Tip of the Day - Brake fluid

[aposegil 0]

Hello guys

 

Well last firday as my brother pulled into our drive he managed to snap the handbrake cable clean (years of corroding did it) which i had the lovely job of changing lol

 

Anyway once everything had been replaced we went to take the car for a test run and we found that we had no brake pedal responses or feel. It was like pushing on air and the car did not want to stop which isnt good :shock:

 

Trying to find advise to why this would happen all of a sudden I got speaking to Henny and he recomended change of brake fluid before looking at the more expensive things like servo etc.

 

Anyway yesterday I got my finger out and decided to change the fluid on the car (god was the old fluid horrible dark brown/black with crap in it) and put in some nice new ATE DOT4 fluid. and GOD WHAT A DIFFERENCE its made :shock:

 

The car has never had such great brakes in its life, not only are they more responsive but the feedback and feel is amazing you know exactly whats happening everywhere :D

 

So my advise is take 30 mins and bleed those brakes if you havent done it for a while as it does make a huge difference.

 

Next is the corrado but got to do that anyway as ive got my new special calipers ;) to go on and braided lines ;)

 

This would be up there with cheap easy jobs that makes a huge difference along with changing the gearbox oil which i do everyyear on my car :D due to my silly arse driving lol

 

Again big thanx to Henny :D

[PhatVR6 0]

As a rule of thumb, If it doesn't look good enough to drink, then change it.

[aposegil 0]

As a rule of thumb, If it doesn't look good enough to drink, then change it.

 

I wont even ask what u get upto on your nights out on the piss lol :shock: :lol:

[aide 0]

Got the brakes on my list of jobs for the weekend (I was pumping air last week) but never done it before - is it a sinch :?:

 

I though you didn't have to change gearbox oil :?: Might do at same time if it can be done, can't see a plug on bottom of gearbox though :?:

 

Any direction appreciated, ta

[aposegil 0]

Yes it is recomended especially is you like to use the top end of the rev band like i do :D

 

The plug to empy the fluid is at the back/bottom of the gearbox where the two drive shafts are attached to. The re-fill plug is at the fornt of the gearbox and once fluid starts to pour back out means the gearbox is full :) . If you need any advise etc just pm me :)

[aide 0]

Yes it is recomended especially is you like to use the top end of the rev band like i do

 

Is there a low end then :D :D ta

[Henny 0]

Alex, you should have used DOT5.1... :wink: even better results than DOT4, and the added advantage that it's got an even HIGHER boling point, so if anyone accidentally drives around with the handbrake on, it'll not affect it as much next time... ;) :lol:

[aposegil 0]

Alex, you should have used DOT5.1... :wink: even better results than DOT4, and the added advantage that it's got an even HIGHER boling point, so if anyone accidentally drives around with the handbrake on, it'll not affect it as much next time... ;) :lol:

 

lol hell no my bro's polo GT isnt getting the good stuff the 5.1 is for the corrado ;) ;) :D

[Henny 0]

my 1.6 Golf Driver (read as pink shed! ;) ) has DOT 5.1...

[aposegil 0]

well then ur just a show off lol :roll: :lol: :mrgreen: :D

[Henny 0]

nah, I buy in bulk! ;) :lol:

[dazzyvr6 0]

whats the best way to replace the brake fluid??

[aposegil 0]

bleeding it basically

 

i know for non-ABS cars its very easy i usualy start from the furthest pipe from the servo and work back to the shortest but i dont know if that the best way but always seems to work :D

 

for the ABS cars I know on the yahoo group there is a post on how to do it but im not sure on here :( but some one should know how to

[Henny 0]

for ABS Corrados, you can do it exactly the same way, only you need to have your ignition switched on to prime up the ABS pump... 8)

 

don't forget to do the clutch on a Corrado while you're changing the fluid! ;)

[dazzyvr6 0]

could i use the easy bleed system?

[Henny 0]

yeah, but most of the ones I've used in the past have been crap... :| It's much better to have someone to press the pedal for you while you open and close the nipple... 8)

[aposegil 0]

I agree with Henny best way is to have a mate pump the breaks whilst u open and close the nipple

 

I also have a bleeding kit which is a see through rubber pipe with a 1 way valve at the end that works very well :D

[Henny 0]

I also have a bleeding kit which is a see through rubber pipe with a 1 way valve at the end that works very well :D

 

That's an easy bleed kit, Alex... :roll:

 

I actually still use an easy bleed system, but I still get a mate to press the pedal for me as I open and close the nipple 'cos I've found that the valves in the easy bleed kits aren't particularly good... :|

[aposegil 0]

That's an easy bleed kit, Alex... :roll:

 

I know that i was just describing what the kit was lol (some people :roll: ) :lol:

 

I actually still use an easy bleed system, but I still get a mate to press the pedal for me as I open and close the nipple 'cos I've found that the valves in the easy bleed kits aren't particularly good... :|

 

Yep i know what u mean but i usualy have the valve sitting in the old fluid so no air can come back in :D

[coolrado 0]

demon tweeks sell replacement bleed nipples with one way valves built in great if you have no mates :lol: :lol:

[dr_mat 0]

Are you suggesting that blokes with no mates need to buy non-return nipples, or are you suggesting that people who buy non-return nipples wind up with no mates?? :)

[chrishill 0]

can anyone do a 'muppets guide' for doing the brake-fluids? i'm fairly sure mine needs doing, the brakes are really vague! but i really dont know where to start being a mechanical novice. A point by point guide with photos would be useful if anyone who's posted above does theirs soon!

[aposegil 0]

Are you suggesting that blokes with no mates need to buy non-return nipples, or are you suggesting that people who buy non-return nipples wind up with no mates?? :)

 

lol well im not one to answer that lol

 

Also chris like i said in the other post im planning to my corrado brakes in a couple of weeks so if no one post up before me ill do it also i think on the yahoo group there is a post on how to do it already :D

[biggrim 0]

Got mine in to the AA garage joined onto my work today and got them to stick in some 5.1 (F.O.C. I might add) and they could only bleed 3 pipes as the bleeding nipple on the front passenger side had seized. Any tips on how to unseize it without threading anything? I've tried the heat it up method with no sucess. Can't afford anything expansive (brembo's would be great but then i'd need to buy new rims and KA-Ching!) so would like to get this sorted asap. Thanks in advance

[aposegil 0]

the only thing i can thin of is loads of WD40 and just soak it

 

otherwise is getting another caliper :( prob exchange from the like of gsf or eurocarparts