Guardiola

iTrader: (1)

Has anyone used the Pentosin brand brake fluid? I did a quick search and didn't see much.
It seems like it would be a decent low cost fluid ($8.61/L @ RA). Thoughts?

Dry boiling point: 265C/509F
Wet boiling point: 165C/329F

Probably matters that I do not track my car, and only do a few autocross events a year.

TalkingPie

If I haven't been able to boil auto-store-brand DOT4 doing light lapping, I doubt you'll have issues autocrossing no matter what you put in there. If the price is right, at those boiling points I'd go for it.

Steve Dallas

It is fine for many applications.

If you bleed frequently, pay more attention to the dry boiling point. If you bleed infrequently, pay more attention to the wet boiling point. Either way, I doubt you will approach the limits for autoX use.

Check out this chart to compare Pentosin to other offerings.

https://www.lelandwest.com/brake-flu...ow=1&SF=4&ST=2

It is high enough on the list to at least be worth the money, if you do not plan to push it too hard. The next step up is ATE Typ 200 at around $16 per Liter.

Savington

iTrader: (31)

329*F wet is weaksauce. ATE's wet point is 388 and that's the minimum acceptable IMO.

EO2K

iTrader: (37)

Interesting chart. Sorting by wet boiling point (because I always consider worst case scenario) I'm kinda surprised the ATE Typ200 is not higher on the list. The Motul RBF600 is still in the top ~15% though.

Steve Dallas

^ ATE 200 is still a good performer, and many of the "better" fluids in the list are not readily available, or at least not in the US. Personally, I use ATE in my cars that have ducts, and any of the 600 fluids in my cars that do not. The 600 fluids are basically all the same, so I buy on price. Redline RL600 has been winning in that respect lately.

afm

iTrader: (3)

Have you looked at the price of stuff like SRF? ATE is a great value in the big cans.

Bronson M

iTrader: (1)

For dirt cheap brake fluid I suggest Prestone DOT4, it has a 510/311 boiling point and can be found at Walmart for like 2$ a bottle. I run this on the street and Auto-X and bleed with ATE before a track day.

Guardiola

iTrader: (1)

I guess I am kinda clueless as to how hot my brake fluid gets during autocross, which is the only time I brake heavily.
How hot would my fluid really get over 5-6 runs?

TalkingPie

Prestone is what I run as well, but didn't remember the published boiling points being that high.

Bronson M

iTrader: (1)

| Prestone®

Pretty crazy for 2$ a bottle.

For auto x, if you get the brakes hot enough to boil the fluid in a stock HP Miata you're doing it wrong. Some guys even swap to 1.6 brakes to save weight or Swiss cheese their rotors.

Savington

iTrader: (31)

Yep. For the money, ATE is great. Motul RBF600 is a better fluid but at 2x the price. SRF is the best fluid money can buy at ~5x the price of ATE. In my own race cars, I run ATE, except in cars which are restricted to undersized brakes by the rules (i.e. PTE dyno-class 1.6 cars running stock 1.6 brakes) or endurance race cars which have to run long stints on the same fluid. In those cases, I shell out for Castrol SRF.

Leafy

iTrader: (1)

Why do we all not run that Galfer stuff? Higher wet boiling point than the motul and cheaper.

Guardiola

iTrader: (1)

Galfer is motorcycle specific brake fluid. Not sure what that means if you put it in a car. Maybe there are some additives that are different.

Leafy

iTrader: (1)

If it meets dot 3, 4, or 5.1 it's brake fluid you can use, doesn't matter how they market it.