Brake Fluid Flush

[kadams]

I'm going to flush the brake fluid with ATE Super Blue Dot4. They come in 1 litre (1.1 quarts) bottles, is one bottle enough to flush the entire system?

[Draenor]

Depends on how dirty the old fluid is. Though, one should do it.

[DBVille]

While one should do it, if you spill much, or over do it, or happen to get air into it, you may need two. The few ounces you will use out of that second can makes the ATE expensive for most apps because of this. Unless you have a lot of vehicles to use it one.

 

I buy the name brand stuff at the local auto store, and flush every year or more often on track cars. Then wasting a part of a can is only $3 instead of $15 for the ATE. Plus, I can't find the ATE locally, I would have to drive 30 miles, or mail order it.

[c4cruiser]

While the ATE Super Blue is a good fluid for extreme braking like one would see with events like track days or constantly pulling heavy trailers, a good DOT3 fluid is all that is needed. Fluid like Castrol LMA or even the Ford (yes, I know.....) Motorsports HD fluid are good DOT3 fluids with wet boiling points higher than the GM factory fluid. Both of these fluids are available in small cans so you can always keep an unopened extra can for topping off as needed.

 

One thing to watch with Super Blue is that it will discolor the plastic master cylinder reservoir over time. ATE has a different version, TYP200, which is the same fluid as the Super Blue but without the blue dye. On my '87 Vette I switch between these two fluids after track days. With different colors, I know when fresh fluid comes out of the calipers.

[Zembonez]

It takes exactly 47 gallons!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

OK... 2 of the 1 liter bottles should be more than enough. 1 might do it but having a second on hand would be cheap insurance.

[pm26]

These trucks have large master cylinder reservoirs, so if you do not want to waste brake fluid, remove most of the fluid from the master cylinder reservoir prior to bleeding and refill with fresh fluid. The best way is to use a vacuum pump.

 

Or you can just strart bleeding the system forcing the old fluid through and out, while adding fresh fluid to the reservoir. It will take longer, and you will waste a lot of brake fluid.

[brims]

These trucks have large master cylinder reservoirs, so if you do not want to waste brake fluid, remove most of the fluid from the master cylinder reservoir prior to bleeding and refill with fresh fluid. The best way is to use a vacuum pump.

 

I believe the 06 has the same or similar master cylinder to the 07+. I just sucked the fluid out of my master cylinder not too long ago and it was almost 1.5 pints if i remember correctly. My dad and I decided it would be beneficial to do that at every oil change.

[97SierraGMC]

These trucks have large master cylinder reservoirs, so if you do not want to waste brake fluid, remove most of the fluid from the master cylinder reservoir prior to bleeding and refill with fresh fluid. The best way is to use a vacuum pump.

 

I believe the 06 has the same or similar master cylinder to the 07+. I just sucked the fluid out of my master cylinder not too long ago and it was almost 1.5 pints if i remember correctly. My dad and I decided it would be beneficial to do that at every oil change.

 

 

i dont think so

[brims]

These trucks have large master cylinder reservoirs, so if you do not want to waste brake fluid, remove most of the fluid from the master cylinder reservoir prior to bleeding and refill with fresh fluid. The best way is to use a vacuum pump.

 

I believe the 06 has the same or similar master cylinder to the 07+. I just sucked the fluid out of my master cylinder not too long ago and it was almost 1.5 pints if i remember correctly. My dad and I decided it would be beneficial to do that at every oil change.

 

 

i dont think so

 

 

Tell me why. The fluid absorbs moisture, if you replace a large portion of the fluid the with fresh fluid, you have now decreased the moisture content.

[DBVille]

These trucks have large master cylinder reservoirs, so if you do not want to waste brake fluid, remove most of the fluid from the master cylinder reservoir prior to bleeding and refill with fresh fluid. The best way is to use a vacuum pump.

 

I believe the 06 has the same or similar master cylinder to the 07+. I just sucked the fluid out of my master cylinder not too long ago and it was almost 1.5 pints if i remember correctly. My dad and I decided it would be beneficial to do that at every oil change.

 

 

i dont think so

 

 

Tell me why. The fluid absorbs moisture, if you replace a large portion of the fluid the with fresh fluid, you have now decreased the moisture content.

 

 

Because the fluid is not circulated. The moisture absorbed will migrate through the system, but the clean fluid will not, to any real degree. Transmission fluid, where dropping the pan gets 30-50% of the fluid, is circulated, so you have diluted all of it. Here only the fluid in the reservoir.

[Bish]

I flush mine every year. I alternate between the ATE Super Blue and the Gold. Makes it obvious when the old fluid is gone as it will change colors. I also use a motive power bleeder which takes about 10 minutes to do all 4 corners by myself. The fluid will absorb water and water makes rust abd spongy brakes so once a year is cheap insurance IMO.

[kadams]

I flush mine every year. I alternate between the ATE Super Blue and the Gold. Makes it obvious when the old fluid is gone as it will change colors. I also use a motive power bleeder which takes about 10 minutes to do all 4 corners by myself. The fluid will absorb water and water makes rust abd spongy brakes so once a year is cheap insurance IMO.

 

That's why I want to use the Super Blue so that I know when the old stuff is out. So how much fluid do you need, is one bottle enough?

[C & A s Dad]

These trucks have large master cylinder reservoirs, so if you do not want to waste brake fluid, remove most of the fluid from the master cylinder reservoir prior to bleeding and refill with fresh fluid. The best way is to use a vacuum pump.

 

I believe the 06 has the same or similar master cylinder to the 07+. I just sucked the fluid out of my master cylinder not too long ago and it was almost 1.5 pints if i remember correctly. My dad and I decided it would be beneficial to do that at every oil change.

 

 

i dont think so

 

 

Tell me why. The fluid absorbs moisture, if you replace a large portion of the fluid the with fresh fluid, you have now decreased the moisture content.

 

 

Because the fluid is not circulated. The moisture absorbed will migrate through the system, but the clean fluid will not, to any real degree. Transmission fluid, where dropping the pan gets 30-50% of the fluid, is circulated, so you have diluted all of it. Here only the fluid in the reservoir.

 

 

 

Although the fluid is not "circulated" as with trans fluid it certainly does get mixed with the fluid that is in the lines. With each use of the brakes, the fluid is forced into the lines under great presure and is mixed with fluid that is in the lines. I would agree that simply pulling the fluid out of the m cyl is not the same as a complete flush, however I would feel it would have some benefit. I do this myself at least twice a year and there is a clear difference in the color of the fluid being removed and the new fluid.

[Bish]

I flush mine every year. I alternate between the ATE Super Blue and the Gold. Makes it obvious when the old fluid is gone as it will change colors. I also use a motive power bleeder which takes about 10 minutes to do all 4 corners by myself. The fluid will absorb water and water makes rust abd spongy brakes so once a year is cheap insurance IMO.

 

That's why I want to use the Super Blue so that I know when the old stuff is out. So how much fluid do you need, is one bottle enough?

 

 

One should be enough. I have 2 qts of each color on a shelf as I hate to run out. You really don't waste any with the change in color so one should cover you.

[brims]

Although the fluid is not "circulated" as with trans fluid it certainly does get mixed with the fluid that is in the lines. With each use of the brakes, the fluid is forced into the lines under great presure and is mixed with fluid that is in the lines. I would agree that simply pulling the fluid out of the m cyl is not the same as a complete flush, however I would feel it would have some benefit. I do this myself at least twice a year and there is a clear difference in the color of the fluid being removed and the new fluid.

 

I too agree that it's not as good as a complete flush, I never meant to imply that or anything. Just saying it does have benefits as C&S has pointed out, my next oil change I'm planning on doing a flush.

 

I think I get about 3 oil changes a year. So 2 master cylinder fluid replacements and 1 flush isn't bad. It can add up, but at less than $5 a pint, i'm not that worried about the price, especially compared to a complete brake system rebuild.