Dot 5 to Dot 4
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Road Master
Joined: May 2012
Posts: 1,001
Likes: 107
From: Houston
Dot 5 to Dot 4
So I installed a new brake line 2 days ago and I completely drained the master cylinder. New brake line and bled about 2 master cylinder fulls from the master cylinder to the bleeder. Bike says it was DOT 5.I flushed and bled with dot 4. So far so good. No leaks no solidifying. Y'all think I'll be ok?
Last edited by Fblo1690; Sep 26, 2017 at 09:34 PM.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2012
Posts: 6,570
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From: almost there
So I installed a new brake line 2 days ago and I completely drained the master cylinder. New brake line and bled about 2 master cylinder fulls from the master cylinder to the bleeder. Bike says it was DOT 5. Not really available around here. I flushed and bled with dot 4. So far so good. No leaks no solidifying. Y'all think I'll be ok?
Dirt don't hurt
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 21,062
Likes: 4,547
From: Haslet Texas
Personally I think you will be ok but I also think you will have to change your brake fluid way more than if you used Dot 5.
I wouldn't do it but you already volunteered to be the guinea pig.
Good luck.
FWIW I know the newer Harleys run Dot 4.
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Road Master
Joined: May 2012
Posts: 1,001
Likes: 107
From: Houston
Yea my 11 Streetglide uses Dot 4. It's also ABS though. I'll run this till I get around to getting some DOT 5. I'll flush it back out.
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Manufacturers got away from DOT 5 when ABS came around.
Motorcycle brakes run hot and DOT 5 has a higher boiling point, so in the absence of ABS it is better.
Personally, I wouldn't make this switch, but if I did, I'd pull the calipers apart and clean the hell out of them and use fresh seals putting them back together.
Motorcycle brakes run hot and DOT 5 has a higher boiling point, so in the absence of ABS it is better.
Personally, I wouldn't make this switch, but if I did, I'd pull the calipers apart and clean the hell out of them and use fresh seals putting them back together.
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Stellar HDF Member
Joined: Jul 2017
Posts: 3,332
Likes: 1,279
From: Ky
Most lids are marked, that could be an issue later. I switched without total disassembly, rear, had to bleed like once a month for a couple months, like it had air in the lines. I'm planning to change my brake cylinder so I wasn't that concerned about the caliper. Supposedly they combine and make a foam or something.
Cruiser
Joined: Jul 2017
Posts: 228
Likes: 124
From: Atlantic Beach, FL
IIRC, DOT 4 is hydroscopic meaning it will absorb moisture. Silicone based DOT 5 will not. Mixing fluids, even a small amount, causes residue which can plug lines. Depending on the vehicle, switching fluids can also damage the seals.The other problem with DOT 5 is that over periods of inactivity, the moisture that gets in the lines is heavier than the brake fluid. It sinks to the bottom, usually the calipers, and can cause expensive corrosion. This is why the military has been moving away from DOT 5 especially in reserve vehicles.