[Fwd: Brake fluid]

["Tom M. Matthews" <tmmatthews@worldnet.att.net>]

This is second hand off of the M3 list thanks to Eric Dotson, a recent
VR6 to ///M convert...

>I got this from the M3 list.  I think it would be universally applicable to any
>car.  Looks like a much better deal than Ate fluid.
>
>Eric
>
>
>>There was a brake fluid thread going a while back that I had wanted to
>>add this post about Ford Heavy Duty brake fluid to, but I couldn't
>>find it at the time - I just found it, so hopefully better late than
>>never - the only thing is that I've heard it's DOT3HD (?) rather than
>>DOT4 - anyone know exactly what difference that'd make, assuming it's
>>true? From what I know:
>
>DOT Brake Fluid Specs
>- - ---------------------
>
>                    DOT 3  DOT 4  DOT 5 Ford DOT3HD
>                    -----  -----  -----
>Dry Boiling Point   401F   446F   500F   550F
>Wet Boiling Point   284F   311F   356F     ?
>
>Are there other differences? I already know the DOT 5 is silicone
>based and incompatible (another reason to dislike silicone!) with
>glycol based DOT 3 &4.
>
>(Here's some more info on it, the email address for the persons
>posting this back in '96 bounce, so I haven't been able to get any
>info from the horse's mouth.)
>
>>>Just thought I'd add to the thread -- lots'a racers use Ford High
>>>Performance -- doesn't sound as glitsy as Mutul or ATE Super (whatever color
>>>they have now), but it does have a dry boiling point of 550F and is about $4
>>>a pint.  Funny thing is that when I bought it, the Ford parts guy asked if I
>>>was putting it in an Acura or a race car when I said it wasn't for a Ford --
>>>'parently it's a big time secret for you NSX'ers out there too.....  Rumor
>>>has it that it's made by Castrol -- anybody know fur sure?
>>
>>I learned about this when I was on Fordnatics.  Basically, Ford designed
>>one of their full-size trucks with the brake line right next to the
>>exhaust.  People had trouble with this heating the brake fluid too much.
>>So rather than redesign their trucks (and so the solution would help the
>>owners of the few million already built), they made high-temp brake fluid
>>available at relatively inexpensive prices.  Rumor has it that it is
>>really some godawfully expensive European brand repackaged.  Many racers
>>use this.  It's come up among the Mustang crowd, on the autox list,
>>somewhere I remember in the context of BMW's...  Definitely worth a try.
>>I've used it for two years now and it works just as well as the racing fluid I
>>used previously at 1/3 the cost! Works on the track or the street.
>>Ford Part No.  C6AZ-19542-AA
>
>And...
>
>>You have the story right about the Ford Heavy Duty Brake fluid.  The
>>Autocross and racing crowd swear by it.  I have used it in several cars
>>over the last 4 years.  On track I never have got it to go spungy!  Very
>>high boiling point as you said.


Tom M. Matthews
tmmatthews@worldnet.att.net
'95 GTI VR6