Brake Fluid Basics: DOT 3, 4, 5, and 5.1 Explained | MC GARAGE
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- Опубликовано: 21 авг 2024
- Brake fluid comes in a lot of flavors. You've got your DOT 3, 4, 5, and 5.1. What's the difference, and which flavor does your bike like best? We'll break it down for you in this video from the MC Garage.
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Everyone likes to brag about horsepower and going fast, but we all know that stopping is pretty important, too, and brake fluid is the magic elixir that allows it to happen.
Brake fluid is responsible for transmitting force from the brake lever to the back of the brake pads. It needs to be non-compressible to effectively transmit pressure, have low viscosity to be compatible with ABS, have good lubricity for master-cylinder and caliper pistons seals, offer corrosion resistance, and also have a very high boiling point. That’s a lot of responsibility, and some fluids are more responsible than others.
Brake fluid is available in four grades: DOT 3, 4, 5, and 5.1. DOT 3, 4, and 5.1 fluids are glycol based and can be mixed together, but DOT 5 fluid is silicone based and can’t be mixed with any other type of fluid. DOT 5.1 confuses people because of its proximity to DOT 5 silicone fluid, and honestly, parts-counter peoples’ lives would be much easier if the DOT 5.1 was just called DOT 6 or even DOT 4.5.
The main difference between glycol-based fluids and silicone-based DOT 5 are that the glycol stuff is hydrophilic, meaning it’ll attract and absorb moisture out of the air, while DOT 5 fluid is hydrophobic. But, due to the repeated heating and cooling cycles and the imperfect sealing of master cylinders and calipers, all fluids will eventually ingest some quantity of water. The difference is that glycol-based fluids will pull moisture out of the air on their own while DOT 5 will not, meaning DOT 5 has a much longer service life. Also, while glycol-based fluids are infamous for causing paint to bubble, DOT 5 fluid is harmless to painted surfaces.
If you’re thinking DOT 5 sounds really appealing right now, think again. DOT 5’s price, as well as its compressibility and viscosity, make DOT 5 unsuitable for use in motorcycles. So why does it exist? It was created for the military to use in vehicles that will be parked for years at a time. Harley-Davidson used DOT 5 until a decade ago but specifies DOT 4 now that all their bikes have ABS.
Okay, back to the common glycol-based fluids then. The difference between DOT 3, 4, and 5.1 comes down to boiling point, and the higher the boiling point, the more abuse and heat the fluid can take. The grade fluid your bike takes will be printed right on the master-cylinder cover.
The Department of Transportation sets minimums for each grade’s “dry” and “wet” boiling point, with the former state completely free of moisture and the latter containing 3.7 percent water as is common after a year or so of regular use. DOT 3 fluid has the lowest minimum dry boiling temperature at 401 degrees dry and 284 degrees wet, while DOT 5.1 has the highest at 518 degrees and 356 degrees wet.
As the temperature ratings above suggest, any water content in the brake fluid will reduce its boiling point. Boiling brake fluid will make your brake lever feel spongy and make it harder to stop your bike. This condition is known as brake fade or, more specifically, fluid fade. Replacing your brake fluid regularly (most manufacturers say every two years) will help keep your brakes working their best, and if you’re a beast on the brakes, you might as well upgrade your fluid the next time you bleed the system. Click the link below for a video that shows you how.
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I was addicted to brake fluid, told myself I could stop anytime
Priceless :D
You still alive
Coolant tastes better trust me.
clever pun, shows your caliber.
😂
"Bleed your brakes every 2 years is standard" The break fluid in my car hasn't been changed in 12 years, I like to live life on the edge
Don't know if you're joking, but if you're not, it can cause serious damage to the braking system coz all the absorbed moisture causes rust.
I bled mine after 2 years and the clutch fluid was so full of rust and dirt it was almost black.
@@UVjoint nope I am dead serious. But I just finished redoing all my breaks, new fluid, master cylinder, rotors and pads, I also switched from dot3 to dot4. There was no rust in the fluid but it was very very dirty.
Depends where you live I guess, here in Australia we don’t get much rust :)
🤣🤣 me to. The caliper needing replacement is what it takes for my cars to get that kind of attention. The bike is spoiled though. But I don't really mind telling one of my kids that I don't love them as much either.
I like the DOT4 over my pancakes in the morning
William Wallace
Really, I think it's better on waffles
I like it in my coffee
Cesar Moreno it depends about what kind of pancakes he’s talking about
Dot4 goods for bones
Maple flavored?
Who needs brakes? They only slow you down xD
Good point
No brakes, weight saving bro
brakes are for pussies, we die like a men!
.
.
.
.
:D
@Ollie ROWLEY i engine brake by seizing the piston
But they may save your life🤣🤣
[Applause] Wow. A friend of mine told me about you guys. Very good channel. Very good content. Very good edit. Just a 10 out of 10. Seriously, I say this with experience (Spain's #1 motovlogger). Greets from the other side of the lake!
Majes en Moto I concur, their whole video production is 100% pro. Cuts, transitions, sound recording, mixing and levels. They're a bliss to watch :)
Majes, mira también Fortnine si nolo has visto, tienen buen contenido y buen humor.
10/10 on yelp
I just took a sip of some DOT 4 and it tasted horrible, it must be because it was the Motul brand.
Cuban Rider it's used like vodka, you gotta mix it with some engine oil ;)
eat a pizza, like the one in my profile pic
No the dot 3 oreillys brand tastes even worse trust me
What's wrong with Motul? But seriously.. I've been using Motul products in my old Land Rover and it was working perfectly.
Dude that's hilarious.
Forget about *Clorox* or *Tide Pods*
It's time for *Brake Flooid*
Love these videos. Keep up the good work.
Ari is such a good presenter ! Job well done
Great video, just need to point out something.
Dot 3, 4 and 5.1 Brake fluid is hygroscopic not hydrophilic. Dot 5 Brake fluid is hydrophobic (like you rightly mentioned).
Hygroscopic refers to the ability of a material to absorb humidity from the air.
A hydrophilic substance will bond, on a molecular level with water. A hygroscopic substance will actively attract and absorb water, without bonding. Oils or fats are generally hydrophobic and will separate from water, forming an oily layer.
"Lubricity"...... I learnt a new word today!!
It's also worth mentioning that you can use 4 and 5.1 in a 3 system, but you can't use 3 in a 4 or 5.1 system, due to the boiling point issue.
i have go kart with rotax 125 max
so dot 4 is ok ?
or dot 3
the ingine is old rotax not the new model
thank u for the help im new on thr go kart
@@emmanuelruizleon4866 You must read engine's specificatons. If appears DOT 3, then you should use DOT 3. AP RACING R1 brake fluid is a good option.
One thing not mentioned in the video is 5.1 absorbs water from the air faster than 4 , and 4 faster than 3. So while 5.1 has the best performance the 4 has a longer service life than 5.1 and so on for 4 and 3
That's not true, Dot 4 has the best performance but absorbs water faster, Dot 5.1 is the perfect compromise between Dot 4's braking performance and Dot 3's lower water absorption
@@BRAINFxck10 why don’t cars run 5.1 then?
best one yet! even I didn't know the differences! thanks ari and crew!
Hay joe Gray, dont call me an idot, I have drunk the brake fluid ,dot 4 and I have hairs growing on my neck, its so good that I can copy some one and now I feel like the strongest man in the world.,the best advice ever.
I was about to say... you better put a disclaimer in there somewhere... cuz you know some idiot will drink it and then try to sue ya...lmao!
Joe Gray He wouldn't have time to sue him...
Yeah I know... thats why I said "I was about to say" because I was thinking it until he said it at the end...lmao!
Yeah, Trump supporters!
What to eat them with?
crispy brake pads?
Fried in engine oil.
desulv Smoked with an akaprovic exhaust for best smell and aftertaste.
served on a clutch plate.
With coolent oil as a drink
Nothing like starting a day with a warm cup of DOT 4.
don't drink the break fluid!
I used to break fluidly to the beats of Grand Master Flash in the 80’s
I’m not addicted to brake fluid I can stop anytime I want!
Another top notch vid! U guys keep making great educational content on all things moto. I'm suprised there aren't more subs to your channel!
I had always wondered what the difference was? Thanks guys, great video
still the most informative videos on youtube on bikes, thanks
I absolutely love your videos, keep watching them just for the insane amount of info I derive, Thanks alot and keep up the good work. Love from India!
awsum video..i am jus addicted to your videos.i gained lots of knowledge thru ur videos..A big thumbs up from india...
Mountainbiker here ! Excellent video Thanks !
This was great, esp that 0:08 mock sip taste "ahhhh" LOLOLOL
Ari I feel like if you explained the meaning of life… I'd get it you're awesome dude keep up the good work and don't change a thing
ARI , i must say that you are my idol, and i wish to be like you :) , i'm 22 , from india and don't have a motorcycle yet , but everytime i watch a video here i get inspired to work hard and get my first bike :)
i was wondering if you guys would do more of those cheap bike videos, like the "How to get into motorcycling for $1000" but in a different format like, you guys land in a certain place , buy cheap bikes from craigslist,fix them up and go on an adventure , I sure we would love to watch stuff like that.
Thanks, just bought a KTM & just wanted to make sure before I put in 5.1 that it wasn't gonna react with 4.0 if that's what the previous owner used.
maybe a video about the floating disc techonology could be useful :) explaining pros, cons, and all that kind of stuff :D
Keep up the good work! :)
DOT 3 is still the standard in a lot of motorcycles at many non- western nations.
...and Japanese cars.
DOT 3 is very careful with seal rubbers of brake system and clutch. Besides, DOT 3 is less hygroscopic than DOT 4.
@@mdev8846 DOT 3 is working fine for my motorcycles, never had any issues
I recall from a science lesson (several decades ago) that water isn't compressible, and the reason why we need brake fluid is because it IS compressible. The reason for this being that it works like a fluid gear system making the relatively large movement at the brake lever into a smaller movement at the pads, thus creating a mechanical advantage. I may be wrong, it was a long time ago.
you are wrong about the brake fluid being compressible, if you are compressing the liquid your are wasting energy, you want all the pressure and energy from the brake lever to be efficiently transferred to pads. the less compressible the medium the better. but correct about large movement @ low pressure from the brake level transferring to small movement high pressure at the pads.
Ari Henning Cheers Ari. Everyday is a school day.
Water is technically compressible
ANY liquid is
Just some take a lot more force
And no
You don't want a compressible fluid for mechanical advantage
It creates a parasitic loss because instead of putting in work it just compresses the fluid
The reason you don't want water is because if your brake fluid boils
You lose all braking
I was hoping for a little more info like if your bike says runs dot3 you can run 4 and 5.1 depending on its use. If it says to run 5.1, you shouldn’t use 4 or 3. Benefits and drawbacks of each type and so on.
I am glad you didn't mix up those containers.....
Ari, could you give us an estimation of the percentage of water that gets inside the circuit of a supersport bike per year? Or is there such a wide range that it beats purpose?
I have used Valvoline SYN Power Synthetic DOT 4 for over 20 yrs. In my trucks and Motorcycles. It has a dry boiling point of 500 deg. It is reasonably priced, and I noticed it does not "Yellow" [break down ] as soon as many others.
Always appreciate MC garage videos :)
Seriously, quite good content on your channel. Helps a lot man! Cheers!!
Awesome info!
Nissan and Toyota still recommend Heavy Duty DOT 3 in their applications. Why did not they switch to DOT 4 or DOT 5.1?
DOT 3 is less hygroscopic than DOT 4.
CLEVER ON THAT LAST PART DYING
5.1 no exceptions. In any vehicle for any use it is the best.
Super usefull! I was looking for more information about dot 4 and 5.1 and if I could mix them because I have an urgent repair on my bicycle. 🙌🏼
Love these videos, fantastic content from the MC garage
This was really informative. Thanks!
Can't believe I've only just come across this channel
An idea. Sparkplugs and heatingrange. What to think about when tuning. Or maybe just having an athletic ridingstyle!
Wait so you can upgrade? As in your system says DOT4 is required, DOT5.1 would be ok? But not vice versa right?
Thanks Ari! Love the MC Garage Series, keep em coming.
DOT4 and DOT3 are completely interchangeable, but DOT4 is superior because it has a higher boiling point.
Can we put Dot 5.1 one in a bike where Dot 4 is recommended by the manufacturer?
Use DOT 4. NO experiments.
This guy is such a great host!
Amazing videos man . Keep up the good work
Great video young man.
Nicely done! Your videos are great!!!!! Very helpful.
thanks for simple and clear info breakfast :) love mc garage!
Awesome info to know, changing topics; could Ari and Zach please compare the Yamaha TW200 and Suzuki's Vanvan 200? Both on and off road would be fantastic. Thanks, and keep up the videos, love them.
Great suggestion! Surely the boys would have a blast on those bikes.
Motorcyclist Magazine Thanks! Glad you like the idea!
Can you guys do an episode on scrubbing in New tires? That would be awesome!
Much better than using Google
Seriously I miss this dude
Every two years huh? I should do that to my bike right now then :)
Learned something again - Thanks!
Great video's, good explanation. Good presentation. Keep up the good work.
Greetings from Zwolle, The Netherlands. Ducati en Triumph rider
im not a motorcycle fan but that video is pretty good!
Now Plz make a tutorial on how to drink brake fluid.
Awesome, we also use brake fluid as a antiseptic:)
Nicely done, and you slowed down! cool.
Origins of the Tide Pod Challenge
keep up the good work these video's help a lot to new riders as well as experienced petrol heads. could u maby do a video on difrent cct's and how to set a manual cam chain tensioner to its correct tension? iread a lot of difrent methodes.
superb explanation dude and very useful,I think u should work on cars to explain for us
again great video thanks ARI
Great thanks for the info.I know how you faked the drinking the fluid.....the bottles have a seal on them after you remove the lid.
Thanks bro....Love from India
nothing like a little
*STOPPY SYRUP*
in the morning boys
I drank my brake fluid, I died. Thanks ari!
Would you mind making a video about the Euro 4 norm and how it affects motorcycling?
I just had my brake fluid changed and flushed on my 2002 softball. The mechanic told me the bikes braking required .5 and I had .4 and if I didnt flush and replace my brake fluids to .5 then my brakes will corrode and fail
Is there any truth or am I being scammed.
A mechanic noticed his co-worker drinking brake fluid at lunch.
"What are you doing, man? You can't drink that stuff!"
"Relax," replied his co-worker, "this stuff tastes pretty good, and I don't drink it all the time."
"Seriously," the mechanic exclaimed, "that brake fluid is poison!"
"Hey, man" yelled the co-worker, "back off! I can stop any time I want."
Very informative!
Awesome. Did not know all of that!
my 1998 Dyna Super Glide says, "Dot 5" on the master cylinder, and it's not ABS. Should I be able to use say dot 4 in it? or would the brakes not work at all.? I do like the idea of the Dot 5 silicon based, but if that's stuff is purple, I can tell the previous owner didn't use that at all..
any help is appreciated
DOT 5. But the most important it is your bike is not A.B.S. , then you mustn't use LV ( LOW VISCOSITY ) brake fluid.
@@mdev8846 i did flush and fill with dot4. Working great thanks
Flavors! I love it
Hi,
I want to flush my KTM Duke 390 brake fluid and also the aftermarket hydraulic clutch fluid.
Currently I use dot 3 fluid from Japanese brand Cosmic, I don’t know much about the dot 3, dot 4 clearly,
So, what suggestion do you have for me to use the best fluid for my brake system and clutch system?
Hydraulic clutch on a 390 duke?
Great video, Now I don't have to guess which one anymore , Lol !
at first i was shocked to see you drinking the fluid! lol!!
living that 5.1 life ;D
Haha. Good. This was useful knowledge for me. Thanks.
Thank you for this 😊
Lolol u drunk it the kids at home will try it
Keep funny post bro we like it
First of all, kudos to you guys for putting up such awesome and informative videos. I have a query. As you told the glycol based brake Fluids could be mixed together. Will it matter if we mix same grade of brake fluid from two different brands? Will it differ like in engine oil, since it has additives.
Good stuff 👍🏻
Good info on dot5
Here in my hometown, the lack of first aid kit in many of the pop and mom's garages forced us to use these fluids as an emergency blood-stopper when we have cuts and the like. Very effective, unless you don't want to risk infections, can't withstand the pain and sore, etc. lol.
On topic, I wonder if you can include other comparisons between systems: Disc vs good ole drum systems, fixed vs floating discs, fixed vs radial mount calipers, etc. Thank you a lot, and keep up the good work
Could you guys do a video or a series about building a own cafe racer/scramble?
I like how dot 3 tastes its a little sweeter than dot 4
MIKE Mike the oreillys dot 3 break fluid brand is a little bit spicy tho fyi
so obviously my bike takes 4. I learned in Motorcycle mechanic school don't use 5 cause it's silicone based I would have to changed the seals on my calipers. 5.1 wasn't around. so can I o from 4 to 5.1 no issues? I'm pretty hard on the brakes. I do a lot of track riding
Please tell me when to check and change brake fluid
what is the ingredient of brake fluid DOT 3
Thank you, thank you, thank you
hi
your videos are very interesting and good, i am getting a lot about motorcycles and stuff from you
but i am not sure if you have any video on hydraulic clutch system, if not could you do one please.
thank you, looking forward to it :)
I think I know the answer to this... but if an older bike is spec'd for DOT3, it would be safe to use DOT4 or DOT 5.1?
y
Chuck Beaubuck 125cc accepts DOT 3 or DOT 4
fluid container from yamaha XTZ 125cc
mlb-d1-p.mlstatic.com/cilindro-mestre-freio-superior-ybr-factor-xtz-125-21890-MLB20218510813_122014-F.jpg?square=false
zoom in to read
Replacement master cylinder cover for my 1980 Honda CB750 that specifies DOT3
i.ebayimg.com/00/s/NDUwWDYwMA==/z/Rh4AAOSw-W5UrwyD/$_3.JPG
DOT4 fluid is a perfect replacement for DOT3.
What do you recommend to use on a non-ABS drum brake?
It's very important that you mustn't use LV ( Low Viscosity ) brake fluid in vehicles without A.B.S.