Red brake grease & dot 5 silicone fluid

[AndyPen]

As my Cooper probably won't get used much I am wondering about the DOT 5 fluid and recall some considerably different views on here somewhere? Everything is new so if I am going to do it, now's the time.

I reassembled the clutch and brake cans with red brake grease smears to safeguard them, as I have done for many years, but am struggling to find any compatibility data beyond normal fluid.

Anyone got any pointers?

[mascher]

Red rubber grease appears to be a mixture of castor oil and bentonite clay or something similar. It probably won't hurt to use it with DOT5 silicone brake fluid but normally I would just use silicone brake fluid in place of the grease. If you need something with the consistancy of grease silicone dialectric grease is readily available and is likely to be more compatible.

I've had very good results with silicone brake fluid over the years. You have to be careful pouring it or doing anything that can entrain air in the fluid before it is in the master cylinder. I usually set the bottle next to the car the night before I change the fluid to let the air settle out.

Kelley

[mk1]

I agree with Kelley,

Probably better to use a silicone grease if you have to, but the lubricating properties of DOT5 fluid are pretty good anyway.

You will usually find that those people who are most averse to DOT5 fluid are those who have never used it

[woodypup59]

I think this has been discussed before but in short :-

Lockheed technical dept gave me a tube of pink silicon grease to lubricate a new m/cyl i had to take apart.

They said that DOT 5 silicon brake fluid is ok but is less lubricating than mineral fluid. It gives asofter pedal.

Also it concentrates any moisture into a small spot possibly causing pitting at that point.

[Polarsilver]

Can agree with Colin that Dot 5 does give a soft pedal.. well it does in my single brake line cars .. but it is something that i live with because of the benefit that comes with silicone fluid as is does not strip paint & that alone is fantastic ..if there are any other side effects to using Dot 5 i have not experienced them in my many years of Dot5 use. .. i also use silicone grease in & on most anything other than Food

[AndyPen]

Thanks folks, got a reply from the suppler to say it's fine. I rebuilt the cans about a year back with a smear of red grease as I wasn't sure how long it would be before I got around to connecting it all up - the answer is longer than I thought!!

This particular car will never be hurled around the lanes any more as I am too old, spent too much time and money on it and luckily for me, still have the 970 engined SDL for that