Date:         Tue, 7 Nov 1995 19:35:47 CST6CDT
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         "Dan Houg" <fairwind@northernnet.com>
Subject:      Brake fluid composition?  UV leak detection

a Question:
What exactly *is* brake fluid made of?  I know there are 'alcohols' 
etc. but i'd like a specific formulation.

What i want to know, actually, is if a small quantitiy of brake fluid 
-say 2 ounces, would be detrimental to the engine if mixed in with 
the oil.

Brake fluid is the only stuff i've found so far that allows 
florescene, a chemical used in UV leak detection, to dissolve in the 
brake fluid as a carrier, yet also is miscible in engine oil.  I have used 
this in the past for leak detection and it works well but i'd like to 
know one way or the other if i'm doing something nasty to the oil.

Companies eg Spectronics, make a line of UV tracers for engine oil, 
tranny fluid, antifreeze, and freon but there are expensive and not 
available locally.  The Spectronics formulation looked and 
felt like brake fluid but that's a pretty encompassing 
generalization.  and i don't *think* they'll tell me the carrier if i 
just give 'em a friendly call... maybe there MSDS sheets would be 
revealing.

BTW, the florescene + brake fluid composition DID work well.  Just 
mix an excess (keep adding 'til it doesn't dissolve anymore) of 
florescene with 2 ounces brake fluid and voila!  a $8 vial of tracer 
for about $0.25.  course your engine might sieze in 8 minutes....

-dan

ps.  my engine didn't sieze but i did change oil soon after.