[TR] Brake Fluid for TR3A

[Randall]

> I am installing new brake master cylinders in my TR3 and the boxes 
> they came in had the label you can see in the attached photo. 
> What do you make of this?

I have read some reports of new cylinders using materials that are
apparently not compatible with DOT 5; even though the DOT 5 standard says it
is compatible.  I've also read reports of new cylinders being sticky, and
the manufacturer blamed the problem on the use of DOT 5.  So there may be a
reason for the stickers saying not to use DOT 5.  But others have used it
anyway, and had no problem.  So YMMV.

Food for thought : If I were in the business of selling replacement brake
parts, and there was a magic elixir that meant no one would ever buy my
brake parts again; I would look for any reason to discourage people from
drinking the elixir.  I have no proof that has anything to do with the
sticker, "I'm just saying".

But I rebuilt the front calipers that are now on my TR3 over 30 years ago,
and they are still working great today (except for relining the pads
obviously).  I don't know exactly how far I've driven them, but it has to be
well over 200,000 miles of mostly city driving.  And the bleed screws
weren't even stuck when I transferred them from the wrecked TR3A to my
current TR3 in 2008.  Compared to my experiences before that, where I almost
never went more than 2 years without having some sort of brake hydraulic
problem, I consider that incredible.

Another anecdote: I bought a Chevy new in 1980; in 1988 one of the front
calipers started leaking.  I replaced that one caliper with a commercially
rebuilt unit, and switched to DOT 5.  When I junked the car in 2005, the
entire rest of the brake hydraulics were still original!  I literally never
took the cap off the MC again.

I'm not telling anyone what to do; you'll have to make your own decision.
But it has worked great for me.

Probably the biggest disadvantage, from my point of view, is that any trace
of silicone will cause fisheyes in wet paint.  And it's almost impossible to
remove without using a purpose-made solvent.  I spent a long time trying to
paint some wheels before a friend explained it to me, and suggested I use
PPG "Acryli-Clean" (aka DX330) just before painting.  I've also discovered
that if you use compressed air to clean something with silicone on it, the
silicone can form tiny droplets in the air that will contaminate wet paint
even if the surface was clean when you started.

-- Randall