every two years or as often as you feel like it. easy as all outdoors.


yes, i'm lurking

 

Due to this question being posted so many times in the last month or so, I have decided to flush mine. However, if folks keep posting it over and over again, I might choose not to flush mine just out of spite!

 

My background includes 38 years as an automotive parts distributor and automotive shop machinist. I've run a machine shop that specialised in reconditioning cylinder heads thru custom engine building. We also rebuilt our own lines of alternators and starters.

A braking system is a SEALED SYSTEM! While air and moisture are both able to contaminate brake fluid, if the brake system hasn't been compromised my question would be, how in the world could the brake fluid go bad? While there could be no harm in doing a flush I simply say that it I believe it to be totally unnecessary!

As far as ignorance being bliss, my reply would be that knowledge is power!

 

You're a salesman, machinist, and can rewind a starter. So... you're admittedly NOT a brake or ABS specialist? I'm an electrician, but I tend to follow the advise of the experts in their field. I don't see how your powerful knowledge has disproved the need for changing brake fluid. Which by the way, is an industry wide recommended service. I'll look forward to your "brake lever/pedal is hard to pull/push and no brakes!" thread.

ETA: Just because people have neglected, or done something a certain way for years, doesn't make it the "right way". Advancement are made everyday. Embrace it. Old school methods don't always translate to modern tech.

 

Those that think their brake fluid will never go bad are taking risks that they don't need to because of such a trivial maintenance item.
On my trike the front system seems to just get a little dark colored. The rear system for two changes 4yrs. has been totally black fluid. Still works, but I bet the boiling point is about the same as water.
I thought maybe the seal was bad on the lower master cyl. but changing it didn't make any difference. The system doesn't loose any fluid at all so there isn't a leak anywhere.
I can tell ya it isn't BS ! Why take a chance ? It is cheap & easy to do. Your brakes might work just fine until sometime when you need them the most & under heavy braking the fluid boils & you have a failure. It happens in an instant !
I installed EZ bleeder bleed screws in so it is a one person job.

 

I use a vacuum system.. It makes the job easy and quick, unless you have your rear cylinder you don't even need a funnel.

 

Brakes are NOT a sealed system! Boy master cylinders have covers to unsealed the system!

Now then, your refrigerator IS a sealed system. No way to add or subtract refrigerant except to manually breach the system.

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I use my myti-vac if I have the system open for repairs. But otherwise I use a 100cc syringe to fill the lower master, & the EZ Bleed screws . Total time is about 1/2 hr.fof front & rear systems.

 

Does anyone want to take a guess as to why the brake fluid turned black?

 

Have you ever bled the brakes of a vehicle? My daddy taught me (well I helped him) on the family cars back in the 1950s. The advice of changing brake fluid at regular intervals hasn't changed since the first hydraulic brakes were introduced, way back when Adam was a boy.

Vehicle hydraulic systems are not sealed, which is why the atmosphere can get in and water penetrates the fluid, degrading it.

Ignorance isn't bliss, it's a liability!