Brake Fluid And Coolant

[EARMUFF]

Hey guys. I want to completely change my brake fluid and coolant. Can anybody tell my how to dump them and replace.Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[mlyf16]

search and Ye Shall Find!! Need more info what kind of car but for basic draining Coolant just find the bolt/plug located under/bottom the radiator and fill the radiator with new fluid,(NOT THE OVERFLOW BOTTLE) or you can just loosen the hose at the bottom that connects to your radiator.

Brake fluid you need to do a bleeding process pretty much need a mechanic or service manual there is a bleeding step you need to follow.. Hope thats help

Edited December 28, 2007 by mlyf16

[Duncan]

Its all in the FAQ section:

coolant: http://www.skylinesaustralia.com/forums/Fl...ml&hl=bleed

muahaha well there you go....bleeding the brakes has never been put into FAQ as far as I can see. And I've got no pics so I'll just describe it.

Easiest to get your car in the air and all 4 wheels off - so you need a jack and 4 chasis stands. You can do it through the wheels but its a real pain in the arse.

Next you need some clear hose with the right diamteter (sorry not sure its been a long time). Or a brake bleeding kit from supercheap or similar. And a 10 and maybe 11mm ring spanner depending on which calipers you are using.

Open the bonnet, take the cap off the brake master cylinder and remove the old brake fluid if you can. an empty syringe is perfect for removing old fluid.

Fill the master cylinder up to the top with new fluid.

Then head off to the passenger rear caliper. Take the rubber cap of the bleeder then put the ring spanner on (never use the open end on a bleeder nipple they are soft and wasy to round off/stuff), then put the hose on. Get your assistant (you do have an assistant, right) to pump on the brake pedal 2-4 times so it is nice and hard, and hold the pressure on the pedal. Open the bleeder and the pedal will sink to the floor. Once the pedal is on the floor, close the bleeder and get your assistant to pump the pedal up hard again (2-4 pumps). Once it is pumped up, hold the pressure on the pedal, open the bleeder until it sinks to the floor. etc etc

Bleed the rear right until you see the new brake fluid coming through. It is almost always a different colour to the existing fluid, normally lighter (most fluid goes darker with age). Once you see the new colour, and no tiny bubbles coming out the line you are done with that caliper.

You *must* regularly check the level of fluid in the master cylinder, at least every 5-6 pumps. If you run out of fluid in the master cylinder you will get air in the lines and have to start all over again. which sucks.

Once you have done the right rear, do the same for the left rear, right front and finally left front. And if you are feeling paranoid or think there might be a problem do it all twice. Front calipers sometimes have inside and outside bleeders, do the outside one first.

You might need only 1 bottle of fluid - I always have 2 ready incase 1 isn't enough.

If you have changed the calipers it can take a bit of pumping to get any fluid at all comign through - just persist and make sure there is fluid in the master cylinder.

When the brakes are bled properly, if you push on the pedal it will be rock hard. If if is a bit spongy or they sink a little after the first resistance, there is still air in the lines. If you hold your foot on the pedal and it sinks slowly to the floor the seal in your master cylinder is stuffed.

Put the wheels back on. Very important step - do the wheel nuts up. last time the crew forget this step it was....interesting...when the wheel overtook the car. Take the car off the stands, tighten the wheel nuts to 110nm and off you go enjoying your beautiful new brake pedal feel.

Never put average brake fluid in a car like a skyline - the best stuff is only $30 a bottle and it will make more difference than the biggest set of ful sik AP Racing calipers you can find. Use Motul RBF600 (cheapest at bike shops for some reason) or any other 600oF rated fluid. Bleed the brakes every 12 months or even more often if you do a lot of track work.

[EARMUFF]

thanks a lot fellas. collant should be easy. Just out of curiosity, how often (how many K's) should brake fluid be changed?

[Duncan]

not so much distance as time. brake fluid attracts water, the better the quality the quicker it absorbs it.

you should bleed your brakes fully every 12 months and any time after you have boiled the fluid