I am looking to upgrade from the OEM DOT 3 brake fluid to Motul RBF600 DOT 4 fluid. I have read in several places that you do not want to put DOT 4 fluid in the stock system without changing some other brake system components. I have Hawk HPS pads and that is all I have changed in the brake system. I plan on getting the Stoptech braided lines in the future, just not at this time. Due to not knowing any better, I have run 1 year of AutoX and had 3 trips to the Tail of the Dragon on the OEM brake fluid. I am going back to the dragon in 3 weeks and at least want to get this upgrade done before then. So, here are my questions regarding this:

1) Is it OK to run the Motul RBF600 full synthetic brake fluid without replacing any other components?

2) What is the fluid capacity or how many 500ml bottles do I need to buy? I know the Stoptech Stage 2 upgrade comes with 3, but a friend of mine did not use but around 1 bottle or so. I can get these for $11 + shipping per 500ml bottle from www.JSCSpeed.com.

3) If running this fluid, how often do you change it out? I have read anywhere from 8 months to 2 years is sufficient.

TIA,
Zach

 

get the lines so you do the bleeding proses one time! you will love the felling after it.

 

Rule of thumb..... you can always use a higher grade ''DOT'' but not lower!!!

 

go dot 4 but if you go dot 5 you need to change brake lines because the dot 5 has stonger quimical reaction.

 

+1!!!

 

Thanks guys. I already bought the DOT 4 fluid and am picking the car up in about 2 hours from having this done.

 

I'm just about to install Stoptech lines+rotors.
Want to swop to the Motul brake fluid also.
As Zach asked before, how many 500ml bottles am I going to need?
Thanks
George

 

also it is not reccomended for abs equipped cars

 

you will need about 3 botles of 500ml to be safe you never know some thing gets out of hands.

 

Mine took 3 bottles. Go to www.jscspeed.com and buy 3 bottles for $11 ea. My total was about $45 shipped to AL + about $35 labor to do the work.

 

Thanks guys!
Lucked out and won 3 bottles on eBay this morning for £0.99 each!!!

George

 

One last point: Motul brake fluid is a fine product, but is known to be very hydrophillic. Living in a humid climate like Scotland means you should plan to bleed your brakes twice a year to prevent any moisture from affecting the fluid itself.

David Muramoto
Sport Z Magazine Motorsports Editor

 

Thanks for the heads up David.
You're being a little flattering calling Scotland "humid".
I'd just call it "wet"!!!
Thanks again
George

 

My pleasure, George. Does that mean I should bring a snorkel if I come visit?

 

Does brake fluid make that much difference whether its stock or syn?

I am think of changing my brake fluid also along with Steel brake line.

 

haha!!
No snorkel required ,but some midgy(mosquito) repellant would
be wise if you're in the countryside here in the summer.

 

brake fluid will give you peace of mind but the lines will give you satisfaction.

 

Motul RBF600 is great for track and street. Good value / performance ratio. It is most definitely compatible with your vehicle without any other modifications.

If you do a full flush on the car, you'll go through 2 bottles. We usually recommend 3 bottles to our customers because we've found that most people want a spare on hand for a bleed. Some times, you have to bleed the car twice (or more) to get all of the air out of the system. Or, you if you take the car to the track and boil the fluid, you want to flush it out after or between days/sessions.

Also, if you open a bottle, you want to get rid of it after a month. Once it's opened, it starts to absorb water. We always date a bottle with a marker once we crack it open.

Finally, the frequency of bleeding depends entirely on use. If you're just daily driving and that's it, you can flush it out every 8-9 months with no issues. Once a year is even fine. If you're heating it up on a regular basis though (like track use), you'll want to keep it fresh. Depending on the tracks I'm driving, I bleed anywhere from 1 time per day to 3 events. For example, I'd do 3 days in a row on Streets of Willow without putting much strain on my system. One day at Buttonwillow is much more severe though. If you boil your fluid at all and get a spongy pedal, then you want to flush it immediately.

Forgot to say...check out this article for loads of good fluid info!:
http://www.stoptech.com/tech_info/wp...fluid_1a.shtml

 

This is actually not so true. I have a data point taken using equipment that measured moisture content of brake fluid, which then converts to what the boiling point of the tested fluid would be using a new sample as a reference.

The data showed that Motul RBF 600 lost about 40 degrees (going from memory, so the number may not be EXACT, but it is close) of boiling point temperature after 8 months in a car which was heat cycled through track events and normal driving in North Carolina. For street use, that is totally acceptable.