I switched Entusiast brakes for a set of Track brakes using new Nissan/Brembo calipers, Brembo Slotted Sport discs, Ferodo 2550 pads and Stoptech lines this weekend.

Very nice improvement, the pedal is higher, firmer and more communicative to the driver. I don't know if this is because of the lines, pads or brake hardware, but very welcome.

I carefully weighed all the parts and the installation only added 0.5 pounds per side in the front and 3.9 pounds per side in the rear for a total of only 8.8 pounds for the entire system. I cut away the rear backing plates and the Stoptech lines are lighter than stock by a bit as well so some weight saved there.

A fun afternoon project, if one has everything unpacked and checked, it only takes about 2.5 hours to install the system once the car is in the air with the wheels off-if you keep working and don't stop to ogle your work and take pictures.

 

Did you stop to ogle your work and take pictures? If so, lets see those pics. I hope my install only takes 2.5 hours next weekend.

 

King Tut you have PM

 

awesome...thanks for the post. I am interested in doing this same mod when spring rolls around. Just curious, but how much did you have in the whole project? I work at a Nissan dealership so I can usually get great deals on the OEM stuff...but at this point im tryin to decide if I should go this route(the Track Brembo setup) or another aftermarket option. Thanks for your help!

 

I spend ~$2900 for the entire project.

I bought the unused calipers on eBay for $1825,(I saw a new set last month with Hawk pads for a "Buy Now" price of $1900 on eBay), Ferodo DS 2500 pads were ~$155, Stoptech lines curiously came from Nissan USA racing (I expected Goodridge brand)~$175, Brembo after market discs~$625 for all four.

The Brembo discs are available in slotted or drilled for same price, I chose slotted. They are well made, Cadmium plated, pillar vane discs.

Note that with the Stoptech lines you do not use the bracket and short steel brake line in the rear that the stock Track set up uses.

I ran an autocross last month for the first time and hammered the Track brakes all day without incident.

The Enthusiast brakes, smelled and smoked after lap sessions and had blue discs at end of an autocross.

Have Fun

 

2.5 hours is good time. Took me about about 6 hours for a 4-wheel stoptech kit, then about another two hours spent properly bleeding the system. Of course, the first corner was the longest...took me about 2.5 hours for that one. Did all the others in about one hour each. Most time consuming thing was cutting the backing plate on the rears, then smoothing the cut edges and applying some underbody sealant to the bare metal edges. And that does not include my oogle time which was definitely there!!!!!

 

One trick is to not let the system drain of hydraulic fluid!!!!

To do this prop a stick against the drivers seat and deprss the brake pedal an inch or so to cover the inlet port of the master cylinder before the system is opened up.

I did this and had no excess loss of fluid and easily bled my brakes using less than a quart of fluid in a few minutes.

Also my 2.5 hour time estimate was starting once the car is in the air and the are wheels off.

I didn't do all the details cutting the backing plates.

 

Yeah I did my Stoptech 4 wheel install and used about a half of one liter of ATE Super Blue. So I still have 1.5 liters left. Gotta get it to the track so I can bleed them again and use the extra.

 

cupcar,

I switched over my Roadster's oem brakes for a set of brembos as well! I really never thought about it but I am making an assumption the spare tire will not longer fit? As it was originally for oem brakes with 17" wheels!! If this is correct, what are you using for a spare?

Major

 

The 16" spare will not fit, the 17" is over $300 from Nissan.

So, I am going with the solution Porsche uses in the GT3 which has no spare.

For the GT3, Porsche supply a sealing compound ( Porsche part number 999.915.631.40) that is used to seal the leak and a pump to re-inflate the tire.

I am using the pump from my garage queen Porsche, but there are some out there that are not too expensive.

This solution saves weight too!

 

Another way to accomplish the same thing is to cover the ends of the brake hard lines after you've disconnected the brake hose leading to the caliper. If you're installing a StopTech kit, they come with rubber plugs that snap in place over the flared end of each hard line. If you're upgrading to something other than a StopTech kit, you can pull a rubber bleed screw cap off your caliper and use it to plug the hard line instead.

The advantage of this method is that it prevents the loss of all the fluid in your hard lines in addition to preventing the master cylinder reservoir from draining. I can install a 4-wheel big brake kit using this technique and then bleed all four corners with a single bottle (0.5 liters) of Motul 600.

 

King Tut
DZeckhausen

So when you replaced your kits, you didnt replace ALL of the brake fluids? You just topped off your master cylinders?

 

The entire system holds less than half a liter. So the first step is to use a suction device to remove the old fluid from the reservoir, then refill with fresh fluid. When I bleed each corner of the car, I add more fresh fluid as required. By the time I'm done with the last corner, the entire system has fresh fluid in it, with the exception of a tiny amount of old fluid trapped in the ABS accumulator circuit. This is not enough to worry about. It's similar to the tiny amount of old engine oil left in your oil pan after you drain out as much as possible. It's usually very close to the entire 1/2 liter and if one corner gives me any trouble, I may have to crack open a second bottle of brake fluid. But I try to avoid that, since you should throw away any unused brake fluid within a couple weeks of opening the bottle. I make sure to use a Sharpie pen to mark the date on any partially used brake fluid.

If you're like Monk, you can always start up the car and drive it around the block, then bleed the brakes a second time. When you start up your car and drive, the ABS goes into a brief self-test mode. The accumulator pump runs and the solenoids cycle, causing fresh fluid to be circulated into the normally closed portions of the ABS circuit.

 

I just kept bleeding and filling till I had perfectly blue brake fluid in the lines. That is what is nice about using the ATE Super Blue, you can tell when you are to the new stuff.

 

The problem with ATE SUper Blue Racing brake fluid is that it takes three times as much fluid to go from blue to amber as it does to go in the other direction. So the concept of switching back and forth between the two colors in order to tell when you are done simply causes you to waste fluid. Unless you don't mind having light blue fluid!

Also, the Super Blue tends to stain the plastic reservoir after several years use, making it impossible to check the brake fluid level by looking through the side.

My advice is to use the ATE TYP 200 fluid, which is exactly the same formulation minus the blue dye. The name isn't as sexy, but the price is usually a buck or two cheaper and it performs just as well. And, unlike Super Blue, it is a legitimate DOT 4 fluid. Super Blue only meets DOT 4's performance requirement but it fails the requirement to be "clear to amber in color." (Yes, I've actually read the spec!)

 

Dave, thanks for the info! I knew there was a reason I use Motul RBF 600!

 

Wouldn't the color change actually represent the dilution factor between the two fluids during bleeding of the brakes?

If one *really* wanted to change the old fluid, wouldn't one want the color to go from Amber to Blue (or vice versa) to indicate a complete change, not just a partial dilution?

Otherwise arn't you fooling yourself the fluid has been totally changed or am I missing something?

 

The other reason is a 53 degree F higher boiling point with Motul 600!

 

You're right, but there's the issue of diminishing returns. It's like draining your crankcase oil. There's always going to be a little pool of oil on the bottom of the oil pan that doesn't go out the drain hole and a surprising amount of old oil clinging to the engine internals.

The effect of the blue dye is not symmetrical. You could put 1/3 of a liter of Super Blue in the reservoir as you bleed the brakes (without sucking the old fluid out first) and the fluid coming out all four corners would quickly become dark blue. On the other hand, when going from blue to amber, it takes forever to get the fluid completely clear at all four corners. A tiny bit of dye goes a long way. And if you start bleeding with old Super Blue remaining in the reservoir, rather than sucking it out first and replacing it with TYP 200, you're going to go through several bottles of new fluid before it finally runs clear.

That's the long way of saying 1/2 liter is sufficient for bleeding your brakes.

 

It seems the key is to empty the reservoir (without allowing air into system!) before starting any brake bleed of one wants to get maximum exchange benefit with the least new fluid used.

Otherwise, one is doing an inefficient dilution of the old fluid in the reservoir as the bleeding goes on. Depending on the size of the reservoir this could take a lot of fluid.

Besides, since it is closest to a system vent, isn't the fluid in the reservoir the most saturated with water anyway and therefore fluid one would want to dispense of forthwith?