Re: type3-d Digest V2007 #244

[Jim Adney <jadney@vwtype3.org>]

On 5 Jun 2007 at 20:51, Phil Hof wrote:

> Well, brake problems solved with a new ATE master.  The bad one was NOS ATE
> but the old seals must have hardened.  I have a new rebuild kit and will
> rebuild the bad NOS unit as a spare.  Is it worth storing it in a har of
> brake fluid to keep the seals in good shape?  I am using DOT5 silicone so
> water absorbsion will not be a problem during such storage.  Thanks to
> those who advised me and especially Jim who talked me into the DOT5 and
> replacing the master.

You can coat the innards with silicone brake fluid, which will keep them for 
quite a while, but the brake fluid flows away somewhat quickly. Kept in a jar 
of DoT-5 would be even better, but you'd want to make sure that the MC was 
completely covered.

Don't use DoT-3 or DoT-4 for this or they'll rust VERY quickly.

Let me know what you find once you open the defective MC. I'm curious. I have 
some NOS ones here, too, but they seem to be fine. They come from the factory 
in rust-inhibiting paper, but I've sealed them in zip-lock plastic bags to 
maximize the protection. I've found that the rubber seals in the rebuild kits 
seem to stay pliable forever, but the ones I take out of a used MC turn hard in 
a year or 2. It seems like it has something to do with exposure to brake fluid. 
The one thing I've not experimented with is to see if those hard seals will 
soften up in some reasonable time if reimmersed in brake fluid.

> I really hit the brakes hard... hard enough to get an oil light for a
> second.  I am using 20W-50 and I wonder if the thinner oil is causing the
> oil to slosh more.  Maybe I should go back to SAE 30, since I am in a warm
> SoCal climate and will not be driving this car in record heat.  Opinions?

I'd stay away from the 50 stuff. It's too thick and takes longer to get to the 
bearings when you first start up. SAE 30 should be fine in SoCal. My preference 
for more temperate climates is 20W-40, but that's hard to find anymore. I've 
finally given up and just gone to 10W-40 in the summer and 10W-30 in the 
winter.

It's not at all unusual to get the oil light on hard stops or hard cornering. I 
consider it normal, even though I agree that it's disconcerting. I most often 
see it on Cloverleaf off-ramps.

BTW, the "W" in 10W-40 stands for Winter, meaning that this is the viscosity as 
measured on the cold weather scale. Different scales are used for the winter 
and summer ratings.

-- 
Jim Adney
jadney@vwtype3.org
Madison, WI USA

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