Which Brake Fluid to Use?

silverSurfer · 11-09-2000, 06:22 PM

Hey all!

I finally got my x-drilled rotors from the KVR GB. I sent them out to get Cryo'd and they should be back by next week. I'm ordering the S/S Braided Lines and CarbonFiber brake pads for both front and rears from SPO. (The darn GB for the KVR pads wasn't fast enuf!

) So in about 2 weeks I'll put it all in the GT. (Shaweet!

)

So question is: what DOT4 Fluid do you all recommend? I put Castrol (regular) DOT4 fluid in my last car. I'm probably not gonna exceed the specs for boiling temp am I? Or will I when i go Auto-xing?
Should I just splurge for the good stuff or unnecessary?

-chrisC

* Registered users of the site do not see these ads.

Eric SS · 11-09-2000, 06:58 PM

I would Use "Super Blue Racing". It can handle pretty much anything you can throw at it but costs a third of what Castrol SRF does.
Eric

GTBGUY · 11-09-2000, 08:43 PM

Chris - you do realize that the so called "Carbon Fibre" pads from SPO are only Semi-metallics which contain minute traces of Carbon Fibre right? They are made by Eurorotor if I'm not mistaken. Those are suppose to be "OEM-upgrade" pads, not a full fledge performance street pad like the KVR Carbon Fibre pads or EBC's etc.

Ben · 11-09-2000, 09:37 PM

I just order 3 bottles of Motul 600 brake fliuds and a set of EBC greed stuff and a set of Goodridge SS line and a slot disc for my 92 Legacy turbo.

silverSurfer · 11-09-2000, 09:42 PM

WHeeellp guess i'm buying EBC Greens then for my fronts. I'll prob still buy the SPO rears. Unless anyone know of other suggestions? What has anyone else bought for their rears?

-C

STiShawn · 11-10-2000, 06:48 AM

Super Blue all the way, the Castorol LM is good, but pricey and a poor deal compared to the blue.

XT6Wagon · 11-12-2000, 09:50 PM

Ford HD fluid is one of the best, and lower budget race teams use it on thier racecars.

I may actualy switch to the Ford from the supposedly superior castrol I have now, as a day on the track absolutely murdered the fluid.

Thug · 11-13-2000, 08:30 AM

I second ATE Super Blue.

omahasubaru · 11-13-2000, 09:14 AM

Where can one obtain this Super Blue stuff at??

silverSurfer · 11-13-2000, 10:04 AM

who's the manufacturer for it?

-chrisC

boxerman · 11-13-2000, 10:56 AM

ATE makes superblue, They are an OEM rotor caliper supplier in Europe. They also make a heavy duty DOT fluid which has the exact same specs as Superblue, but is yellow like ordinary brake fluid. The US DOT requires that highway legal brake fluid be yellow (that's right, although I have never heard of anyone getting ticketed or failing inspection for using super blue). I have also heard good things about the Ford HD fluid. I once saw someone post the specs for many of the competitive brake fluids and the Ford fluid was right up there.

Tim

Eric SS · 11-13-2000, 02:42 PM

"Exotic Muscle" in Tempe, AZ has Super blue and they are mail order.

480-967-4222

Eric

Tell them Eric Swannie recommended them

Rajah · 11-14-2000, 07:55 AM

Or you can go out to the local auto shop and pick up some Castrol GT-LMA. Excellent stuff! Came highly recommended to me by my mechanic (race team mechanic).

skidplatez · 11-14-2000, 08:15 AM

what about valvoline synthetic it has a higher wet and dry boiling point than castrol LMA
dry 513
wet 333
http://www.valvoline.com/products/pr...asp?Product=48

anerd · 02-01-2001, 03:25 PM

way after the fact but here; http://www57.pair.com/lane/bfluid.htm
"ATE Type 200 and Super Blue are not only the cheapest of the performance brake fluids, they are also the cheapest per degree of boil protection, and have a very high 6-month BP estimate. In addition you can alternate with each change and the color difference will tell you when you're done. Available from ogracing.com"
also note "AP600 is not compatibile with any other fluid." So don't try and mix with another fluid, you have to do a complete flush/replacement of previous fluid (if it was not AP600).

Patrick Olsen · 02-01-2001, 04:32 PM

Well, heck, I'll also join in way after the fact on this. The Ford HD fluid is no longer around as far as I know. However, Performance Friction Z fluid is/was the exact same stuff with a different label on it. The Ford HD fluid has a very good dry boiling point, but its wet BP is pretty low.

I'm now using Castrol Synthetic, available just about anywhere for a good price. It has a much higher wet boiling point than the Ford HD. (I vaguely recall reading somewhere that you should really go more by the wet boiling point than the dry, because as soon as you open the can you can assume the fluid absorbed at least a little bit of moisture).

Pat Olsen
'97 Legacy 2.5GT sedan

anerd · 02-01-2001, 04:38 PM

just follow the link I posted above. Look at the BP after 3 and 6 months. Also check the wet BP. If you change your brake fluid at 3 months, that the column for you. Then check pricing (the pricing on the page is probably out of date). For 6 month bp, the ATE superblue is still in the lead based on the price.

silverSurfer · 02-02-2001, 12:12 AM

okie since we're doing this way after the fact thing....hehe I had decided to go with the new NEO Super DOT4 fluid. I purchased it from SPOMotorsports. I had Metric Subaru install my s/s braided lines, and flush the brake fluid and use that instead. Overall- I am definately quite pleased!

Very nice response, the pedal is nice and firm to the touch.

Thanks y'all for your help!

-chrisC

Patrick Olsen · 02-02-2001, 05:49 AM

That's some good info, anerd. I hadn't checked out that link last night.

I've heard very good things about the ATE, and may try that before I hit the track again, but that chart is a bit misleading on price. From what I've seen on-line, the ATE costs about $8.50 a liter, and Motul 600 is available for about $10 a liter. The Motul has significantly better dry and wet BPs. I vaguely recall reading somewhere that Motul absorbs fluid quicker than some of the other fluids out there, so that would be one downer (if it is true, of course).

Pat Olsen
'97 Legacy 2.5GT sedan

Gambit · 02-02-2001, 06:54 AM

Anyone know the brand of our stock brake fluid?

Strepto · 02-02-2001, 01:10 PM

as long as they were never openned I would assume they're ok. No way of getting moisture into a completely sealed container

anerd · 02-03-2001, 12:27 AM

I just wonder if the 2 quarts of superblue I got early last year is still any good. I did not get a chance to install my new braided brake lines and new fluid before the car got crunched.
The 2 cans are still in the original shipping box, with the packing paper. Do you think its still good? Never opened.

11-09-2000, 06:22 PM	#1
silverSurfer Scooby Specialist Member#: 1361 Join Date: Apr 2000 Chapter/Region: Tri-State Location: Used to be Long Island/NYC... Vehicle: 1999 Legacy GT Ltd. 2006 Rav4 Sport Silvarrr	Which Brake Fluid to Use? Hey all! I finally got my x-drilled rotors from the KVR GB. I sent them out to get Cryo'd and they should be back by next week. I'm ordering the S/S Braided Lines and CarbonFiber brake pads for both front and rears from SPO. (The darn GB for the KVR pads wasn't fast enuf! ) So in about 2 weeks I'll put it all in the GT. (Shaweet! ) So question is: what DOT4 Fluid do you all recommend? I put Castrol (regular) DOT4 fluid in my last car. I'm probably not gonna exceed the specs for boiling temp am I? Or will I when i go Auto-xing? Should I just splurge for the good stuff or unnecessary? -chrisC * Registered users of the site do not see these ads.

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11-09-2000, 06:58 PM	#2
Eric SS Sooby Guru Member#: 1914 Join Date: Jul 2000 Chapter/Region: SWIC Location: 2013 335i, 2011 G37 coupe Vehicle: 2000 2.5RS w/ EJ22T swap and N20. gone. : (	I would Use "Super Blue Racing". It can handle pretty much anything you can throw at it but costs a third of what Castrol SRF does. Eric

11-09-2000, 08:43 PM	#3
GTBGUY Scooby Specialist Member#: 2003 Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Calgary, Alberta, Canada Vehicle: '99 BGP Legacy GT '98 QS Legacy L (auto)	Chris - you do realize that the so called "Carbon Fibre" pads from SPO are only Semi-metallics which contain minute traces of Carbon Fibre right? They are made by Eurorotor if I'm not mistaken. Those are suppose to be "OEM-upgrade" pads, not a full fledge performance street pad like the KVR Carbon Fibre pads or EBC's etc.

11-09-2000, 09:37 PM	#4
Ben Scooby Newbie Member#: 423 Join Date: Oct 1999 Chapter/Region: E. Canada Location: Markham, Ont , Canada Vehicle: 2002 WRX wagon Silver	I just order 3 bottles of Motul 600 brake fliuds and a set of EBC greed stuff and a set of Goodridge SS line and a slot disc for my 92 Legacy turbo.

11-09-2000, 09:42 PM	#5
silverSurfer Scooby Specialist Member#: 1361 Join Date: Apr 2000 Chapter/Region: Tri-State Location: Used to be Long Island/NYC... Vehicle: 1999 Legacy GT Ltd. 2006 Rav4 Sport Silvarrr	WHeeellp guess i'm buying EBC Greens then for my fronts. I'll prob still buy the SPO rears. Unless anyone know of other suggestions? What has anyone else bought for their rears? -C

11-10-2000, 06:48 AM	#6
STiShawn Scooby Specialist Member#: 2348 Join Date: Sep 2000 Chapter/Region: MWSOC Location: St.Louis Vehicle: 2006 WRX TR Steel Grey Metallic	Super Blue all the way, the Castorol LM is good, but pricey and a poor deal compared to the blue.

11-12-2000, 09:50 PM	#7
XT6Wagon Scooby Specialist Member#: 524 Join Date: Nov 1999 Location: WA Vehicle: 04 STi White	Ford HD fluid is one of the best, and lower budget race teams use it on thier racecars. I may actualy switch to the Ford from the supposedly superior castrol I have now, as a day on the track absolutely murdered the fluid.

11-13-2000, 08:30 AM	#8
Thug Choke Artist Moderator Member#: 603 Join Date: Dec 1999 Chapter/Region: NESIC Location: Nashua, NH	I second ATE Super Blue.

11-13-2000, 09:14 AM	#9
omahasubaru Scooby Guru Member#: 1594 Join Date: Jun 2000 Chapter/Region: MWSOC Location: Gretna, NE Vehicle: 1995 WRX 2011 WRX	Where can one obtain this Super Blue stuff at??

11-13-2000, 10:04 AM	#10
silverSurfer Scooby Specialist Member#: 1361 Join Date: Apr 2000 Chapter/Region: Tri-State Location: Used to be Long Island/NYC... Vehicle: 1999 Legacy GT Ltd. 2006 Rav4 Sport Silvarrr	who's the manufacturer for it? -chrisC

11-13-2000, 10:56 AM	#11
boxerman Scooby Newbie Member#: 644 Join Date: Dec 1999 Location: Hoboken, NJ, USA	ATE makes superblue, They are an OEM rotor caliper supplier in Europe. They also make a heavy duty DOT fluid which has the exact same specs as Superblue, but is yellow like ordinary brake fluid. The US DOT requires that highway legal brake fluid be yellow (that's right, although I have never heard of anyone getting ticketed or failing inspection for using super blue). I have also heard good things about the Ford HD fluid. I once saw someone post the specs for many of the competitive brake fluids and the Ford fluid was right up there. Tim

11-13-2000, 02:42 PM	#12
Eric SS Sooby Guru Member#: 1914 Join Date: Jul 2000 Chapter/Region: SWIC Location: 2013 335i, 2011 G37 coupe Vehicle: 2000 2.5RS w/ EJ22T swap and N20. gone. : (	"Exotic Muscle" in Tempe, AZ has Super blue and they are mail order. 480-967-4222 Eric Tell them Eric Swannie recommended them

11-14-2000, 07:55 AM	#13
Rajah Scooby Newbie Member#: 362 Join Date: Oct 1999 Chapter/Region: MWSOC Location: Cincinnati, OH Vehicle: 2006 WRX STi WRB / Gold	Or you can go out to the local auto shop and pick up some Castrol GT-LMA. Excellent stuff! Came highly recommended to me by my mechanic (race team mechanic).

11-14-2000, 08:15 AM	#14
skidplatez Scooby Specialist Member#: 1575 Join Date: Jun 2000 Chapter/Region: South East Location: Atlanta GA, USA Vehicle: 2011 WRX Premium Blackest Black	what about valvoline synthetic it has a higher wet and dry boiling point than castrol LMA dry 513 wet 333 http://www.valvoline.com/products/pr...asp?Product=48

02-01-2001, 03:25 PM	#15
anerd Scooby Newbie Member#: 2631 Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Rohnert Park, CA Vehicle: 2001 2.5 RS Sedan Blue	way after the fact but here; http://www57.pair.com/lane/bfluid.htm "ATE Type 200 and Super Blue are not only the cheapest of the performance brake fluids, they are also the cheapest per degree of boil protection, and have a very high 6-month BP estimate. In addition you can alternate with each change and the color difference will tell you when you're done. Available from ogracing.com" also note "AP600 is not compatibile with any other fluid." So don't try and mix with another fluid, you have to do a complete flush/replacement of previous fluid (if it was not AP600).

02-01-2001, 04:32 PM	#16
Patrick Olsen NASIOC Supporter Member#: 120 Join Date: Jul 1999 Chapter/Region: AKIC Location: Where the Navy sends me... Vehicle: 1997 Legacy 2.5GT QuickSilver Metallic	Well, heck, I'll also join in way after the fact on this. The Ford HD fluid is no longer around as far as I know. However, Performance Friction Z fluid is/was the exact same stuff with a different label on it. The Ford HD fluid has a very good dry boiling point, but its wet BP is pretty low. I'm now using Castrol Synthetic, available just about anywhere for a good price. It has a much higher wet boiling point than the Ford HD. (I vaguely recall reading somewhere that you should really go more by the wet boiling point than the dry, because as soon as you open the can you can assume the fluid absorbed at least a little bit of moisture). Pat Olsen '97 Legacy 2.5GT sedan

02-01-2001, 04:38 PM	#17
anerd Scooby Newbie Member#: 2631 Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Rohnert Park, CA Vehicle: 2001 2.5 RS Sedan Blue	just follow the link I posted above. Look at the BP after 3 and 6 months. Also check the wet BP. If you change your brake fluid at 3 months, that the column for you. Then check pricing (the pricing on the page is probably out of date). For 6 month bp, the ATE superblue is still in the lead based on the price.

02-02-2001, 12:12 AM	#18
silverSurfer Scooby Specialist Member#: 1361 Join Date: Apr 2000 Chapter/Region: Tri-State Location: Used to be Long Island/NYC... Vehicle: 1999 Legacy GT Ltd. 2006 Rav4 Sport Silvarrr	okie since we're doing this way after the fact thing....hehe I had decided to go with the new NEO Super DOT4 fluid. I purchased it from SPOMotorsports. I had Metric Subaru install my s/s braided lines, and flush the brake fluid and use that instead. Overall- I am definately quite pleased! Very nice response, the pedal is nice and firm to the touch. Thanks y'all for your help! -chrisC

02-02-2001, 05:49 AM	#19
Patrick Olsen NASIOC Supporter Member#: 120 Join Date: Jul 1999 Chapter/Region: AKIC Location: Where the Navy sends me... Vehicle: 1997 Legacy 2.5GT QuickSilver Metallic	That's some good info, anerd. I hadn't checked out that link last night. I've heard very good things about the ATE, and may try that before I hit the track again, but that chart is a bit misleading on price. From what I've seen on-line, the ATE costs about $8.50 a liter, and Motul 600 is available for about $10 a liter. The Motul has significantly better dry and wet BPs. I vaguely recall reading somewhere that Motul absorbs fluid quicker than some of the other fluids out there, so that would be one downer (if it is true, of course). Pat Olsen '97 Legacy 2.5GT sedan

02-02-2001, 06:54 AM	#20
Gambit Scooby Specialist Member#: 102 Join Date: Jul 1999 Location: The meeting place	Anyone know the brand of our stock brake fluid?

02-02-2001, 01:10 PM	#21
Strepto Scooby Specialist Member#: 252 Join Date: Sep 1999 Location: San Antonio, TX Vehicle: 2001 Arctic White Camaro SS #1800	as long as they were never openned I would assume they're ok. No way of getting moisture into a completely sealed container

02-03-2001, 12:27 AM	#22
anerd Scooby Newbie Member#: 2631 Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Rohnert Park, CA Vehicle: 2001 2.5 RS Sedan Blue	I just wonder if the 2 quarts of superblue I got early last year is still any good. I did not get a chance to install my new braided brake lines and new fluid before the car got crunched. The 2 cans are still in the original shipping box, with the packing paper. Do you think its still good? Never opened.