I own a 1979 CJ-5 with a 401 dropped in it. It still has the stock exhaust manifolds. I don't like aftermarket headers: so they will stay ! The problem that I have is after 2-3 hours of 4 wheeling the brake lines heat-up and I lose my brakes. I had this happen while I was near a stream. so to prove the point to myself I cooled the brake lines with water and after that they worked fine again. The flange of the manifold is but a scant 11/2 inches from the bake lines on the frame. will consider all possible solutions.
How do I Keep my brake lines cool ?
Jan 30, 2004
11 Replies
Have your brake lines power-flushed to get all of the old and most likely contaminated brake fluid out. It sounds like you have moisture in your brake fluid.
Jerry
Run DOT 5, it was designed for high temps, and re-route the lines.
Yes what L.W. said, use sheet metal or I have even seen reflective material that is very flexible used too to protect either fuel lines or brake lines. Is there enough air moving that heat out of the brake line area? Maybe you might want to think about that too or rerouting the brake lines away from the heat! :-)
DO NOT USED DOT5!! AFAIK That would require renewing everything in your system due to a chemical interaction with the "stock" fluid. DOT 5 is supposedly great for cars you store for many years, but not the greatest for your daily ride. I even think it is illegal in some racing vehicles and I think their brakes get very very hot! Definitely use a quality DOT 4 and flush well! I think Castrol might be a good brand to use.
JMHO dave AKA vwdoc1
You know.. you just KNOW I can't pass this up.
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Cross drilled brake lines!
Actually, there is no chemical interaction, they won't intermix at all. Changing to DOT 5 properly requires a complete overhaul of the brake hydraulic system and flushing the lines with alcohol, MEK etc. Merely flushing the system out with 5 will leave small pockets of the original DOT
3-4 which hold moisture and corrode. DOT 5 conversion eliminates the cause of most Hydraulic failures, corrosion pitting in the bores. I run it in my vehicles, and in all that I have restored that use hydraulic brakes. Like any other brake fluid, it should be flushed annually, or more often if you play in a lot of mud or water. It seems perfect for a vehicle that crosses creeks. DOT 5 was formulated specifically for racing and extreme temperatures.How many drivers flush their brake fluid annually?
Tom
Maybe it was the corrosion that I was told about, and hmmm I thought corrosion was a chemical reaction. :-)
I have a friend who works for USPS as a vehicle technician in CA. He was one of the techs that changed over the brake fluid systems over to DOT 5 and also had to correct the damage that it did to the systems within the year of the changeover. He laughed and said "good job security." AFAIK The military uses DOT 5 more than most.
Porsche Club of America
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doesnot recommend DOT 5 and states "Silicone (DOT 5) is not recommended forstreet or track use." other sites to read:
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Initially DOT 5 has a higher boiling point that DOT 3 and DOT
4.............but........ You really want to go here and read about a little water lowing the boiling point more with DOT 5 than with either DOT 3 or DOT 4. 8^o
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READ HERE TOO:
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Motorspot talks with Mr. Dave Wolman of Motul USA" I do not recommend silicone brake fluids at all. They are fine for a carthat is not pushed very hard. One nice thing about silicone is that if youhave a leak, it won't eat up the paint. On the other hand, when siliconegets warm it starts to be compressible. It is one of the few fluids in theworld that is actually compressible as it gets hot. When you near what theboiling point is of silicone brake fluid, it actually has becomecompressible and you lose your brakes." Now there may be a DOT 5.1 that might be compatible with DOT 3 and DOT 4, but with a higher boiling point! Most DOT 5 fluid has a higher temp rating than the typical DOT 4 fluid you buy off-the-shelf. But maybe you can find 650+(?) DOT 4 in racing type stores.
Be safe! later, dave
IIRC In most manuals it states that flushing the brake fluid every two years is recommended! Some people actually follow the manufacturers recommendations. One day or should I say one year I will flush mine too. lol later, dave AKA vwdoc1
mabar did pass the time by typing:
Not yearly, but once every three years I vacuum bleed the system on my ZJ. Tales about one large bottle of brake fluid and twenty so minutes. Do it the same time I check/adjust the whole system and throw a micrometer on the pads/drums.
Failure to go isn't a problem.. failure to stop is. :)
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