Date:         Mon, 19 Nov 2001 09:14:24 -0800
Reply-To:     gary hradek <hradek@YAHOO.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         gary hradek <hradek@YAHOO.COM>
Subject:      a dirty brake resevoir, a flushing question
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

Scott's question regarding flushing the the power
steering system made me notice that my steering fluid
was looking dirty and old.   Having to make a trip to
vw I inquired about the 35 dollar per liter special
thinner juice that we use in our power steering racks.
  No longer available but he did point out to me that
vanagons did have a problem with power steering fluid
compatiblity.   Add the wrong stuff and bang, every
seal in the rack is leaking.   A thought came to me
that I like thoses who have come before me address the
issue of buying the juice when we need to add.   Why
was I adding????   which brings me to the dirty brake
resevoir.   I have heard that it is a good idea to
flush our brake and clutch fluids on a regular basis.
In fact I have always noticed my master cylinder
failure occurs when the fluid begins to look very
dirty.  Most of the time the fluid looks clean in
those nice platic resevoir, but as soon as it turns
black your looking at trouble.   Once I even changed
the dirty fluid but the master failed weeks later.
You could argue that I waited too long and flushing
should be done on a more regular basis.   But I am
surprised by how quickly and how black the resevoir
becomes when it turns like a bad wine.  Just like
adding power steering fluid when the chamber become
low (chicken or egg) leads to a leaking system perhaps
the dirty resevoir is just the rubber from the cups of
the master cylinder doing its final death dance.   If
this is the case, perhaps no amount of flushing can
prevent this.   Which is the point I would like to
make.   I believe that there ismuch. too much flushing
going on amomg list members.   Wasteful flushing.
It's not that I do not believe in a good flush not and
then.   I would always flush when changing out the
rear wheel cylinders.
And yes by all means flush when you change the front
pads but becareful not to back flush when you push the
pistons in to make room for the new pads.   But for
brake shoes do not waste your time flushing because
you may have to flush again when the wheel cylinders
begin leaking.   So what have you accomplished there,
just a double flush.
                    flushing mad, gary



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