| Author | Message | ||
     Safetybob |
After work tonight I am going to the dealer to buy the rebuild kit for the brakes but wanted to get others thoughts. On the brake covers my 98 Buell s1 says DOT 5. I know the difference between 3,4,5, and 5.1. When I opened the covers there was an oil like substance in the reservoir and some crstyline like black material. Obviously not good. The color of the fluid was yellowish brownish. I thought DOT 5 was always purple? Did the previous owner put in the wrong fluid? Or did the DOT 5 first come out as a clear yellowish as dot3-4? Either way I am going to rebuild the calipers just to ensure I can stop my big butt. And the brakes are not that great so not a bad idea to rebuild anyway. For those following the no go after the 2000RPM I did re-jet with the 200 after got the needle tube in the correct way and the 200 mj works great!. Next on the list is rocker box gaskets and front fork seals then I think just about everything on this bike will be ready for some serious fun. | ||
| Kyrocket |
There was a long discussion about 4 and 5 on here earlier if you can find it in the archives. The final word was DO NOT use 4 in place of 5. If you have that goop in there I'd drain it and start over. It's a pain in the butt I know, I've done it, but well worth the knowledge and peace of mind. | ||
| Tweekin2 |
Anyone have any information re: the color of the fluid? I had to bleed my brakes after swapping on an USD fork on my M2. Need to top off the fluid, but mention of a purple color has me scratching my head about what the last guy put in there. | ||
| Jayvee |
My DOT 5 is almost clear, just the slightest tinge of yellowish. May be better not to 'top off' an unknown type, but just drain and replace. | ||
| Tdman77 |
DOT 5 is purple in color when new. But it will turn almost the same color as DOT 4 for after a few months. The only way to be sure is to drain the entire system and refill with the correct fluid. (You should be doing that at the begining of every riding season anyways!) | ||
| Kyrocket |
A little light reading for you Safetybob... http://www.badweatherbikers.com/buell/messages/384 2/161070.html http://www.badweatherbikers.com/buell/messages/476 23/289899.html It's been alot longer than I thought since we discussed this topic. Time flies when you're having kids. | ||
| Mick |
Mines an 02 and its Dot4 ,earlier ones were Dot5, I think 00 and earlier correct me if I'm wrong. Don't use the wrong Dot tho,it'll stuff seals ect. | ||
| Pkforbes87 |
both my '00 and '02 show a different dot on the master cylinder cap than in the manual. can't remember for sure which dot is recommended where, but I have both the '00 and the '02 manual and the recommendation doesn't match the label on either bike. I have always used whatever the label on the master cylinder says. Someone told me that DOT5 won't harm paint or powdercoat like other brake fluids.. is that true? | ||
| Loki |
I gave up on the DOT 5 and now use DOT 4. The 5 can be hard to find at times. One thing to note, Do not use 5 in a system not rated for it. It will eat seals and other little rubber parts. | ||
| Safetybob |
Thanks for the comments. A little background, I recently purchased this bike 4-6 weeks ago, and have been getting it ready to ride/ track day etc. It is my project bike it had sat for 6 years and so I am going through every last nut and bolt and replacing and fixing stuff. using a lot of lock-tight, and soon to be safety wire. I got the motor jetted correctly (wouldn't run) and it is working great now, new fluids and such but they leak :-) so tonight is new rocker box gaskets, and replaced wires plugs, battery, and new fork seals come in next week and new fluid for the forks as well, and new brake pads and replacing the fluid on the brakes. Not a big pain to do the fluid change. I have a compressed vacuum brake bleeder just was curious about the color of the DOT after 6 years if it would go to the clear/ yellowish or if someone put dot 5.1 in place of the 5 thinking it was the same stuff. I am replacing the brake seals due to the front brake works and is not leaking, but it is really tough to stop compared to others so with the oil crap in the reservoir I was thinking that the seals were eaten a little the DOT 5 is silicone base and if you put the 5.1 (basically the same as 4) it will eat the seals. So going to replace the fluid and seals just to be sure. I had one bike that lost brakes and I do not want to go through that again. But I was not sure if the DOT 5 purple color dissipates. Or if the first generation DOT 5 was a clear yellow when it was first manufactured before they went to a color differential. I know do not mix DOT 4/ 5.1 and DOT 5 silicone based. Doing so can create a gel and or eat seals etc. going from one system to the other hence replacing the seals anyway just for peace of mind. And I know the previous owner did nothing to the bike other than put gas in it and ride. He did have the service done through some others but I doubt the brakes have ever been touched... I know HD / Buell changed back and forth for a few years around the 98-02 timeframe. I know it is DOT 5 on my bike. Again thanks for the thoughts. So should I suck denatured alcohol through the system to clean everything nicely up? that's my thinking but I have been wrong before..... | ||
| Tdman77 |
Putting new seals in the brake system is a good idea since you just don't know what was in there. If you flush the system with alcohol make sure to get it all out of the system. I would run 2-3 reservoir full of brake fluid thru the system b4 closing it up. | ||
| Tweekin2 |
I have never used a vacuum bleeder like mentioned earlier, anyone have a favorite? This should be a one banana on a scale of 5 right? Also, the mention of mixing fluids can wear out seals, other than leaks somewhere, what do I need to be worried about by draining/replacing the fluid for what is called for the on the res. cover? | ||
| Safetybob |
I really like my compressed air Vacuum bleeder. It is a mityvac 6830 makes a really quick job out of brakes and makes it truly a one person job. Tdman my thoughts exactly pulling several reservoirs through after the alcohol is sucked through and some time for evaporation while I rebuild the caliper. |
