Posted by: neggy
05/03/2008, 14:27:24
|
I just wanted to chime in and remind everyone that most manufacturers suggest that you replace your brake fluids every 2 years. If you have a DOT 4 brake fluid hydraulic clutch it is also a good rule of thumb to replace that fluid every 2 years. Same goes for DOT 5.1 brake systems.The readers digest version of why you want to do this is because brake systems are not sealed and brake fluid is hygroscopic, a fancy word that means sucks water out of the air like a sponge. It will corrode your pistons, leading to a sticky caliper, but more importantly, water in the brake fluid lowers the boiling point of the brake fluid, and if you get in a bind where you go hard on the brakes, the fluid will turn into a gas, and won't apply enough hydraulic force to the calipers to force the pistons out, pressing the pads against the rotors to stop you. If you are handy, and buy or borrow a Mighty Vac ( about 30 bucks at AutoZone) you can flush your fluids in about an hour. Just get a fresh unopened bottle of the brake fluid your bike specs out on reservoir and go to it.Just remember synthetic brake fluid(silicone based) is NOT NOT NOT compatible with non synthetic fluid so don't mix them!If your hoses are more than 5 years old, you might want to think about replacing them or upgrading them to braided lines. Ozone eats rubber and the lines get weak. Better safe than sorry. IF you decide to change your own lines it is VERY important to have an INCH-POUND torque wrench to snug the crush washers down. I know not everyone has an inch pound wrench lying around, but it is an essential tool for brake line installs.Looks like I need to take my own advice and replace the lines on the 03 FLHT, The kawi got done 2 years ago so I'm good there!
|