dot 3 brake fluid

[yz2stroke]

the cap says to use dot 4. am i able to use dot3

[honda400ex2003]

you can just keep an eye on it. honda shops are about the only place to find DOT 4 from what i have found. it is honda brand too even.

http://www.ehow.com/facts_6292813_dot-dot-4-brake-fluid.html

steve

[yz2stroke]

yeah i need to add some so i can bleed them. and i only have dot 3

[honda400ex2003]

pump er through lol. if its good enough for cars it can be good enough for my machine. lol steve

[yz2stroke]

lol every time i fill it and i pump nothing comes out of the bleeder? i can get them to work at all.when u push on the pedal there like no compression to it.

[honda400ex2003]

bummer, not sure how to help... bleeding isnt my specialty. check out the othe thread on bleeding with the pumps and such. there are some good methods of doing it on there.

I never got it to work well just using the lever.

steve

[jcs003]

this may help:

http://www.gtthunder.com/HowTo.htm

also, you better use dot4. they are labeled different for a reason.

[honda400ex2003]

just about everything uses dot 3 why would you have to use dot 4? just curious as to why you say that it is a better use type of deal. seems just about everything uses dot 3, dot 4 is recommended by honda but not necessary as far as i have understood.

the properties between the 2 arent that much different. 3 might have higher chances of absorbing moisture but it is highly unlikely with a sealed system like ours.

Dot 4 is better in just about every aspect though but 3 also meets all of the requirements of the DOT.

just curious to learn a bit tonight.

steve

[bherriman]

Easiest way I have found to bleed them by yourself is to Get an empty water or pop bottle and fill it half way with brake fluid. Get a small hose and stick it down into the fluid and also around the bleeder (make sure its a tight fit) then just pump up and hold the handle and crack the bleeder. Make sure the other end of the hose stays below the surface of the fluid in the bottle or you will just suck air back in. Tighten the bleeder back up and repeat untill all the bubbles are gone.

[rubbersdown]

You can mix dot3 and dot4 no problem. Only thing you cant mix is dot5, IT WILL NOT MIX so dont ever do that lol. dot4 is basically just a premium version of dot3. It has a higher boiling point and absorbs moisture slower, thats all. Only reason they say use 4 instead of 3 is the higher boiling point. If you are racing mx or something then def use the dot4, if you just trail ride then dont even worry about it and just use the dot3.

It took me forever to bleed the brakes on mine, i was about to take it to the shop after all the problems i ran into putting the pads on, and then the brakes wouldt bleed. But just keep pumping the pedal was VERY loose and had no pressure after about 5 times of the pump and hold, but after about 10-15 times i was starting to get pressure and it was shooting the last couple times and theres plenty of pressure now.

[CJM]

The best way I have found to bleed the brakes on these things is with a vacuum pump (mitey vac is the brand name I like but any will do). Otherwise you might get to pump for days-reason being is the master cylinder is to tiny it doesnt move much fluid.

As for dot3 v dot4: yes its the boiling point. Higher boiling point less chance the brake fluid shears and wears out and it lasts longer. I bought a large bottle at my local auto parts store, any parts store will have it-walmart might too.

What you want to do with the vacuum pump is set it up so it has a hose that goes to the bleeder , a catch bottle and then another holes that goes to the pump. Then pump it up till it shows pressure and open the bleeder 1 full turn and pump some more. Fluid should flow quite easily. BE CAREFULL and watch the master cylinder so you dont run it out of fluid. Do the same procedure about 5x each side and it should give you a good lever feel. My brakes are excellent, but I also use stainless lines. The back brake btw can be pumped much easier-this is to the fact the lines much shorter.

[jcs003]

Originally posted by honda400ex2003
just about everything uses dot 3 why would you have to use dot 4? just curious as to why you say that it is a better use type of deal. seems just about everything uses dot 3, dot 4 is recommended by honda but not necessary as far as i have understood.

the properties between the 2 arent that much different. 3 might have higher chances of absorbing moisture but it is highly unlikely with a sealed system like ours.

Dot 4 is better in just about every aspect though but 3 also meets all of the requirements of the DOT.

just curious to learn a bit tonight.

steve

the biggest issue has to do with how small the reserviors are. less fluid will store less energy. this is why the higher boiling point is necessary.

as an experiment i tried dot3 on the rear brakes on my 250r and they seemed to fade pretty soon after some hard riding.

botttom line is the dot3 will work. just not as well.