silicone brake fluid

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me and Quicktree got that same lecture at the PRI show. i cant remember as to why its no good to use

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...In closing, it might be fine for some people to use this fluid but do you really want to risk it all just to use a fluid that won’t damage your paint?...

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The point is, that there is LESS risk with DOT 5. With DOT 3, you are guaranteed to have a moisure related failure of your brakes if you keep it in there long enuff. It is just a matter of time. DOT 3 is a moisture magnet, it sucks in moisture and corrodes the cylinders.

For me, using DOT 5 has nothing to do with paint. I have had it in my 442 for 27 years. Most of my older cars now have silicone fluid. As the DOT 3 equiped systems fail, (and they all fail) I re-do them with DOT 5. The only exception is my 49 Plymouth, because I rebuilt the brakes at the site where I bought the car so I could drive it home, and the local parts store did not have enuff DOT 5. That was in '93 and I have replaced one or 2 wheel cylinders due to corrision at least twice, taken them apart and cleaned and re-assembled them and cleaned fluid off the shoes at least a couple more times. Every spring when I get the car out of storage, I have to allow time to mess with the brakes. Meanwhile, none of my silicone fluid equiped cars have had any problems.
I don't care what Wilwood or anybody else thinks, 27 years of experience proves that dot 5 is better, safer, and more reliable, at least in my circumstances.

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I did use Dot 5 in the ‘80’s but went back to using racing brake fluid (Dot 4) because of the following issues.

1. Silicone brake fluid entrains air bubbles easily when pouring and or maintaining the system and produces spongy feeling if not properly handled.

2. It doesn't absorb water, so any water that gets into the system accumulates in the lowest point stays there and causes rust mainly at the wheel cylinders and/or calipers which may cause seal failure at that point.

3. Some silicone fluids have additives that can vaporize at moderate temperatures, increasing the spongy feel in some instances.

4. Silicone fluid is incompatible with systems that have held glycol-based fluids for any length of time, require total rebuild of the brake system. Flushing and seal replacement can be done but extreme caution must be used when performing this task. There are other opinions on this which state that the modern silicone formulations are compatible with only a flushing and a complete reseal is not necessary (The actual DOT specification requires chemical compatibility so the two fluids won't cause reactions if used in the same system, but they certainly won't mix, either…You decide, it’s your car and possibly your life at stake here).

In closing, it might be fine for some people to use this fluid but do you really want to risk it all just to use a fluid that won’t damage your paint?

Most serious racers use this fluid
Castrol SRF

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Well considering the O.P HAS been using silicone you don't have to worry about him flushing it. I say he stays with it