   
> with a similar wet boiling
> point spec. And, ATE is what I now use in my brake system.
>
> Cheers!
> Garth
>
>
>