Rebuilt sleeved/o ringed calipers and DOT 5 fluid????

[Norris W.]

So all the caliper rebuilders have stickers all over their stuff that says DOT 5 voids warranty. I absolutely HATE DOT 3 & 4 for a number of reasons. So I decided to call the company that I've bought several sets from and ask specifics. I've heard rumors that it's Chinese seals that cause the issues with them leaking, so I wanted to hear it from the horse's mouth. They said that the seals haven't changed, that during the Obama years the EPA forced a change in the DOT 5 fluid and it ruins all the seals. I told them that I have several quarts of DOT 5 that came from Vette Brakes over 20 years ago and they said it would be fine, no problem. So I put a new set on the car after blowing out the lines, replaced the rubber hoses and filled the master cyl and bled. Next day I trailered the car to the alignment shop and the tech said come look, your RR caliper is pouring. It was so bad it was puddling on the alignment machine. The left rear seems to have a wet spot on the tire also and I haven't looked at the fronts, just putting the car back on the trailer and putting back in the building beside my overheating '65 in my other post from tonight. (I'm beginning to think I have a gremlin screwing with my cars) So what's the overall opinion of why NOT to use DOT 5. In my cache of NON Corvettes I also have a '55 Chevy with Wilwood brakes all the way around and a '66 Nova with Wilwood fronts and both cars have DOT 5 fluid that's been in them for several years with no problems whatsoever. Interestingly both of these Wilwood equipped cars have current off the shelf DOT 5 in the Gunk brand instead of the old stuff.

[Leif A.]

Re: Rebuilt sleeved/o ringed calipers and DOT 5 fluid????

Norris,
One of several threads that has been posted over the last year. This is a known issue and it has nothing to do with the formulation of DOT 5 fluid changing. Enjoy the read.

https://www.forums.ncrs.org/showthre...402#post947402

[Norris W.]

Re: Rebuilt sleeved/o ringed calipers and DOT 5 fluid????

Thank you Leif. I read the entire discussion and will be ordering the other seals.

[Patrick H.]

Re: Rebuilt sleeved/o ringed calipers and DOT 5 fluid????

My suspicion is that there is something else wrong with your caliper not related to DOT5.
I would disassemble it and take a close inspection.

[Norris W.]

Re: Rebuilt sleeved/o ringed calipers and DOT 5 fluid????

Both rears leaking. On car less than a week. Fresh from LSC this year. Put car back in shop in frustration after the royal PIA of doing trailing arms AND brakes last week and now this. Not saying it's NOT something else, but not leaking around any of lines (all new) OR from between the halves. I had a shop all through 80's and early 90's and probably did 100+ cars, always using Vette Brakes calipers and their DOT 5. Never an issue. Have 7 C2's and 3 C3's of my own, all but 2 63's are drum brakes. Based on the advice here I think the best thing is to buy seals and go again.

One other question though..................... WHY all the love for O ring seals? I've got cup type that have been in some of my cars for with DOT 5 for well over 30 years with no problems. I haven't ever seen the O rings out of a caliper, but assume they are round and for that reason I can't figure out why the fluid doesn't push by them.

[Gary R.]

Re: Rebuilt sleeved/o ringed calipers and DOT 5 fluid????

I don't love O-Rings.

I dial in my bearing endplay to under 002" with no lateral play and my rotor runout under 003" locked and have only used Lip seal calipers the past 47 years.

SS calipers were around long before Long Star but many of those companies are gone now.

I have a rear leak now, it's my own fault, I have not kept up with my own car maintenance working on everyone else's. I have not bled the brakes in oh, 17 years!!!! If I did every other year, I would not have a leak now, lip seal or O ring.

[Owen L.]

Re: Rebuilt sleeved/o ringed calipers and DOT 5 fluid????

I have a rear leak now, it's my own fault, I have not kept up with my own car maintenance working on everyone else's. I have not bled the brakes in oh, 17 years!!!! If I did every other year, I would not have a leak now, lip seal or O ring.

A couple months ago, I decided it was time to flush'n'bleed the SS calipers & DOT 5 in my car... almost 40 years after installing it from Vette Brakes & Products. Figured I should also replace, what I believe were, the original hoses. The old fluid had lost much of its color but was otherwise clean. Bled the system that has worked flawlessly with zero leaks and I firmly believe the DOT 5 protected the rubber components.

The only thing I noticed was light cracking of the rubber on the dust seals; they were dry and not in contact with the fluid. Should probably replace those but may wait until the next flush'n'bleed!