I have had problems with the fluid in my hydraulic clutch system with my 01ITR and my00si. I have about 10500 on the ITR and 17000 on the si. The fluid keeps turning black. Usually I will check it after noticing the trany hanging up between gears. Mostly 1st and 2nd if done change the fluid it gets worse and soon i start having problems with the other gears. I think that the fluid is burning up. I have drained and bleed the system 2 times on the ITR and once on the si. Usaully instead of bleeding it down I just use a surringe and get what fluid I can out of the resevor then poor fresh fluid in there. IT helps but doesn't last as long as when I bleed it. I know a couple of others that has had the problem but no one seems to have a remedy for it. I think that the fluid may be burning up. I asked Honda and they didn't give much incite. Hell all they carried was dot3 fluid and the cap called for dot4 or 3 on the si and dot4 on the ITR. I am using dot4. I got some german made fluid that I am going to try that is supposed to have a high boiling point. And get this the fluid is blue. I would appreciate any incite that someone may have, or if you are experiancing the same problem I would like to know.

 

I'm having your same problem buddy. **** turns black and 1st to second shifts really suck. Feels like theres lots of air in the system or something. I think the blue **** your talking about is super blue. I dont know where to get it though. Gonna try to look for it.

 

The fluid I got is called super blue racing. I put some in today. I needed to bleed the system. Insted I just suringed out the resivor and put more in there. I had put on a camber correction kit and changed the MTF and it was getting late. I will have to bleed the system. It did help a lot just by replacing what was in the resivor. Thanks for letting me know that someone else is having the same problem.

 

No problem. Is it called ATE super blue? Thats what I'm about to get. Its like $8.50 a liter right?

 

Happens in my ITR too. I just switched out the stock fluid for Motul RF600. It's got a nice high boiling point and hopefully will hold up better An easier way to get the fluid out is to just use some paper towels and soak up the fluid in the reservoir.

BTW, if you get tired of paying the $$ for ATE Super Blue, you can try out the Ford Heavy Duty DOT3 fluid. It's super cheap and the dry boiling point is as high or maybe a bit higher than ATE/Motul/whatever... it's really good stuff and alot of racers swear by it

 

I know what it is now. I told my friend about it and he said my slave cylinder is leaking. I wondered how, the ***** still new. Sure enough it was leaking. He said when the fluid turns black thats what it means. The black is actually rubber parts of the seal (real small particles) check you cylinders guys. Thats what it is.

 

I checked my ITR just know since you said yours was leaking and I didn't see any leak or anything that was wet. I pulled back the rubber boot that was over the fork there was another one over the plunger on the slave itself I peeled it back a little and didn't see nothing. I didn't want to tear it. Maybe it is still eating away at the seal. But if that is the case Why does my shifting go to ****. if it is not leaking yet it should still have enough pressure to engage also it seem like it wouldn't get better just by changing the fluid. I don't know. It is pissing me off though. I don't have but 10600 on my ****. I shouldn't have any problems out of it. Appreciate the info civiksi

 

Brake fluid usually turns black because of moisture in the system which is absorbed by the fluid. In a clutch system the fluid should not be exposed to excessive heat unless the header pipe is to close to the slave cylinder. This would not normally be possible on a Honda. If the clutch is not fully disengaging the problem may be air in your system. Honda's are hell be bleed all the air out. A leak in the slave cylinder causes a loss of fluid, you'll notice a drop of the level in the reservoir. A seal leak in the master cylinder may introduce air into the system without noticable loss of fluid (not common but possible).
I prefer Castrol LMA, it has a high boiling point and doesn't absorb moisture as bad as some other fluids. Silicon based fluids gas when hot, just like air in the system.