Dot 5 brake fluid switch during Aspire brake swap?

[bobstad]

My Festiva is a '91 5-speed on which I've already completed the rear axle part of the Aspire brake swap.

I'm wondering what I need to do to switch from Dot 3 to Dot 5(synthetic) brake fluid? I've been told this can become an ugly mess if not done correctly since the two types of fluid are not compatible.(I'm tired of corrosion from water in brake lines even though I try to change the fluid every year or so to slow this down)

Since I may be on a stringent budget, what if I want to use the front calipers I got out of the wrecking yard which seemed good, and also continue using the rear cylinders which are brand new?(and my current master cylinder; I'd likely hone and kit myself, if in reasonable condition to do so...)

I'm on fixed income from disability, so have plenty of time usually, but less money to use than even someone working full time on minimum wage.(including a section 8 housing subsidy-and I'm trying to relocate to San Bernardino in couple of weeks)

[Pu241]

Welcome back bobstad!

Long time no post!
Where have you been and what have you been up to?
The short version would be much appreciated.

OK, I would have thought a fluid change once a year would be fine to remove moisture.
That exactly what I do in all my car's. One caliper failure in 20yrs, and don't know if it had anything to do with the fluid itself.
Wonder if your fluid reservoir cap is sealing properly?
Or better yet go to a Dot 4 fluid, I haven't used Dot 3 in maybe 10yrs.

As for Dot 3 to dot 5 the hardest thing you have to do is completely remove as much of the old Dot 3 as possible.
When you rebuild your MC flush it out first!
I think a non-chlorine brake cleaner would be OK.
Your not going to let it soak over night just flush it out and then blow some clean dry air through it.
I'd concerned about the seals, a chlorinated solvent would likely have a detrimental effect on the seals.
The difficult part is flushing it from the hard and flex lines. with the proportioning valve in place I'm not sure you can blow air through the system.
Just letting it drain will not be sufficient.
Maybe someone else can let us know if the hard line can be disconnected at the MC and a flushing liquid sprayed or poured into the line then purged out via clean dry air through the proportioning valve.
If the above can be done then flush out the rear cylinders and front caliper with the same flushing fluid.
By opening the bleed screws and spraying/pouring the flush fluid into the flex-line attachment port and letting the fluid come out the bleed screw.
Again purge with clean dry air.
Anyone have recommendations for another flush fluid which will not harm the seals and is compatible with Dot 3?

[bobstad]

Anchors away, etc.

The short version: New owners of my apartment built in the 1880s have decided in a renovation they need to tear out all the flooring. I ended up in Eureka April of '96 when the motor of a $600 '75 Chevy van I was living out of blew up unexpectedly.(a rod out the side of the first of its six cylinders I'd done a "mickey-rebuild" on replacing the rod and main bearings in Spokane 13,447 miles previously)

I met someone at a California HERDELJEZI festival a few years ago who seems interesting;(<http://www.voiceofroma.com>) so with good experiences here, but the urge to move on; away I go with a rented BUDGET truck with everything I own towing the Festiva behind-say the 3rd of January)

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

So, this looks like a pretty good project I might want to avoid: But, the Dot 4 might be interesting? How is that different from Dot 3 or Dot 5?

[Pu241]

This should explain most it, and better than I would have:

http://tinyurl.com/6h4m6

[bobstad]

Tanx, Blue Leader

I read the brake fluids article, which was interesting. I guess I'm the type who sometimes keeps a vehicle a really long time, and drive often in wet climates and weather. So that, when I unexpectedly encounter a leaking brake cylinder this can significantly alter my situation as replacing one for me is a modest at least adventure.

In this case, instead of simply replacing the Festiva rear brake cylinder which began to leak and was obviously soon going to be unsafe to drive; I decided to initiate the Aspire brake swap I'd long been thinking about doing, mostly as the job of lubricating the front wheel bearings on the Aspire type seemed so much less difficult.(I still remember the Friday the 13th of this past April as I was coming back from a successful day pulling all the necessary parts off of a really nice Aspire, when I got on-line to ask about something forgotten I'd had in mind then, and saw DJ had so suddenly died)

Well, like Joe Hill urged, to organize rather than mourn, I counted coup on the forces of negativity by solving my problems creatively, riding my ten-speed at one point with a pair of the Aspire's rims mounted with tires, back and forth from the wreckers here.(and am following my dreams now)

[elcamino1]

Just change your fluid every year and you won't have any problems,use dot 3 or dot 4 if you live in the mountains.