Rather than wade through the crap in other forums, and since this is the only one I visit, thought I'd ask here. I've never done a complete brake fluid flush myself, just bleeding the brakes. Looked through my factory service manual, and only found how to bleed. So, to do a complete fluid change, what's the process? Just bleed like normal until the resovoir is empty? All that air getting into the system doesn't sound like the best of ideas.

 

just keep refilling and bleeding. same process, just do it more. DO NOT let the reservoir go empty, EVER! or else youll be doing it twice as long to make sure you get all the air out.

 

Thanks for the quick answer. I asked in this forum a number of years ago and never got a response other than "I keep it in the garage forever," but where does one dispose of used brake fluid?

 

some oil recycling places have brake fluid recycling as well, so check around. used oil and brake fluid dont mix, so dont store them in the same container or they cant reuse the oil.

 

Check with your municipal garbage collection folks - they should be able to tell you what to do with it. Some communities have toxic waste collection sites or days. Most will have guidelines for getting rid of household toxics. I was surprised to find out that the county wastewater system where I used to live would handle antifreeze.

Kirk

Disclaimer - do NOT pour your used coolant down the toilet on my say-so! Your system may NOT handle it and it will end up in someone's coffee.

 

brake fluid is pretty nasty stuff, if you try and store it in just your average coke bottle, it will eventually erode the plastic away and spill all over the place ruining everything in its path.

use old brake fluid bottles to store the stuff in, then like another guy said on local waste disposal days, bring it to them.

 

A couple other thoughts. Instead of trying to flush the fluid already in the reservior, carefully soak it up with paper towels until it is nearly empty. That will speed up the process and you won't be sucking the bad fluid through the system. Also, a friend of mine reports that whenever he does a complete brake flush, he alternates between using ATE blue and gold brake fluid. That way you don't have to guess when the new/fresh fluid has made it all the way to caliper, because you'll see the color change in the clear tubing.

 

Rather than using paper towels to soak up the resevoir, I use a turkey baster to empty out the resevoir. Then fill it with fresh fluid and bleed the rest of the system.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Another Drew &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Rather than using paper towels to soak up the resevoir, I use a turkey baster to empty out the resevoir. Then fill it with fresh fluid and bleed the rest of the system.</TD></TR></TABLE>

I'd thought of that myself, and then thought about how when I'm cooking the turkey basters never really hold the fluid in. They always spurt stuff out. So with my luck, it'd end up everywhere. I think the key might be to find a large siringe.

 

emptying out the old stuff in the reservoir is a good idea. while youre at it, take out the reservoir filter and spray it with some brake clean, amazing difference in how dirty it was and how clean you can get it.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Shmeek &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

I'd thought of that myself, and then thought about how when I'm cooking the turkey basters never really hold the fluid in. They always spurt stuff out. So with my luck, it'd end up everywhere. I think the key might be to find a large siringe.</TD></TR></TABLE>

i dont knwo what kind of turkey baster you have in WI, but the one i just used to get rid of all the crap in the clutch MC worked like a charm.

also by letting the fluid drain dry in the brake MC, i also thoguth it would damage the piston...but not sure. I have neevr let the MC go dry.

 

I had the system flushed at the dealership and they use the gravity method, even with ABS on my Prelude. All they did was keep the level up to full and open 1 bleeder at a time until the color changed.

 

for the gravity method, do you have to compress the brake petal or just loosen the bleeder valve and wait. it may sound a little time consuming but very easy this way.

any advice for one who will be doing a rear disk conversion and front brake upgrade (including master cylinder, brake booster, and proportion valve install)?

i'm thinkin since i will also be replacing the lines with steel braided, i'll have massive amounts of air in the system. sorry to sound like a noob or to hijack the post. but i just thought i would ask

also anyone know how to tell if a proportion valve is abs or not? or if it matters (its a 4040)

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by phantom_sol &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
any advice for one who will be doing a rear disk conversion and front brake upgrade (including master cylinder, brake booster, and proportion valve install)?</TD></TR></TABLE>

dont bother with any of it. just get decent pads and keep the fluid fresh because thats almost all that affects effective braking.

 

Interesting Tyson-but Honda does say that one should flush it out every now and then. Anyway-for the writer askign about the gravity method-they did not pump the pedal at all. From what you are asking tho, the system will be completely open, I would strongly urge that you use the traditional pedal pump and/or pressure bleeder methods.

 

thanks a bunch

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by jc836 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Interesting Tyson-but Honda does say that one should flush it out every now and then. </TD></TR></TABLE>

dude, i wasnt talking about not FLUSHING the fluid, i was talking about big brakes, changing master cylinders (bigger bore i assume), booster and proportioning valve. changing all that is useless gaining real braking performance.