I think we did a survey a long time ago on the proper brake fluids for our Shelbys. What type brake fluid do you use? Is silicone a no no? Let's have your thoughts and I will publish the results, if there are any variations in useage, similar to the oil survey we did a year or so ago. Ron
I put all new lines, hoses, calapers...everything in my car and so I put the silicone in it so I would not run the chance of messing the paint under the hood. I was fairly happy with it even though I think is gave a pedal that was slightly spongy. I do not ever recall boiling the brakes or any other negative effects even though I used the car in autocross and open track. the slight spongy in the pedal I got used to and was fine with it. I can say I have heard from reliable sources that you do not want to mix regular and silicone fluid. you have to change the rubber and clean all the metal lines very well or you can have a problem. the same goes if you change back ( for whatever reason) bob
Good, correct input from everyone, but it bears repeating: Don't run open track if you've put in silicone b.f. Also, I've found that those '65-'66 pesky disc brake proportioning valves seep no matter what you put in the system. I keep a Bounty (it's the quicker picker-upper) paper towel stuffed up under them and change out every month or so. Regards, Stan ----- Original Message ----- From: Ronald. Robertson To: Shelby Mustang Sent: Tuesday, April 18, 2006 7:45 PM Subject: Brake fluids I think we did a survey a long time ago on the proper brake fluids for our Shelbys. What type brake fluid do you use? Is silicone a no no? Let's have your thoughts and I will publish the results, if there are any variations in useage, similar to the oil survey we did a year or so ago. Ron
the open track I have done with my car was for play and I was not running in the fast group which is likly why I had no troubles. I have heard the same thing about no silicone in a race car. I have an aftermarket prop valve so no leaks there. there was someone rebuilding the original prop valves and selling the seals to rebuild them. anyone have the link for that? bob
Bob- Just got my SNAKEBITE and Jim Cowles (SP&R) rebuilds them (with or w/o core). BTW, I hope others have had better Luck than I with the "rebuild" kits some of the parts vendors sell. One o-ring usually missing and getting that one over the big piston is a real "pistol"! I think the biggest problem many of these prop. valves have is that the bores are corroded or worn to the point that they require re-sleeving. That's where the expense comes in. Am I right, Jim? Regards, Stan ----- Original Message ----- From: RSANTER (AT) aol (DOT) com To: SSIMM (AT) triad (DOT) rr.com ; ronald.robertson (AT) sympatico (DOT) ca ; shelbymustang (AT) carmemories (DOT) com Sent: Tuesday, April 18, 2006 9:33 PM Subject: Re: Brake fluids the open track I have done with my car was for play and I was not running in the fast group which is likly why I had no troubles. I have heard the same thing about no silicone in a race car. I have an aftermarket prop valve so no leaks there. there was someone rebuilding the original prop valves and selling the seals to rebuild them. anyone have the link for that? bob
Stan, I concur with the self rebuild thing. Bought a kit from Cobra Automotive and tried it myself but what a nightmare. The kit from Cobra Automotive was fine, no problems there. I think the problem was even though corrosion appeared the be almost unnoticeable, when I took the thing apart there must have been some micro scoring, etc. which scratched the bore. You're right, getting that big O-ring on was a bugger but eventually I seemed to get it reassembled OK. When I put it back in the car I never could get it adjusted so the rears wouldn't lock up. I'm convinced the disassembly scored the bore to the point it wouldn't operate smoothly again, the tolerances are very tight. The scoring was so slight it wasn't visible without a magnifying glass. I took it apart again, gave up, and sent it to White Post Restorations - <A HREF="http://www.whitepost.com/brake.html"> http://www.whitepost.com/brake.html</A> - for re-sleeving. They did an excellent job, turn around was only a few days and it doesn't leak. Oh yea, I use good old Valvoline Dot3/4 synthetic (NOT silicone) brake fluid. Dave In a message dated 4/18/2006 6:56:52 PM Pacific Daylight Time, SSIMM (AT) triad (DOT) rr.com writes: > Bob- > Just got my SNAKEBITE and Jim Cowles (SP&R) rebuilds them (with or w/o > core). BTW, I hope others have had better Luck than I with the "rebuild" kits > some of the parts vendors sell. One o-ring usually missing and getting that > one over the big piston is a real "pistol"! > I think the biggest problem many of these prop. valves have is that the > bores are corroded or worn to the point that they require re-sleeving. That's > where the expense comes in. Am I right, Jim? > Regards, Stan > > >> ----- Original Message ----- >> From: <A HREF="mailto:RSANTER (AT) aol (DOT) com">RSANTER (AT) aol (DOT) com</A> >> To: <A HREF="mailto:SSIMM (AT) triad (DOT) rr.com">SSIMM (AT) triad (DOT) rr.com</A> ; <A HREF="mailto:ronald.robertson (AT) sympatico (DOT) ca">ronald.robertson (AT) sympatico (DOT) ca</A> ; <A HREF="mailto:shelbymustang (AT) carmemories (DOT) com"> >> shelbymustang (AT) carmemories (DOT) com</A> >> Sent: Tuesday, April 18, 2006 9:33 PM >> Subject: Re: Brake fluids >> >> >> the open track I have done with my car was for play and I was not running >> in the fast group which is likly why I had no troubles. I have heard the same >> thing about no silicone in a race car. >> I have an aftermarket prop valve so no leaks there. >> there was someone rebuilding the original prop valves and selling the seals >> to rebuild them. anyone have the link for that? >> >>
thanks guys for my driver car I happy to stick with the aftermarket prop valve but my other 66 will be built for show so I need the right stuff on the car. do you remember the cost of sending it in for resleve/rebuild bob
Somewhere I read that an "expert" said that the only brake fluid to use in old cars was transmission fluid. Anyone ever heard of that? Ron ----- Original Message ----- From: DMGT350 (AT) aol (DOT) com To: SSIMM (AT) triad (DOT) rr.com ; shelbymustang (AT) carmemories (DOT) com Sent: Tuesday, April 18, 2006 10:47 PM Subject: Re: Brake fluids Stan, I concur with the self rebuild thing. Bought a kit from Cobra Automotive and tried it myself but what a nightmare. The kit from Cobra Automotive was fine, no problems there. I think the problem was even though corrosion appeared the be almost unnoticeable, when I took the thing apart there must have been some micro scoring, etc. which scratched the bore. You're right, getting that big O-ring on was a bugger but eventually I seemed to get it reassembled OK. When I put it back in the car I never could get it adjusted so the rears wouldn't lock up. I'm convinced the disassembly scored the bore to the point it wouldn't operate smoothly again, the tolerances are very tight. The scoring was so slight it wasn't visible without a magnifying glass. I took it apart again, gave up, and sent it to White Post Restorations - http://www.whitepost.com/brake.html - for re-sleeving. They did an excellent job, turn around was only a few days and it doesn't leak. Oh yea, I use good old Valvoline Dot3/4 synthetic (NOT silicone) brake fluid. Dave In a message dated 4/18/2006 6:56:52 PM Pacific Daylight Time, SSIMM (AT) triad (DOT) rr.com writes: Bob- Just got my SNAKEBITE and Jim Cowles (SP&R) rebuilds them (with or w/o core). BTW, I hope others have had better Luck than I with the "rebuild" kits some of the parts vendors sell. One o-ring usually missing and getting that one over the big piston is a real "pistol"! I think the biggest problem many of these prop. valves have is that the bores are corroded or worn to the point that they require re-sleeving. That's where the expense comes in. Am I right, Jim? Regards, Stan ----- Original Message ----- From: RSANTER (AT) aol (DOT) com To: SSIMM (AT) triad (DOT) rr.com ; ronald.robertson (AT) sympatico (DOT) ca ; shelbymustang (AT) carmemories (DOT) com Sent: Tuesday, April 18, 2006 9:33 PM Subject: Re: Brake fluids the open track I have done with my car was for play and I was not running in the fast group which is likly why I had no troubles. I have heard the same thing about no silicone in a race car. I have an aftermarket prop valve so no leaks there. there was someone rebuilding the original prop valves and selling the seals to rebuild them. anyone have the link for that? bob
Whoa! (literally!) No, I never heard of that one! But then again, there's lots I have to learn. Regards, Stan ----- Original Message ----- From: Ronald. Robertson To: DMGT350 (AT) aol (DOT) com ; SSIMM (AT) triad (DOT) rr.com ; shelbymustang (AT) carmemories (DOT) com Sent: Wednesday, April 19, 2006 12:40 PM Subject: Re: Brake fluids Somewhere I read that an "expert" said that the only brake fluid to use in old cars was transmission fluid. Anyone ever heard of that? Ron ----- Original Message ----- From: DMGT350 (AT) aol (DOT) com To: SSIMM (AT) triad (DOT) rr.com ; shelbymustang (AT) carmemories (DOT) com Sent: Tuesday, April 18, 2006 10:47 PM Subject: Re: Brake fluids Stan, I concur with the self rebuild thing. Bought a kit from Cobra Automotive and tried it myself but what a nightmare. The kit from Cobra Automotive was fine, no problems there. I think the problem was even though corrosion appeared the be almost unnoticeable, when I took the thing apart there must have been some micro scoring, etc. which scratched the bore. You're right, getting that big O-ring on was a bugger but eventually I seemed to get it reassembled OK. When I put it back in the car I never could get it adjusted so the rears wouldn't lock up. I'm convinced the disassembly scored the bore to the point it wouldn't operate smoothly again, the tolerances are very tight. The scoring was so slight it wasn't visible without a magnifying glass. I took it apart again, gave up, and sent it to White Post Restorations - http://www.whitepost.com/brake.html - for re-sleeving. They did an excellent job, turn around was only a few days and it doesn't leak. Oh yea, I use good old Valvoline Dot3/4 synthetic (NOT silicone) brake fluid. Dave In a message dated 4/18/2006 6:56:52 PM Pacific Daylight Time, SSIMM (AT) triad (DOT) rr.com writes: Bob- Just got my SNAKEBITE and Jim Cowles (SP&R) rebuilds them (with or w/o core). BTW, I hope others have had better Luck than I with the "rebuild" kits some of the parts vendors sell. One o-ring usually missing and getting that one over the big piston is a real "pistol"! I think the biggest problem many of these prop. valves have is that the bores are corroded or worn to the point that they require re-sleeving. That's where the expense comes in. Am I right, Jim? Regards, Stan ----- Original Message ----- From: RSANTER (AT) aol (DOT) com To: SSIMM (AT) triad (DOT) rr.com ; ronald.robertson (AT) sympatico (DOT) ca ; shelbymustang (AT) carmemories (DOT) com Sent: Tuesday, April 18, 2006 9:33 PM Subject: Re: Brake fluids the open track I have done with my car was for play and I was not running in the fast group which is likly why I had no troubles. I have heard the same thing about no silicone in a race car. I have an aftermarket prop valve so no leaks there. there was someone rebuilding the original prop valves and selling the seals to rebuild them. anyone have the link for that? bob
yes I think I have heard that. however I belive that may only be for very old cars. a friend of mine had a girlfriend who's brother added trans fluid to the master cylinder of her car because he thought or heard you can do than. it swelled up all the hoses on the system so the fluid would not return from the wheel cylinders and the brakes stayed 'locked'. based on this I belive I would be unwilling to do this with my car. bob
