Brake fluid renewal

Stephen · 2009-03-31T15:27:40+00:00

Hello,I tried to change the brake fluid in a Ford puma at the weekend. I wassurprised that the brake fluid was a straw colour. I read that it iseasy to tell old from new fluid as it becomes darker. If new fluid isstraw coloured, what does old fluid look like?The car had an unknown history and Haynes recommended to change thefluid after two years, which is why I started but the fluid coming outwas just as straw coloured as what went in, so I guess it wasreasonably fresh and I was wasting my time!I couldn't find the capacity in the Haynes book and Ford couldn't tellme either. I guess I changed 500ml. I've now got 500ml left in the 1Lbottle I bought. How long before that becomes useless?What is the best way to dispose of the old stuff? I can ask at my tipbut I guess they'll just tell me to throw it in the non-recyclableskip: that's their standard answer!I did my research here first and there was a worry that the nipplesmight have rusted in place. Three of them had. The fourth was veryshiny so I guess it had been renewed. How do you replace the nipple? Iguess you unscrew it and put the new one in quick, trying not to loosetoo much fluid in between?What's the best way to cure this? Spray penetrating fluid on thenipple to help shift it? Should you put any grease on after wards toprevent it rusting in the future? I was weary about using oil andgrease near the brakes.I found out later that the some brake pipes had been replaced at thelast MOT, so I guess the fluid was changed then (12 months ago). Doyou have to drain down the system to replace the pipes? How does thatwork? (Only for curiosity, I won't be doing that myself!) Would thenipples have rusted up so soon in just one year?The Haynes book said to do the change parked on a level surface. Ithought I had removed the wheels in the past. That's what I had to doto work on those rusted nuts. Was that wrong? I guess if you know where everything is and they move freely, youcould work without removing the wheel or if you had a...

Mar 31, 2009 22 Replies

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Duncan Wood 17 years ago

Antimonys good for you, ask any quack from the middle ages, just dissolve it in abit of mercury 1st.

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Duncan Wood 17 years ago

Yes, & hence they understand the phase diagram for 2 miscible liquids, if you add about 70% water to your brake fluid it'll boil at less than

100degC.

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Eric The Brave 17 years ago

Even less if you're at a high level.

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