What is everybody running when upgrading pads and line..manual recommends Dot 4..any brand better or worse than the others...I have seen some as much as $75 a qt!!!

 

No need to bother with Castrol SRF. That stuff is way overkill for track days. The best deal for a race-spec DOT 4 fluid is Ate Typ 200 at $15 a liter. The boiling point max is fine for track days at 536F dry and 388F wet, and you can flush it out with very little expense. There is also Ate Super Blue, which is the same as the Typ 200, but dyed blue, and stains everything blue. I have been using both of these in a race environment for years and never had a mushy pedal. Tirerack, Amazon, and Bimmerworld carry it.

 

Motul RBF600 and ATE 200 and Super Blue are always a safe bet for a DOT 4, and you can usually pick them up at any race shop in the area. I like the ATE because you can swap between the two colors (same formula, just one is dyed) so you know you got the old fluid out.

I chose to go with the Castrol SRF (i know, overkill), which is $75 a bottle, but I dont have to flush the system nearly as much as I would with the ATE or other DOT 4s; simply just do a quick bleed everyonce in a while. In the end I'd spend almost the same in fluid between the SRF or the DOT 4 fluids, but is well worth it in the fact that I dont need to spend the time doing a full flush multiple times a season.That's just me being lazy though, lol. Either way you cant go wrong.

 

This is the route I'm going with.

 

Yup - great concept!!

Typically folks complain about the Ate boiling over more so than the Motul RBF 600. Both economical and readily available.

Being a newbie with lapping, you may be overly abusive with your braking, bleed often!!

 

Why not just use the Super Dot 4 as specified in the manual?

 

Wait... You read the manual?!

 

Yep, read the supplement, took the car to Ford, and voila.....super dot 4 with no fuss/no muss. No brake fade at the track, just brain fade.

 

I am going to run AP Racing PRF 608 fluid. It has a dry boiling point of 608°F and wet boiling point of 390°F. It is also known to recover as much as 95% once pushed past it's boiling point. This stuff can be found in Formula One and LeMans racecars as well as a host of others. One thing I do not mess around with is brakes. We have a heavy car and the stock brakes are not the greatest...they will get VERY hot. At $30 a bottle, and three bottles being all you need for a complete change, this stuff is a great deal.

I have seen a lot of people mention "overkill" on here. What is overkill when tracking or racing a car...??? (rhetorical). To me I would rather have "overkill" parts on my car than kill it or be killed...

 

Always had great luck with Motul 600, just did my full bleed today.

 

chalk me up under the overkill crew. i'd rather have overkill than underkill...

 

What I mean by overkill in this context is spending extra money on brake fluid that will not reap any added benefit. If you get added piece of mind from using the more expensive fluid, then by all means do so. There is a lot that can be said for that.

Personally, I would rather use the less expensive Ate fluid and change it out more often. I am not sure if certain brake fluids are more resistant to absorbing moisture over time (this is what lowers the boiling point), but changing it out avoids the problem. Just my 2cents.

 

I have used the ATE brake fluids (200 and Super Blue) for several years. I change my fluid on 6 month intervals on my 98 Cobra, use Porterfield R4 pads in front and cooling ducts. The rear pads are stock issue Ford. I have never had any indication of boiling or brake fade. Having the two colors really helps with changing out fluids. When the new color arrives at the caliper your done, move to the next wheel. ATE doesn't hurt the wallet either. The stuff rocks for me.

 

Quote:

Originally Posted by ulev1st

What is everybody running when upgrading pads and line..manual recommends Dot 4..any brand better or worse than the others...I have seen some as much as $75 a qt!!!

Ulev1st, there is a whole separate post on owner recommendations for different brake pads and there are many good brake fluids available in addition to the DOT 4 Motorcraft fluid recommended in the Boss owner’s manual. Depends on what you want to do with your car and how much you want to spend. Not sure about “and line”? What are your criteria?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bueller

No need to bother with Castrol SRF. That stuff is way overkill for track days. The best deal for a race-spec DOT 4 fluid is Ate Typ 200 at $15 a liter. The boiling point max is fine for track days at 536F dry and 388F wet, and you can flush it out with very little expense. There is also Ate Super Blue, which is the same as the Typ 200, but dyed blue, and stains everything blue. I have been using both of these in a race environment for years and never had a mushy pedal. Tirerack, Amazon, and Bimmerworld carry it.

Bueller, I agree with you and think SRF is overkill for the price. Not to diminish the importance of safety but seriously guys, you can get 600+F dry boiling point (D) for less than $80 a bottle. Prospeed RS693 (~$40), Motul RBF 660 (~$30) and AP PRF 600 (~$30) to name a few and there are many others up in the 590F (D) temp range as well for comprable or lower price points.

Quote:

Originally Posted by smbstyle

Motul RBF600 and ATE 200 and Super Blue are always a safe bet for a DOT 4, and you can usually pick them up at any race shop in the area. I like the ATE because you can swap between the two colors (same formula, just one is dyed) so you know you got the old fluid out.

And smbstyle, I assume you’re thinking a partial bleed of an SRF fill is ok because of the high wet boiling point (W) of the SRF fluid (518F) which is probably ok. I prefer your recommendation of switching between the two ATE fluids for complete flushes myself. Many racers have found the ATE 396F (W) 536F (D) applicable for most all track conditions. But if you want the higher temperature capable fluid and are willing to pay for it, go for it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by 4pipes

Why not just use the Super Dot 4 as specified in the manual?

That is fine as well; just do not get hung up on this term “super”. There is no reference to “super” anything in the DOT Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration Standard #116; Motor vehicle brake fluids. Marketing hype. The fluid label must specify which DOT standard it meets. If the fluid is a DOT 4 compliant fluid it must meet the minimum requirements of 311F wet/446F dry. If the “super” fluid states it meets DOT 5.1 then it must meet 356F wet/500F dry minimum. The fluid can always exceed the stated DOT classification which many of the high performance brake fluids cited above obviously do.

 

Not sure about “and line”?

It was SUPPOSED to be and LINES..as in Braided SS brake lines..sorry.

 

Oh, ok, got ya!

I believe several have commented about switching out their brake lines to SS braided lines. Think those recommendations are also in the post on brake pads.

 

for the reasons others have stated. yes, it's slightly more expensive for the fluid itself (in absolute, not relative terms)...but relative to the true expense of tracking you car, it's negligible. the key benefit is that it will run longer without bleeds / replacement. the time benefit far outweighs the cost issue.

 

"That is fine as well; just do not get hung up on this term “super”. There is no reference to “super” anything in the DOT Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration Standard #116; Motor vehicle brake fluids. Marketing hype. The fluid label must specify which DOT standard it meets. If the fluid is a DOT 4 compliant fluid it must meet the minimum requirements of 311F wet/446F dry. If the “super” fluid states it meets DOT 5.1 then it must meet 356F wet/500F dry minimum. The fluid can always exceed the stated DOT classification which many of the high performance brake fluids cited above obviously do."

Not hung up on Hype or term "super", just did the research.

Motorcraft Super Dot 4 meets DOT 5.1 specifications which meets DOT 5 requirements with DOT 4 chemistry. It is compatible with DOT 4 and DOT 3.

 

I've been using ATE Super Blue/Gold forever. I've used Motul and a few others with slightly higher boiling points but have had great success with Super Blue, only having boiled it once on a 98 degree day on some R Compound tires without dedicated brake cooling, and it's cheaper than the fancier alternatives.

Plus, I like the fact that bleeding is easier with the two colors.

 

So now we know the Ford recommended fluid for the Boss is a fluid meeting the DOT minimum requirements of DOT 5.1 which are the same as DOT 5. Glycol-based "chemistry" is common for DOT 3, 4 and 5.1 fluids and allows them to be mixed (S6.10 Compatibility requirements) although probably not desireable. The only non-glycol based fluid is DOT 5 which is silicon based and is colored purple. (Do not mix).