[Fot] Brake Fluid temps

[Kramer, Robert]

With all this talk about hub temps I thought I'd bring up the question of
brake fluid temps. We did a 24 Hours of Lemon's race and I learned that I need
a higher temp brake fluid for that type of racing. I have mostly used the
Castrol LMA fluid which has worked fine for me in the 20 to 30 minute races I
do, but we encountered severe brake fade in the Lemon's car.

I found this information on the webpage listed below while researching the
matter and I thought it might be of interest to others on the list. The wet
boiling point attracted my interest as I think the brand new quart bottle I
used was on my shelf for a while and they say the bottles don't resist
moisture. Hmmm! I have a bottle of Lucas 550 Hi Temp fluid on my shelf that I
have been saving. I should have used it because it is getting old and probably
absorbed moisture through its plastic bottle. Anyhow if this interests you
look up:

http://www.shotimes.com/SHO3brakefluid.html

Snipped:

Fluid 			DRY 	WET

Castrol LMA DOT 3/4 	446 	311
Ford Heavy Duty DOT 3  	550 	290
ATE Super Blue Racing 	536 	392
ATE TYP 200 		536 	392
Motul Racing 600 		585 	421
Castrol SRF 		590 	518
Performance Friction 	550 	284


Castrol LMA is very good at rejecting moisture and may be kept in your brake
system for a couple years.  The LMA stands for "Low Moisture Activity".  This
is the minimum quality stuff that I would use in my Impala.  It comes in
plastic containers which do not have a long shelf life.  Don't buy lots of
this stuff at a time because moisture can make its way through the plastic
containers.

Ford Heavy Duty DOT 3 is VERY inexpensive and is popular among racers because
of its excellent dry boiling point.  It absorbs moisture quickly, but the
racers don't care since they change their fluid frequently.  Comes in metal
cans so it may be stored.  I would not use this in my Impala for the street.

ATE Super Blue Racing and ATE TYP 200 are the same brake fluid in two
different colors (blue and amber, respectively).  BMW recommends this brake
fluid for their street cars because it, like Castrol LMA, absorbs moisture
very slowly.  The advantage over LMA is that ATE has a much better wet boiling
point.  You can put this stuff in your car and forget about it for a long
time.  An excellent choice for a weekend track car which also sees regular
street duty.  Comes in metal cans.  This is what I use in all my street cars.

Motul Racing 600 is a very exotic and expensive synthetic fluid with high wet
and dry boiling points.  I use this exclusively in my race cars.  Too
expensive for the street and requires frequent changing due to its hygroscopic
nature.  Sold in plastic bottles. It is not suitable for the street because it
absorbs moisture quickly.

Castrol SRF is a hyper-exotic and hyper-expensive brake fluid that is
generally used by wealthy Porsche owners at track events.  I've seen prices of
$78 per liter for this stuff.  Sold in metal cans.  I can't afford this stuff!

Performance Friction High Performance DOT 3 has a good dry boiling point but a
crummy wet boiling point.  It comes in metal cans which is good for shelf life
and sells for $7.87 per 16 ounce container.  If you are even considering this
fluid, I would go with the cheaper Ford Heavy Duty DOT 3.  In either case,
change this fluid frequently due to the poor wet boiling point.

Bob Kramer
Sales Manager
RDO Equipment Company
16415 N. IH 35
Pflugerville, TX 78660
512-272-4141 Office
512-657-8526 Cell
Dream big dreams, but never forget that realistic short-term goals are the
keys to your success.
~Mac Anderson