clutch fluid question

bic_bicknell

bic_bicknell

About to bleed my brake and clutch systems. Clutch for the first time, (been done in services before but not by me).

What's the deal on the fluid type? I was going to just use the same fluid as the brake system - Silkolene DOT4 - but the top of the clutch cover says only use Mineral oil. Is this different from the DOT4 oil? I thought that this was mineral oil anyway. Now I'm confused. I've read stuff on here about people using Magura oil for this use.

What's the forum advice on this?

Thanks.
scotsduke

scotsduke

use mineral oil for clutch if you use dot4/dot5 it will eat the seals
dougle

dougle

Use Magura Royal Blood (red or blue) mineral oil only
Lowrance

Lowrance

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Crotchrockety

Crotchrockety

Just finished bleeding my brakes and clutch. Used Motul brake fluid for brakes (obviously). Used Motorex Hydraulic Fluid 75 (mineral oil) for the clutch. Works great!

I've heard fork oil works well too but not sure what weight would be best (probably 5wt).

John
Colonel_Klinck

Colonel_Klinck

I've used ATF automatic transmission fluid with good effect. It's mineral oil too.
BASH69

BASH69

Check the manual before you use 4.0 brake fluid. My 08 calls for DOT 5.1.
Colonel_Klinck

Colonel_Klinck

Bic you can buy Magura Royal Blood (blue) from http://www.evanscycles.com/ I know beacuse I bought mine here or of course KTM. I do have a load of Putoline 5wt fork oil here, if you want to use that just let me know and I'll drop it off.

I found that the best way to get all the old fluid out is to pop the callipers off one at a time, starting with left. Clean the pistons so any shite is removed and won't damage the seals when they are fully depressed back in. Then push each piston back into the calliper, you need to draw all the old fluid out of the reservoir with a syringe as you go. Once all the pistons are fully back in the calliper then you know the calliper is 95% empty of old fluid. Draw out remaining old fluid from reservoir and fill with new. Refit calliper and pads, fit bleeding line to that calliper, fully open and push through some clean fluid. Now you should have all the old fluid out of the system on that side and the master cylinder and line to left. Now just close bleed nipple and pump through clean fluid until all pistons are back out. For the right side I take off calliper, clean pistons and refit calliper. Fit bleed line, fully open and gently push back each piston with a screw driver of similar. Once all 4 pistons are fully back then close bleed nipple, refit pads and pump fresh fluid through untill all pistons are back out again. Then a quick bleed of both callipers and the master cylinder just to be sure there are no bubbles in the system. Slightly long winded but you really want to get shot of all the old fluid and not just whats in the reservoir, master cylinder and lines.

Oh and no doing a Superdan and using Magura Royal Blood as brak fluid, then telling a buddy to take her out and try the slipper out the clutch to see what it feels like. Only to have the brakes seize on 2 miles down the road in the middle of the road
Lowrance

Lowrance

Blimy, weve gone from what clutch fluid to how to service the brakes

And as everyone has already stated Bic, hydrolic clutch fluid, magura bloods, fork oil (5W) or baby oil at a push if you ever got really stuck all work fine (i will warn you now though, the motorex hydrolic mineral oil seems to go off real quick )
BASH69

BASH69

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Colonel_Klinck

Colonel_Klinck

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Stupid Luke

Stupid Luke

5wt fork oil works fine,i´we used it for a year now,no problems.
Lowrance

Lowrance

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ShadeTheChangingMan

ShadeTheChangingMan

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Ducati Pete

Ducati Pete

The slave cylinder shat itself on my 05 SD, no big suprise there When I changed it I couldnt get Magura blood locally so I ran that on baby oil, worked fine so I kept on using it for 6000 miles until I sold the bike.

Cheaper than Magura blood too. Only problem if you happen to take some extra with you, for trackday top ups, Ducati Pete will get a whiff of it and proposition you behind the noise testing
loony888

loony888

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Erwin8r

Erwin8r

I buy the Magura blood gear and Dot 4 for brakes cos its less hygroscopic....i dont think i ride it hard enough to make it boil!!

I bought one of those 'little bleeder' things from motrax,, it was a tenner. I plug it on the bleed valve on the caliper, pump the old fluid out, then the new fluid in. Works on brakes and clutch. No mess. Orsm.
ShadeTheChangingMan

ShadeTheChangingMan

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SDRmaniac

SDRmaniac

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ktmguy

ktmguy

I've used straight "pharmaceutical mineral oil" in a Magura master (on my XR650RR left-hand rear brake--long story), and it worked great. Bought it at Rite-Aid (local pharmacy chain) for $5...

My .02.
websch

websch

I dunno what my dealer put in mine but both reservoirs have a clear liquid in them now.