No, I think you are a little confused. *Silicone* brake fluid has never
been accused of dissolving seals (or anything else). That is its chief
benefit. DOT 3 or 4 brake fluid is notorious for dissolving paint
everywhere it drips. It has also been known to dissolve the seals on
LBCs, *except* for Castrol GT LMA brand fluid. Why is this? Who knows?
DOT 3 and 4 are performance specs, not materials specs, so it is possible
that Castrol uses a different formulation than Pep Boys, Mechanics Brand,
etc. At any rate, there is plenty of evidence in on this subject, and the
recommendation is clear:
Use exclusively Castrol GT LMA brand DOT 4 brake fluid, *or* completely
flush your system and convert to silicone brake fluid (DOT 5, any brand),
since silicone fluid is incompatible with the other variety.
Note that DOT 5 is not an "improved" spec compared to DOT 4, it is merely
a different chemistry with different benefits. DOT 4 = higher boiling
point; DOT 5 = non-corrosive.
Some people may not have had any trouble with "off-brand" DOT 4 fluid in
their MGs -- if so, congratulations, but be aware that there are many
different sources for brake system rubber components . The next time you
rebuild, you might not be so lucky.
'nuff said!
James Nazarian Jr had this to say:
>I have had dot 5 (silicone) in my brakes and clutch of my mg for about 5
>years now and I haven't had a single problem. My understanding is that
>the original and early replacement seals couldn't stand up to silicone,
>but that the newer replacement seals (within the past 5 years or so) are
>designed with a slightly different compound will have no problems with
>silicone. I don't know the difference in the two kinds of rubber or
>fluids, but I would guess it is related to the same properties that make
>dot 3/4 take off paint and dot 5 prevent paint from bonding. So far I
>haven't had any problems with the silicone, but I think there must be some
>truth to the rumor so I would make sure the seals in m/c and s/c are
>fairly new.
>
>James Nazarian
>'71 B roadster
>'74 BGT bastardization with big aluminum heart :)
>'63 Buick 215 cubic inch 'heart'
>
>On Sat, 28 Aug 1999, Larry Hoy wrote:
>
>> Ken Payne said (in part)
>>
>> > I used AP550 for a while ... and [it] seemed to be harder on some seals.
>>
>> So can anyone tell me about rubber seals?
>>
>> What's the deal with certain brake fluids destroying certain fluids?
>>
>> Is this problem a thing of the past? Some how I gotta think that today's
>> brake rubber parts must be compatable with DOT 3, 4, and 5 brake fluids?
>> Can anyone enlighten me?
>>
>> Larry Hoy
>>
>>
>
>
--
Max Heim
'66 MGB GHN3L76149
If you're near Mountain View, CA,
it's the red one with the silver bootlid.
|