Brake fluid change for my 1st HPDE?
07-23-2007, 06:50 PM
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Brake fluid change for my 1st HPDE?
I have finally committed to do my very 1st HPDE @Gingerman Raceway in MI on 7-30, with CGI Motorsports. Been wanting to do this for such a long time, but never had the nerve to pull the trigger until now. Taking my 2 sons, 20 and 18. They'll be driving their own cars, and I in mine. I'm more excited about doing this with my kids than I think I've ever been!
My question is how many oz of brake fluid do I need to change out the brake fluid in my C6? I'm probably not even saying it right, but you get the idea. Is that called a flush? If anyone else from the CF is going, be sure to say hello.
My question is how many oz of brake fluid do I need to change out the brake fluid in my C6? I'm probably not even saying it right, but you get the idea. Is that called a flush? If anyone else from the CF is going, be sure to say hello.
Last edited by Goodwood; 07-23-2007 at 07:32 PM.
07-23-2007, 07:00 PM
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I have finally committed to do my very 1st HPDE @Gingerman Raceway in MI on 7-30, with CGI Motorsports. Been wanting to do this for such a long time, but never had the nerve to pull the trigger until now. Taking my 2 sons, 20 and 18. They'll be driving their own cars, and I in mine. I'm more excited about doing this with my kids than I think I've even been!
HPDEs are just like Potato chips. You cant have just one. 
My question is how many oz of brake fluid do I need to change out the brake fluid in my C6? I'm probably not even saying it right, but you get the idea. Is that called a flush? If anyone else from the CF is going, be sure to say hello.
07-23-2007, 07:20 PM
#3
Drifting
I have finally committed to do my very 1st HPDE @Gingerman Raceway in MI on 7-30, with CGI Motorsports. Been wanting to do this for such a long time, but never had the nerve to pull the trigger until now. Taking my 2 sons, 20 and 18. They'll be driving their own cars, and I in mine. I'm more excited about doing this with my kids than I think I've even been!
My question is how many oz of brake fluid do I need to change out the brake fluid in my C6? I'm probably not even saying it right, but you get the idea. Is that called a flush? If anyone else from the CF is going, be sure to say hello.
My question is how many oz of brake fluid do I need to change out the brake fluid in my C6? I'm probably not even saying it right, but you get the idea. Is that called a flush? If anyone else from the CF is going, be sure to say hello.
Congrats. Welcome to a great group of folks.
2 bottles (it generally comes in pint bottles) should be plenty for a brake flush. So you'll need 6 bottles to flush the brakes on all 3 cars.
I hope you are going to use a good quality brake fluid, not the cheapest thing you find at the parts store, right? Read the labels, and look for the highest boiling points you can find. The good stuff will be a little more expensive, but what is it worth to you to avoid severe brake fade near the end of the HPDE day?
If you can find it, I would recommend Motul RBF600 (a great fluid at a very reasonable price). Others on this forum would also recommend Castrol SRF or Ford 'Blue'. (Both are much more expensive than Motul and provide only a little better performance.) No Synthetics as they will not mix with even the slightest bit of the non-synthetic fluid currently in your brake systems.
07-23-2007, 07:44 PM
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Congrats you will love it. WARNING WARNING Will Robertson HPDEs are just like Potato chips. You cant have just one.
Full flush. Get two bottles of DOT 4 per car. Get all the old brake fluid out of the lines, calipers and the MC. The MC the fluid can be sucked out with a turkey baster or 50 cc surange ( used to mix gas and oil ) from Lowes or Homedepot.
HPDEs are just like Potato chips. You cant have just one. Full flush. Get two bottles of DOT 4 per car. Get all the old brake fluid out of the lines, calipers and the MC. The MC the fluid can be sucked out with a turkey baster or 50 cc surange ( used to mix gas and oil ) from Lowes or Homedepot.
Congrats. Welcome to a great group of folks.
2 bottles (it generally comes in pint bottles) should be plenty for a brake flush. So you'll need 6 bottles to flush the brakes on all 3 cars.
I hope you are going to use a good quality brake fluid, not the cheapest thing you find at the parts store, right? Read the labels, and look for the highest boiling points you can find. The good stuff will be a little more expensive, but what is it worth to you to avoid severe brake fade near the end of the HPDE day?
If you can find it, I would recommend Motul RBF600 (a great fluid at a very reasonable price). Others on this forum would also recommend Castrol SRF or Ford 'Blue'. (Both are much more expensive than Motul and provide only a little better performance.) No Synthetics as they will not mix with even the slightest bit of the non-synthetic fluid currently in your brake systems.
2 bottles (it generally comes in pint bottles) should be plenty for a brake flush. So you'll need 6 bottles to flush the brakes on all 3 cars.
I hope you are going to use a good quality brake fluid, not the cheapest thing you find at the parts store, right? Read the labels, and look for the highest boiling points you can find. The good stuff will be a little more expensive, but what is it worth to you to avoid severe brake fade near the end of the HPDE day?
If you can find it, I would recommend Motul RBF600 (a great fluid at a very reasonable price). Others on this forum would also recommend Castrol SRF or Ford 'Blue'. (Both are much more expensive than Motul and provide only a little better performance.) No Synthetics as they will not mix with even the slightest bit of the non-synthetic fluid currently in your brake systems.
07-23-2007, 08:22 PM
#5
Drifting
07-23-2007, 10:13 PM
#6
Melting Slicks
07-23-2007, 10:28 PM
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Corvette 98-05 is the newest
If you can get them in time, Speedbleeders would really make the job easier. www.speedbleeder.com
07-23-2007, 11:43 PM
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Melting Slicks
07-24-2007, 12:00 AM
#9
Drifting
If you can find it, I would recommend Motul RBF600 (a great fluid at a very reasonable price). Others on this forum would also recommend Castrol SRF or Ford 'Blue'. (Both are much more expensive than Motul and provide only a little better performance.) No Synthetics as they will not mix with even the slightest bit of the non-synthetic fluid currently in your brake systems.
Didn't you mean "Silicone", rather than synthetic.
Anyway silcone is junk, gives a spongy pedal and will not mix with anything.
Virtually all the DOT 4 fluids are all compatible with very few exceptions. Just read the can. Castrol LMA & Valvoline Syntech are only about $3 a pint, available everywhere and really pretty decent brake fluids, especially for your first DE. You can do better on dry boiling point for more money, but for example, using Castrol SRF does not make you immune from brake bleeding or boiling the fluid, but it does cost about $70 per litre.
07-24-2007, 10:45 AM
#10
Drifting
For your first DE, fresh fluid is way, way more important that type, IMO. That said, DOT 4 is a fine and easy upgrade to your braking system. I'm using Motul 600. Best price I've seen is around $13/pint, worst around $16.50. Cheap insurance.
One of the things you will learn is awareness of your car, and how to adapt to change. Stock brakes can fade at DEs, so be aware of it and ready to compensate. No fluid in the world will change that, especially if you brake aggressively. I also know folks that have had zero issues with brakes at many, many DEs. It's very driver-dependant.
One of the things you will learn is awareness of your car, and how to adapt to change. Stock brakes can fade at DEs, so be aware of it and ready to compensate. No fluid in the world will change that, especially if you brake aggressively. I also know folks that have had zero issues with brakes at many, many DEs. It's very driver-dependant.
07-24-2007, 12:07 PM
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Lot's of preparation
Even got everyone a G-Force helmet, Apex gloves and some Piloti shoes for myself from Apex Performance.
Let's hope we do this more than once!Didn't you mean "Silicone", rather than synthetic.
Anyway silcone is junk, gives a spongy pedal and will not mix with anything.
Virtually all the DOT 4 fluids are all compatible with very few exceptions. Just read the can. Castrol LMA & Valvoline Syntech are only about $3 a pint, available everywhere and really pretty decent brake fluids, especially for your first DE. You can do better on dry boiling point for more money, but for example, using Castrol SRF does not make you immune from brake bleeding or boiling the fluid, but it does cost about $70 per litre.
Anyway silcone is junk, gives a spongy pedal and will not mix with anything.
Virtually all the DOT 4 fluids are all compatible with very few exceptions. Just read the can. Castrol LMA & Valvoline Syntech are only about $3 a pint, available everywhere and really pretty decent brake fluids, especially for your first DE. You can do better on dry boiling point for more money, but for example, using Castrol SRF does not make you immune from brake bleeding or boiling the fluid, but it does cost about $70 per litre.
For your first DE, fresh fluid is way, way more important that type, IMO. That said, DOT 4 is a fine and easy upgrade to your braking system. I'm using Motul 600. Best price I've seen is around $13/pint, worst around $16.50. Cheap insurance.
One of the things you will learn is awareness of your car, and how to adapt to change. Stock brakes can fade at DEs, so be aware of it and ready to compensate. No fluid in the world will change that, especially if you brake aggressively. I also know folks that have had zero issues with brakes at many, many DEs. It's very driver-dependant.
One of the things you will learn is awareness of your car, and how to adapt to change. Stock brakes can fade at DEs, so be aware of it and ready to compensate. No fluid in the world will change that, especially if you brake aggressively. I also know folks that have had zero issues with brakes at many, many DEs. It's very driver-dependant.
07-24-2007, 12:21 PM
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Gingerman is notoriously hard on brakes. Novices are often harder on brakes than pro's / advanced students, because they drag the brakes more, brake less efficiently / build more heat.
Enjoy your first track day - what a great idea to take your sons and have a family day. Listen to your instructors and concentrate on being SMOOTH - not fast and you'll have way more fun by the end of the day.
Enjoy your first track day - what a great idea to take your sons and have a family day. Listen to your instructors and concentrate on being SMOOTH - not fast and you'll have way more fun by the end of the day.
07-24-2007, 01:23 PM
#14
Safety Car
Friendly advice from someone with pain&experience:
Once you have completed the bleed on your 2005 you are not done. You need to go out, excercise the brakes hard for a while (get the ABS working several times) and go rebleed. Even a tiny amount of old dot 3 brake fluid will boil on you under track conditions.
It is not enough to go to your mechanic and ask him to bleed the brakes using a tech 2 (well, it might be if he was dilgent at his job--but mine was not). You need to engage the ABS are re-bleed yourself.
Once you have completed the bleed on your 2005 you are not done. You need to go out, excercise the brakes hard for a while (get the ABS working several times) and go rebleed. Even a tiny amount of old dot 3 brake fluid will boil on you under track conditions.
It is not enough to go to your mechanic and ask him to bleed the brakes using a tech 2 (well, it might be if he was dilgent at his job--but mine was not). You need to engage the ABS are re-bleed yourself.
