Well I've no skin left on my hands and some wicked blood blisters but the new Black Diamond disks and pads are on all the way around.

 

Should have seen the state of the disks I pulled off!!! warped, scored, scraped, rusty, just about everything bad!!!

 

My buddy who helped with the job is convinced the brake system should be bled before I go anywhere as by squishing the calipers open we may have introduced air into the system. Is this right?

 

Also I got Halford dot 5.1 brake fluid as its the best I could lay my hands on, will I regret putting that in?

 

Cheers

Yes and No!

 

Good idea to bleed it and 5.1 is pukka stuff. That's what I use, and have done for over 2 years. Just remember to start from the longest line and work in.

Cool, thanks for that, a job for the morning then!! Was a bit worried about the halfords name all over it, instantly indicates sh1t quality to me!!! :)

pushing the pistons back would not allow air in the system.

 

however, brake fluid should be replaced every 2 years anyway, so it would be a good idea to do it anyway :)

I presume dot 4 is standard and what I have in mine, to put in 5.1 does it require all calipers to come off / be bled? All lines blown through?

 

Is it an easy job basically - What time period are you looking at - about 2 hours?

according to the guff on the bottle it says it will mix with any other DOT standard fluid quite happily.

 

I'm replacing the whole lot this morning though then off for a pootle around town to start bedding the brakes in.

DOT 4 & 5.1 are both mineral fluids. confusingly DOT 5 is synthetic & is not compatible

umm, which is best then - dot 5 or dot 5.1?

for a street car id stick to 5.1!

I used 4 because it's what's in the cars manual, although the higher the better.

 

Bleed it anyway, its not a big job if theres two of you, and its better to be safe than sorry.

 

When I got my car I was never impressed by the brakes, they were always a bit soft and spongy. Turns out I bled them all and the ABS unit and they are better than they have ever been. I guess whatever joe serviced the car before probably just did the callipers and not the abs unit. Cause the first time I changed to Brembos I didnt even know myself I had to do the ABS unit.

 

Bleed the front callipers, then the rear callipers, then the ABS unit in the boot. Not sure where the nipples are on standard Z callipers as I have brembos on mine at the front, but they have a valve on the outside and inside of each calliper to do, I dont know if stock Z ones are similar. But the backs are easy enough, one nipple on each at the top of the calliper on the back.

 

The ABS unit sits in the boot, looking into the car on your right there is a step, thats made of plastic that goes up to the higher bit near the speakers etc, undo 2 screws at the bottom of this (under the carpet) then pull it off (ooo err!), then the foam stuff underneath (should have a flap cut out) and then bleed the two points on that.

 

Job done.

 

I recently reconned the MS and so bled all the old fluid out and completly re-did the system, so I bled it twice round to be sure, but I doubt you will need that.

 

Steve

Steve-o did you use one of them one way valve bleed kits?

yeh, just a bit or rubber on the end of the pipe suposedly stops air getting back in although I kept the pedal pressed when we were shutting the valve off to keep the pressure up to be doubly sure ;)

sorry for the 1001 questions, did you open up a valve then pum,p through till reservoir runs low then fill reservoir with 5.1?

This is something Ive never done but am looking to do.,

if your planning on changing fluids I would bleed the old stuff out completly, so in my case I just opened up the front valve and bled it all out, then the rear just to make sure none left in.

 

Then close all valves, fill the resevoir up, then bleed one at a time, ensuring the res is always topped up as you sdont want to be dragging air through. Best to get a mate to pump the pedal while you open the valve check the fluid for bubbles etc and close it off.

 

I wouldnt recomend mixing brake fluids, I heard if you use diff ones and if the old stuff has started braking down, it will have an adverse effect on the new stuff.

 

Cheers

 

Steve