Silicone Brake Fluid

[dave]

anyone use it?

"Used exclusively by the US Military and specified as standard by Harley Davidson. Non-toxic and long-life, silicone fluid is safer and more user-friendly than glycol. It never needs changing, will not catch fire easily and does not damage paintwork; neither will it boil below 260?C (500?F), even after 5 years. Non-hygroscopic (i.e. will not pick up moisture, thus reducing corrosion), silicone fluid retains a virtually stable viscosity through most temperature extremes."

 

[D4nny8oy]

From what I've read from other sources it's hit and miss. I've got an article somewhere, so I'm doing this from memory-

Yes it doesn't absorb moisture and degrade over time, but even when new it compresses slightly giving a slightly spongy pedal.

You have to fully remove all traces of the original DOT 4 fluid as they cannot be mixed, and I seem to recall there may be an issue with the system's seals needing changing to be compatible.

I'll have a look later to confirm though.

 

[dave]

will i get less brake fade?

 

[D4nny8oy]

What'ya know, my memory is pretty good-

[ame]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DOT_5[/ame]

will i get less brake fade?

Depends on what sort of fade you're getting. Is the fluid boiling- creating air pockets and a spongy pedal, or is it a build-up of gass between the pad and disc surfaces reducing the contact? Different problems have different solutions.

I've always been told, brake fluid-wise, to avoid DOT 5 and upgrade to DOT 5.1 when DOT 4 isn't enough-

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DOT_5.1

 

[dave]

dunno got 20 groove disks an green stuff pads with braided front hoses.
dont think my fluid is boiling

 

[maddogmorg]

dunno got 20 groove disks an green stuff pads with braided front hoses.
dont think my fluid is boiling

how fresh is the fluid?

 

[Citizen Smith]

Silicone brake fluid must not be used in systems with ABS as the hydraulic pump cannot work properly due to the properties of silicone fluid.

 

[dave]

how fresh is the fluid?

about a year or so old

 

[DaveMcT]

about a year or so old

Standard brake fluid should be changed every 2 years.

But, high performance brakes run cooler than standard brakes. Less heat gets through to the caliper pistons, so moisture isnt evaporated from the seals. Unless the brakes are regularly used hard it might be wise to change the fluid more often. 12 months is a better bet with posh pads.

Braided hoses give a harder pedal feel but don't increase braking power.

 

[dave]

i adjusted my rear brakes by hand an now the fade is a lot less