Steve,
The water droplets from condensation in the fluid reservoir using DOT-5
will sink to the bottom of the reservoir and transfer further into the
system. Depending on the relative humidity and temperature changes you
will get water in the system. You may be lucky and live in a very dry area.
With DOT 3/4 water will be absorbed by the fluid, hence the need of
changing the fluid at least every 2 years as the boiling point will drop
causing a possible vapour lock when braking hard and prolonged e.g. in
the mountains.
A friend of mine used DOT-5 in his Spitfire and rotted out a brake line
(lowest point of the system) and a rear wheel cilinder and appearantly
he was not the only one having these kind of problems. He probably could
have prevented it by regular flushing, but he did not. We live in a damp
country.
I would rather prefer to loose some paint instead of brake pressure.
Kees Oudesluijs
NL
BJ8 Healeys schreef:
> Kees, how there can be condensation in the brake/clutch system if it is
> filled, bled, and maintained as is just Standard Operating Procedure? The
> only air exposure would be in the ullage area of the reservoir. Any
> atmospheric moisture in the ullage will be absorbed by DOT 3/4, but would
> not be absorbed by silicone fluid.
>
> I have used silicone in my BJ8 since 1989, and have never had a problem with
> it. Maybe I should have, but I also have never drained/flushed/refilled the
> system completely during that time. On the other hand, I HAVE inadvertently
> spilled some on my paintwork several times and was pleased to see that it
> did not immediately strip the paint.
>
> Silicone or not seems to be another of those issues about which everyone has
> an opinion based on their own experiences.
>
> Steve Byers
> HBJ8L/36666
> BJ8 Registry
> Havelock, NC USA
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