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Since this thread turned into a borderline "oil thread" check out post #1 and #2 if you have what I call "unauthorized" brake parts on your bike. Pretty good read actually....
At a friends place to help flush his brakes... he has already used 5.1 instead of Dot 5.
can we just flush with Dot 5?
Just out of curiosity what vehicle is your friend changing the brake fluid on?
As others have said use what the vehicle calls for and don't mix I was just wondering what he/she was working on.
Exactly correct t150vej dot 5 compresses and Dan is rate on the money they don't play well with each other, and JustDave mine is Gold!! LOL just messing!!!, I have no further comments its all been covered here!!
The bike is an 03 Ultra... no anti-lock and calls for dot 5. Hes the original owner and with 70k, I suggested he flush the brakes. He mistakenly picked up dot 5.1 fluid.
He had only done the front brakes, when I showed up and he was complaining that he couldnt get them to firm up. I noticed the container, knew enough to know it wasnt the right fluid and I started this thread.
We drained the 5.1, used a compressor to gently blow out the fluid from the calipers to the master cylinder as recommended by drhess and wpo, then we flushed the system with Heet (stuff smells like alcohol) gently blew the Heet out, then flushed it with about 10 ounces of dot 5... the front brake is now good and firm.
I appreciate all the excellent and fast responses from here.
Yeah, far as I know, no ABS system uses DOT 5 because it will compress more than glycol based fluid - freaks out the computer I reckon. Harley went to DOT 4 on ABS bikes. Dot 5 is good on tactical vehicles and bikes since it doesn't absorb moisture. But that's a double edge sword - if you do get water in the system, it'll lay in the low places and corrode...
And yes, best to always go with whatever is stamped on the master cylinder....
What do I know with 30 years of auto repair experience. If that guy's truck had ABS he would have really been screwed.
OP use the fluid the bike calls for, my evo called for DOT 3 my TC calls for DOT 4. Don't mix your fluid and flush the system with what's required.
Originally Posted by mike131
Exactly correct t150vej dot 5 compresses and Dan is rate on the money they don't play well with each other, and JustDave mine is Gold!! LOL just messing!!!, I have no further comments its all been covered here!!
I got mine in 1975 ... You'll have to take my word for it though ... That was way back when and the patch and certificate read NIASE . It was about that time that Michigan went to requiring certification ... My brother and I took the test at the local armory and we were on the news that evening :>)
I have two mechanic's certificates. One for radio, sort of the Queen license (good for everything but aircraft at one time,) 1st Class Radiotelegraph, now renamed to Radiotelegraph, and then one for wrenchin' on people.
7 Surprising Harley-Davidson Products that Are Not Motorcycles
Slideshow: The bar-and-shield logo shows up on far more than motorcycles, some of the company's most unexpected products have nothing to do with riding.
Slideshow: From the troubled AMF years to modern misfires, these bikes earned reputations for reliability issues, questionable engineering, or disappointing performance.
Crazy Bunderbike Build Looks Amazing, But Is It Impossible to Ride?
Slideshow: The Swiss custom shop has taken a Harley Softail and stretched it into something so long and low that it looks closer to a rolling sculpture than a conventional motorcycle.
Engraved Rebellion: Inside Bundnerbike's Glam Rock II
Slideshow: A standard cruiser becomes an intricate metal canvas in the hands of a Swiss custom house known for pushing Harley-Davidson platforms far beyond their factory brief.
Slideshow: Harley-Davidson's challenges aren't abstract; they show up in dropping shipments, shrinking dealer traffic, and strategic decisions that aren't yet translating into growth.
LMAO that's experience DAN!
