firefly

I would like to change my brake fluid to Motul 600 or 5.1. But I heard that they're synthetic fluid (which doesn't hold water as good as non-synthetic) and they need to be changed out more often?

And is it true Motul 5.1 is more suitable for ABS equipped system?

njaremka

if your car has ABS, you do NOT want to use DOT 5 fluid. the most you should go up to is DOT 4, which is similar to DOT 3 but with a higher boiling point. (i believe)

with any brake fluid, you do not want any water in your system. and i belive the DOT 5 stuff is more resistant to absorbing water than the 3 and 4 stuff, but i could be wrong.

carguycw

DOT 5.1 shouldn't need to be changed more often than DOT 3 or DOT 4. You may be getting it confused with DOT 5.

DOT 5 fluid is silicone based, and has some serious problems which IMHO make it a bad idea for use in anything but a show car. It does not absorb water or eat paint like "regular" DOT 3, 4, or 5.1, but the advantages end there. It cannot be mixed with regular fluid (it will turn into a thick Jello-like substance), it cannot be bled effectively, and it sometimes make corrosion WORSE because water will concentrate in pockets within the brake system rather than mixing throughout the fluid. DOT 5's higher boiling point is effectively worthless because you can never get all of the water and air out of it.

However, DOT 5.1 is NOT silicone fluid, and does not have any of DOT 5's problems. It should work just as well as regular DOT 3 or 4 brake fluid.

rowan

The Motul website specifically says their DOT 5.1 fluid is designed for ABS.
But yeah .. stay away from the racing stuff from Motul. Although that is so much easier to find.

firefly

What I want to achieve is a firmer brake pedal. Besides SS lines and better fluid I don't know what else I can do without spending my whole pay cheque on a racing setup...which is something I don't need anyways. Are there SS lines for the P5? And what is a good and long lasting fluid to use?

rowan

I read somewhere that you shouldn't put ss brake lines on an abs system or you will mess it up.
Not sure if that's really true or not ...

I would think that Motul 5.1 would be fine as far as lasting a long time. Otherwise, I saw some DOT 4 stuff at my local Mazda dealership the last time I was in there ...

Sil_Pro5

Motul will last longer than regular brake fluids will. What allows it to last longer is its higher wet boiling point. Because of the higher wet boiling point, the fluid will last longer. Not to mention the dry boiling point.

firefly

Motul has a higher wet boiling point but that means the brake fluid itself won't breakdown with heavy use. What happens is Motul fluid absorb moisture very quickly...when your brake fluid heats up the moisture evaporates and leaves behind gas pockets in the system. That is like having air in your brakes and it's time to bleed them. I heard with Motul fluid you'll have to do this every 6 month or so.

Now is this BS or true?

redzoomzoomp5

the brake fluid that wilwood racing brakes makes is the stuff to have. hi-temp, good feel. check their site.

www.wilwood.com