I changed my entire fluid system with Valvoline Synpower approx 4500 miles ago. Bled and all. Im attending a track day next friday and wondering if it would be necessary to change out the fluid again?

 

No, i wouldn't think so. If you're worried about it just bleed each caliper off.

 

It should be good for the track, if the pedal starts to feel spongy than bleed it there,

 

There is no need to flush the whole system but I would definately bleed each corner. I wouldnt go longer than 1 week on the street before a track event without bleeding.

 

As someone who finally got to the "screw it, I'll bleed them when they boil" point on my street car . . . why would you do this?


Crazy Bovine, I think that there are arguments to both sides of the equation. Originally, I used to do about nine to 12 pedal plunges per corner before every event. Back in Sept. at a Mazda Club event in the parking lot of HIE with I think Giles making jokes and Diane on the brakes, we bled my brakes and I got a "uhh, now that's worse . . . . nope, now that's a whole lot worse" from Diane (I cracked it open too much and air must've gotten back in). Well, about 10 minutes later everything was fine again (right back to where it started) and I came to the conclusion that it was pointless to keep doing this ritual every couple weeks and just wait til it boiled.

YMMV.





[Modified by phat-S, 5:59 PM 5/3/2002]

 

Yeah if it a'int broke don't fix it. I've got 5 months and 3 track weekends on my ATE super blue, although i have swapped the pads quite frequently. Only now is the pedal just barely begining to feel mushy.

 

I agree with your dont bleed until its mushy saying,,,sorda. Taking 30 min and bustin your *** at the track to bleed the brakes isnt somting Id really like to do. It wastes seat time and wears you out in the process. With a nice fluid like Ate or Motul, I could understand bleeding maybe a month before. But with a fluid like the Valvoline I wouldnt really want to risk it. If you know your fluids well and know they wont boil, then yes it would be a waste. But for Bovine to be asking the inital question Im not positive if he knows how well the fluid will hold up. Just my opinion.

 

OT: After those 5 months and 3 track weekends, my new Brembos look like this:
.

On the street the brakes still work beautifully and I'm having zero brake problems. These rotors certainly don't look safe though, and of course I'd not use them on track. I just want to know what's going on here? These cracks seem superficial. Is this normal? Can this rotor be turned and re-used? Or should I just junk it.

 

I'd have to say "not normal." The rotor can no doubt be turned, but I wouldn't re-use it. Just chuck it so we can put the new ones on.

Edit-or rather, it could be normal with that sort of use...


[Modified by Mike P., 8:19 PM 5/3/2002]

 

I have actually have the speed bleeders on all 4 corners. I think bleeding would be a cinch since they are ultimately check valves. I guess Ill just keep using the same fluid for now and bleed it at the track if I need to.

While we are on the subject of brakes, etc. I am attending my first EVER track event next Friday @ BW.

Here is my setup for brakes:

SS lines
Stock Pads - Autozone cheapys?
Stock Rotors
Falken Azenis

Alot of people keep saying "bring what you got." But is there any last minute changes I can do to help me out during this event. I was thinking about the PF Street Compound. Any suggestions?

 

try to get a set of track pads, and at teh very least get another set of cheapies.

 

I dunno how those Autozone pads are, but on my car, OE pads are downright dangerous on most tracks. They are good for 3~4 hard stops before major fade sets in and some tracks don't have long enough brake-free zones to cool them sufficiently.
Carbotech Panther Plus http://www.carbotecheng.com
Carbotech Panther Plus http://www.carbotecheng.com
Carbotech Panther Plus http://www.carbotecheng.com

 

You can keep using those rotors, but keep some spares around handy. DON'T turn them. It will just make them crack on the very next session. Turning them doesn't do anything to help the internal stresses that have built up, but it will weaken them. When the rotors crack, they will fail gracefully, and you'll feel it as a scraping vibration when you brake. Then you can change them out.

I ran with rotors looking like that for a year, with no ill effects. When you heat them up, they seem to disappear as the metal expands.

The other thing to do is get brake ducts. They will make everything last a lot longer.

 

Great info, thanks!
I have since removed the dust/heat sheilds from behind each rotor. This has helped a lot with cooling, and I plan to figure out some ducting down the road.

 

Do any of you have the boiling points handy for ATE superblue & Valvoline Syn Power? I forgot the numbers on each. Thanks

 

My rotors usually look something similar to that, but not quite that bad.

Warren

 

Boiling Points:

ATE=
Dry: 536F
Wet: 392F


Valvoline Synpower=
Dry: 502F
Wet: 343F

 

Dave: My cheap-*** Chinese made rotors look like that after ~10 track weekends. I turned one set and they are now street rotors and doing just fine. Finally had one crack on me at VIR south a few weekends ago.

Bleeding: I can't understand why more people don't get the Speed bleeders. Best $10 I've spent on my braking system. Bleeding brakes is now trivial. I always bleed (not completely change) each corner before every weekend. It's cheap insurance and with the speedbleeders, now virtually impossible to fvck up. I'd rather do it in my garage drinking a beer than in the dusty-*** paddock at CMP. I use the Valvoline and have had zero problems since I started using it last year. Good, cheap, readily availible at any auto parts store.