What kind of brake fluid--this ok? (Page 2 of 2)

If you do have a leak...and you're driving the car...you're going to run low on brake fluid very quickly.  Plus air may be able to enter the braking system (which is never a good thing)...since air bubbles in the brake fluid/brake lines will mean a "spongey" feeling brake pedal...and poorly performing brakes.

If you do have a brake fluid leak somewhere...this is one of those things that needs to be taken care of ASAP...and if not...the car should be "deadlined" (a military term for not used/drivable).

That's a good one!

- Nick

I pick up two three quarts of DOT 3 whenever it goes on sale - last sale was earlier this year at my local NAPA here in Burien - buy 2 get one free - so, I'm up to 6 quarts on the shelf.  I like to bleed the entire braking system every year, but usually get around to it every two years - because I'm maintaining my '67 bug, my '78 Datsun pickup. and my wife's '98 Honda CR-V.

Last summer I did 'em all.  This spring I'll do the VW because I'll have it in the car port for engine/transaxle changes and gauge installation.

I first bled brakes back in 1970 when I renewed shoes and cylinders on my '62 - what a difference in pedal "feel"!  After finishing the shoes and cylinders I started bleeding the right-rear cylinder - furthest from the master - and could feel it right away when the new fluid hit the bleeder valve - the pedal came to a stop.  I had to crack the valve open a little more - what a difference new fluid makes!  It was the same with the other three cylinders.  Pedal feel under braking was much firmer - made firmer still with the later swap to braided-steel-covered flex lines.

Getting what must've been the original fluid out of there - with all the dirt and absorbed air and water - drastically improved everything about braking.  All in all, a very satisfying maintenance experience.

Last edited by cb77305 (2011-12-21 08:27:39)

I'm thinking about installing disc brakes on the front of my 1967 bug this summer.  Has anyone done this?  Does it truly improve the braking?  I ask because there will, of course, be no in-line boost cylinder like in my '78 Datsun pickup and my wife's '98 Honda CR-V.  The braking there is obviously much stronger that my all-drum VW.

In 1965-66 VW tried going to a smaller master - 17mm instead of 19mm.  This did improve braking power - don't know why they returned to 19mm in 1967.  Maybe it was because they when to the dual master, like in mine, and didn't bother designing a dual 17mm.

The four-wheel drum braking in my '67 is noisy but effective.  When I acquired the car much of the sound absorbent material was removed because of rust, so the inside is very noisy while running down the road.  I have no trouble hearing the shoes rubbing against the drums.  After putting about 1000 miles on since the full brake job last summer the shoes have worn into place and quieted down some.  I still won't take it down the 167th hill toward South Center until I install discs.  I did that in my '57 sunroof once in 1980 - and never again until I acquired my front-disc Datsun.

I'd appreciate hearing from those of you with VW disc brake installation and experience.   Thanks.

Thanks, Tom, for the good info.  I'll be looking for a sale, then, on front discs and calipers for my '67 bug.  I'm not trying to return the car to box stock, but make improvements here and there to the engine and drivability.  I think disc brakes would be perfect.  Thus the addition of braided steel flex lines during the full brake repair last summer.  I acquired the car two years ago after doing 10 years of VW withdrawl and it was obvious on the 40-mile drive home that the brakes needed work.  Also, the engine would not spin fast enough to use anything above 2nd gear so we stayed to the surface streets - taking almost 1-1/2 hours.  Later inspection of the after-market mech-advance distributor showed the advance weights rusted solidly to the base plate.  No advance - no power to rev much above 1500 rpms.

The brake work showed all the bleeder valves to be rusted beyond repair, one blocked hard line, and frayed flex lines.  The seals in the master would darken the new fluid quickly, so I swapped that also.  The fun never ends.

Last edited by cb77305 (2011-12-21 10:23:26)