After getting my 12A running after 2 years of storage, I thought it would be a good idea to flush all the old brake fluid out and purge it through with some good clean DOT4. I have no idea what the old stuff was. The old fluid was horrible. Very dark and it even had some solid particles in it. It took 2 quarts to flush everything all the way through the system so I was getting fresh fluid out of the rear and front brakes. I'm sure the car is much happier now. I also feel a whole lot safer.

See the progression of how the fluid changed. It got lighter as I flushed the junk out. I can't believe the old stuff was so bad. I used speed bleeders and used the hose to fill up the bottles so I could see what it looked like.

See the pictures below:

 

Always a good move, brake fluid is hydroscopic which means it absorbs water, which lowers the boiling point, turning the water to steam and then reducing the amount of brake you have. it should be changed every 2 years or 30,000 miles.

Best value fluid is Motorcraft which is 550 degree and cheap. Not for racing though.

 

We do a lot of brake flushes. $60 to clear the system out.

When I first started working at this shop, I noted that we rarely if ever had to replace hydraulics on longtime customers' cars, whereas everywhere else I'd worked, new calipers were a given with pads, wheel cylinders with shoes.

If you don't have a nifty-neato air-powered vacuum pump like ours, you can make a "power flusher" for next to nothing. You need a bike pump, a tire valve, and a spare brake fluid cap. Drill a hole in the cap, pop the tire valve in, put the cap on and pump air into the reservoir with a bleeder open. Don't let the reservoir empty entirely, and don't pump it like crazy. When the reservoir gets low, stop, fill with new fluid, then go around until nothing but clean fluid comes out of each caliper. Done!

It's also a kickass way to bleed the brakes, and the pesky clutch hydraulics too.

 

Saw a thread somewhere here that a weed sprayer can be modified to do that too. Beats the hell out waiting for a friend to show up to help.

 

I installed speed bleeders. Makes it really easy. I have them for the 8 and the 7. Makes flushing them very easy.

 

Wow, that's nasty. I can't wait to see what mine looks like. I'm willing to bet it's the original.

 

I believe what you say about customer's cars peejay. I have got in the habit of changing all the brake fluid whenever I do the brakes on any of my cars. Ever since, I've never had to replace a caliper or wheel cylinder.

That's a kickass idea for a self bleeder. My wife gets sick and tired of coming out an pumping the pedal on the cars.

I've had a few Volkswagons, and to maintain the factory warranty, you are REQUIRED to change the brake fluid every 2 yrs. The dealer doesn't have to do it, but it has to be done. In this particular case, its a reasonable presumption they aren't doing it just to make money like they do for some of the silly things they require.

 

Thanks PeeJay - brilliant idea!!
-and I'm for the speedbleeders too - great tools
-got a LSD rear end going in soon - this will help a lot
Stu Aull
80GS Alaska

 

+1

Probably the original here, too.

 

Yup! And for some reason, she always seemed to get mad at me for some reason when she was helping me with brakes.

 

I need to look into those speed bleeders, beats the hell out of getting your mom to come out and help everytime.

 

I got mine from Raceshopper.com. $12 / pair. The 7 takes SB7100 bleeders.

 

I know the feeling. Its like you're asking for blood or something. If you've ever moved furniture or a 4x8 of wood with your wife, I think its kind of the same thing. You know what I mean - "TURN TO THE OTHER LEFT DAMMIT!"

 

Chased off the wifey a few years back. Now use a vacuum pump to flush/bleed brakes/clutch........ Far more reliable.
I did this on my 83 a few weeks back. Old stuff looked like last weeks coffee............

 

Another thing on my list of things to do with my car...

 

i just cleaned up my brake master cylinder, it looks like it was leaking somewhere.

 

I bought the speed bleeders for my Toyota van. Nice idea, but in order to shut them off tight enough that they wouldn't leak, I really had to crank them down hard. Worried about breaking them off, or maybe not being able to loosen them the next time I need to.

I also bought a set for the 7, but I haven't tried them yet. I might just make a vacuum bleeding system instead...