Clutch fluid change question, plus shock install follies!

[saki302]

Hi Guys-

I had a quick question for you avid clutch fluid flushers out there- I've read up on the syringe method of cleaning the clutch fluid reservoir. I did mine today- it's super easy- two sucks with the syringe and it's dry. I wiped it down with a paper towel and blew off any leftover lint too. The fluid wasn't black, but was a bit brown with a little murky residue in there- proabbly a good time for the swap.

Here's my question- is it okay to mix DOT 4 and DOT 3 brake fluid? All I have handy is Valvoline synthetic DOT4, which is what some of the forum members use in their fluid swaps.. but I don't know if they flushed it to DOT4 stuff or not. I know the boiling point will be DOT3 if there is any DOT3 fluid in there, I just want to make sure this cannot hurt anything. My friend told me it'ss fine, but I want to check with the EXPERTS

Now on to the rest of my rollercoaster afternoon..

I finally got my Mallett Goodridge SS lines installed- it wasn't hard, but was messy. The new fittings they sent fit perfectly. I bled it with Valvoline synth brake fluid, but I'm going to have a dealer do a Tech II flush to ATE super gold soon, to get all the old DOT 3 out of the ABS system. All in all the pedal feels a tad firmer, and a bit easier to modulate. Great mod for the bucks!

Then, I did my 2004 shocks which I ordered from Fred Beans.. Aye, there's the rub..

The rears went in fantastic- not a hitch. The fronts were a b--tch. Then, to top it off, I notice one of the fronts looks liek itmight be leaking- there is some oil on the can seeping from under the dust shield?!?!
And the final icing on the cake- they sent one wrong shock. Part number 10313647. I don't know what it's for, but it has an extra 1/2" sag, but otherwide looks identical to the other Vette shocks. I wouldn;t have even noticed it except when I crawled underneath to prod at my exhaust and H pipe and saw the numbers on the shock were 'wrong'..

I emailed Gene at Fred Beans late tonight- hopefully they can send me two new front shocks and let me return these later. I'll even pay for them ahead of time if I have to so we don't have to do the install TWO more times... Not like I drive the car more than once a week anyways- I'll proabbly let it sit untilt he replacement shocks come in. I don't want any handling 'surprises'...

So.. I guess it was a so-so day. I'm liking the SS lines though

-Dave

[ZeeOhSix]

Originally Posted by saki302

Here's my question- is it okay to mix DOT 4 and DOT 3 brake fluid? All I have handy is Valvoline synthetic DOT4, which is what some of the forum members use in their fluid swaps.. but I don't know if they flushed it to DOT4 stuff or not. I know the boiling point will be DOT3 if there is any DOT3 fluid in there, I just want to make sure this cannot hurt anything. My friend told me it'ss fine, but I want to check with the EXPERTS

I've changed the clutch fluid in my Zee a couple of times (via syringe method) and used the Valvoline Syntech with no problems. I think DOT3 and DOT4 are compatible ... check the label on the bottle to see if it mentions anything. I've seen reservoir caps that say "DOT3/DOT4" on them so that would indicate that either could be used.

[saki302]

Sounds good- that's what I wanted to hear

How long do you wait between fluid changes? Each fill up? I assume you need a good 10-20 changes to get most of the old fluid out.

-Dave