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EFV-8 Club Forum / General Ford Discussion / Brake fluid recommendations & question

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Posted By Discussion Topic: Brake fluid recommendations & question -- page: 1 2 3     wrosenkrans 11-08-2010 @ 1:05 PM reply profile send p.m. New Member Posts: 134 Joined: Oct 2010 We got our new '42 Super Deluxe Tudor home and in the garage on Sunday. Although the transport folks said they had lots of trouble starting her up to get her on the transporter, we had no problems on this end - starts right up using the protocol in the various manuals, etc. and runs very sweetly (I suspect they were flooding her). Now I'm getting around to check things out. All fluids are topped up except the oil is very black and ready for a change - I'll get to that this weekend. The gauges all function properly when the car is first started. Shut the car off and then restart and they don't register correctly except the Charge gauge. Let the car sit for a couple hours and restart and the gauges all register. Some kind of heat related short? The brakes are very sloppy. I plan to do the adjusting as in the manuals at each wheel, then replace the fluid and bleed the system. Is there a particular brake fluid that is optimal for these cars (I'm used to the mechanicals on the Model A)? I sense to stay away from silicone fluids? Any helpful hints on replacing the fluid, bleeding and adjusting the system? All help greatly appreciated. Wayne & Barb '42 Super De Luxe Tudor nelsb01 11-08-2010 @ 2:02 PM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 982 Joined: Oct 2009 The discussion maybe currently against silicone brake fluid due to the brake light switch, but let me tell you, that in 12 years of using silicone brake fluid, I have had no problems what so ever. If your car sits for any period of time -- say winter -- then do yourself a favor and go silicone. You will enjoy your car all the more and not have to worry about corrosion in the lines and wheel cylinders. alanwoodieman 11-08-2010 @ 3:55 PM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 868 Joined: Oct 2009 make sure the "brush" in your ingnition switch is clean. the gauges are actually fed electricity thru a sepaerate part of the ign switch. When the gauges are not working move the switch lever just a little and see if that makes them work. I know my 40 some times does that TomO 11-08-2010 @ 4:48 PM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 7250 Joined: Oct 2009 Check the current fluid in the reservoir. Silicone fluid is light purple when new and feels slippery between your fingers. DOT 3 fluid feels kind of sticky. Only add the same fluid as found in the reservoir. DOT 3 and DOT 5 do not mix. If you are going to do a complete brake rebuild, I would go with silicone DOT 5 fluid if your car is stored for winter. If you use DOT 3, and store your car, you should flush the system at least every other year. To flush the system, use a turkey baster to remove the fluid from the master cylinder, then fill it with appropriate fluid. Start with the passenger side rear wheel. Connect a clear vinyl hoes to the bleeder screw and submerge the end on the hose in fresh brake fluid. Open the bleeder screw about 1/2 turn and have an assistant push the brake pedal to the floor and hold it. Tighten the bleeder screw and repeat the procedure at the same wheel until fresh brake fluid comes out without any air bubbles in the fluid. Fill the master cylinder after pressing the pedal to the floor 2 times and after all wheels have been flushed. Next in sequence will be the drivers side rear, front passenger side and finally the front drivers side. I would check the connections behind the dash to repair the gauge problem. Pay special attention to the grounding connections. Tom This message was edited by TomO on 11-8-10 @ 4:49 PM oldford2 11-08-2010 @ 5:16 PM reply profile send p.m. Member Posts: 275 Joined: Oct 2009 Sounds like this car not been maintained for some time. Here is what I would do: Drain the oil, transmission and rear end and fill with proper fluids. After a few hours of running repeat again. Use detergent oil in the crankcase. Pull all four drums and inspect for brake shoe condition and oil/grease/brake fluid which might mean leaks. You probably have DOT 3 brake fluid in it. Check it out. If so stick with it and give the lines a thorough bleeding. I flush/bleed my brake system every year so there is no moisture/rust problem. A best approach compared to going through the trouble and expense of converting to DOT 5. Some folks don't understand that a yearly flush is simple (1/2 hour work and $5 of brake fluid). Keep in touch and let us know how you are doing. John supereal 11-09-2010 @ 9:47 AM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 6819 Joined: Oct 2009 If you convert to silicone fluid, it is absolutely advisable to install new master and wheel cylinders, as well as flushing the lines with alcohol. Otherwise, any small amount of the DOT3 fluid will contaminate the silicone and defeat the aim of the conversion. It is possible to disassemble the original cylinders and wash them with alcohol, but any pitting, a usual situation, will allow the silicone fluid to seep, and the rubber cups usually will not fully release embedded fluid. Effectively bleeding the brake system on old Fords is best done with a pressure bleeder. Manual bleeding requires lots of fluid, and DOT3 is a whole lot less expensive than DOT5. I know some owners get along fine with silicone, but we don't do those conversions anymore because almost always they seep, and getting a "hard" pedal is rare. wrosenkrans 11-09-2010 @ 8:42 PM reply profile send p.m. New Member Posts: 134 Joined: Oct 2010 Thanks very much for the advice guys. I will implement over the weekend and report back on progress. Thinking I will probably go with the DOT3 fluid to avoid the mixing problems. What is the best oil filter to use? Fram C4 was mentioned in an earlier thread. Should I drop the pan and clean sludge, or is that asking for problems? Wayne & Barb '42 Super De Luxe Tudor oldford2 11-10-2010 @ 3:50 AM reply profile send p.m. Member Posts: 275 Joined: Oct 2009 Just let the detergent oil eat away at the sludge. Change oil frequently. Trying to scr*pe out the sludge may loosen some globs that might clog some oil passages. Dropping the pan on your car is not an easy task. John supereal 11-10-2010 @ 8:37 AM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 6819 Joined: Oct 2009 If you have the canister type oil filter, is requires the replaceable element. We use the NAPA #1006, which is actually a Wix made piece. Usually, we have to special order them, but as they are also used on Ford tractors, they are still being made. For the record, I have never seen a defective Fram filter. I've seen them blamed when an old gasket wasn't removed before installing a new filter, and when someone got heavy handed and tightened the spin on filter with a wrench, instead of by hand and ripped the joint between the cap and the can. If a Fram filter is defective, the company will usually stand behind the repair if it is proven the filter was, in fact, defective. Stroker 11-10-2010 @ 9:20 AM reply profile send p.m. Senior Posts: 1460 Joined: Oct 2009 It's been a very long time since I've used a Fram in a canister; so long ago that they still had the cotton-waste filter media. With a by-pass system like you have, the filter construction isn't as critical as a spin-on, as the canister contains anything that might come adrift, and if the filter clogs, it will simply stop filtering without affecting the oil supply to the bearings. Having said that, I believe the better brands are Baldwin, Wix/Napa, and Purelator. If you go to the EV8 Regional Golden Gate Chapter website: www.goldengatev8.org , Alan has posted a definitive article comparing various brands.

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