[RainsFather]

I am switching to a DOT4 brake fluid when I change my brakes but was wondering. Since the clutch uses the same reservoir I have to bleed the line to the clutch slave also? And to do that requires me to drop the trans? The whole reason I am doing the brake upgrade is because I hate how my clutch feels after I heat the brakes. If I just switch to a larger slotted/drilled rotor (looking at the baer eradispeed +2 kits) front and rear with better pads and SS lines would that be enough to keep the brake fluid temps down?

 

[bigpappy33]

I didn't mess with the clutch when i switched to DOT4 and upgraded to the GT500 brakes. My clutch did feel a bit lighter after though. I wouldn't worry about it.

 

[RainsFather]

I thought that you couldnt mix DOT3 and 4 but a friend of mine just informed me that I was thinking about DOT5. That really makes me feel a lot better since I really have no plans to drop the trans any time soon.

 

[takeitapart]

Unless you get all the DOT 3 out there is no point in using DOT 4. The DOT 3 will mix with the DOT 4 as you use the clutch.

 

[carnut59]

yes you can mix 3 and 4 and it wont hurt anything, go ahead and do it

 

[1rnkpny]

Dot 3 and 4 can be mixed because it isn't synthetic. Dot 5 on the other hand CANNOT be mixed with 3 or 4. It is a special synthetic for extreme braking conditions. ie. Formula 1, Nascar, road course etc...Even if you don't get all the Dot 3 out, your boiling point will still increase. Suck out as much of the old brake fluid as you can from the resevoir, put in the new fluid and gravity bleed the system including the clutch. Your car is 2yrs old, it's time for a flush anyways. It's good to do it every 2 yrs anyways, because the brake fluid agroscopic. (Absorbs water).

 

[06GTMustang89]

Dot 3 and 4 can be mixed because it isn't synthetic. Dot 5 on the other hand CANNOT be mixed with 3 or 4. It is a special synthetic for extreme braking conditions. ie. Formula 1, Nascar, road course etc...Even if you don't get all the Dot 3 out, your boiling point will still increase. Suck out as much of the old brake fluid as you can from the resevoir, put in the new fluid and gravity bleed the system including the clutch. Your car is 2yrs old, it's time for a flush anyways. It's good to do it every 2 yrs anyways, because the brake fluid agroscopic. (Absorbs water).

you mean hygroscopic which means to absorb water from the air

agroscopic isn't even a word..

DOT 3 and 4 are almost all polyglycol based (and can be mixed) and DOT 5 is silicone based. So if you mix DOT 3 or 4 with the silicone based DOT 5 , the DOT 5 will float on the glycol base and might create a water film between the two and cause corrosion in the master cylinder, proportion valve, etc...

And OP you don't have to drop the trans to bleed the clutch...the line connector is on the drivers side of the tranny on the bell housing...all you do is unclip it, and pull the line out and let it gravity bleed. But in order to do it properly you have to have a vacuum pump for the master...you pump it to 20 psi or so ( if i recall correctly ) for one minute then pump the clutch slowly 6-8 times...then do the process all over again till you get the pressure back in the pedal..

 

[1rnkpny]

Thanks for the correction. I've always messed up that freakin word!lol I even googled it and it came up, to make sure I got it right. Crazy.

 

[RainsFather]

you mean hygroscopic which means to absorb water from the air

agroscopic isn't even a word..

DOT 3 and 4 are almost all polyglycol based (and can be mixed) and DOT 5 is silicone based. So if you mix DOT 3 or 4 with the silicone based DOT 5 , the DOT 5 will float on the glycol base and might create a water film between the two and cause corrosion in the master cylinder, proportion valve, etc...

And OP you don't have to drop the trans to bleed the clutch...the line connector is on the drivers side of the tranny on the bell housing...all you do is unclip it, and pull the line out and let it gravity bleed. But in order to do it properly you have to have a vacuum pump for the master...you pump it to 20 psi or so ( if i recall correctly ) for one minute then pump the clutch slowly 6-8 times...then do the process all over again till you get the pressure back in the pedal..

ok, it just seemed like every write up I've seen it was done when everything was apart for a clutch swap. I have access to a brake vacuum pump so that is not a problem at all.

Thank you to everyone for the help.