From: Dave Cole (DavidCole@tk7.net)
Date: Tue Jul 09 2002 - 08:41:24 PDT
Silicone vs non-Silicone brake fluid has been discussed on this list for quite a while. Personally I'd really like to see some scientific data on the pros and cons
of Silicone vs conventional fluid.
Dot 5 fluid costs a fortune. About $75/gallon at the local Napa store. I have it in my M51 dump and have had virtually no brake related problems with this 40
year old vehicle. The brakes work fine. I have locked up all 6 sets of wheels on a hard dirt road with a full load in the back. So there seems to be plenty of
"margin" in the brake system. Also, I have noted that there is no corrosion inside of the master cylinder.
I have several old vehicles that I keep that are not MVs. What I have seen with conventional fluid is that the fluid aborbs moisture ouf of the air and at some
point it must reach saturation, and then everything inside of the brake system begins to rust almost from the inside out. If you change out the brake fluid
every few years or drive the hell out of the car/truck, this doesn't seem to happen.
Is that because the moisture is driven out by braking heat? Or?
Let's say that moisture does get into a brake system with Silicone fluid. Does the water truly collect in the lowest part of the system. (ie. Silicone fluid is lighter
than water?)
If it does collect in system what ramifications does that have? Does the metal begin to corrode in the presence of water and silicone fluid?
Is this better or worse than water saturated conventional fluid?
If a hygroscopic fluid is saturated with water and heated, won't the water that has been absorbed by the fluid flash to steam?
I know that silicone fluid is used a lot in race cars due to it's higher boiling point, however someone in the military must have done some research on this
subject and concluded that silicone was superior than conventional fluid. Does anyone know where that study is?
Dave
7/6/2002 11:21:35 PM, "W. J. Buzz Szarek" <buzz@toast.net> wrote:
>Most brake fluids are hygroscopic. They attract and retain water. This
>causes the brake components to rust, especially if neglected.
>
>Dot 5 is not hygroscopic.
>It has a lower boiling point and is more elastic (compressible) so in heavy
>duty applications it's not recommendend.
>
>It's taken the modern world by storm simply because it protects brake
>components from rust. In a vehicle that isn't used often this is a major
>plus. If the vehicle is used often and in severe environments where every
>ounce of stopping ability is required then it's ill advised unless the brake
>system is specifically designed to accommodate its elasticity (additional
>margin required in the design).
>
>Does that help?
>
>-=-
>
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