Castrol SRF eats brake seals ?

[ke6dcj]

Does anyone know if Castrol SRF brake fluid is compatible with the ABS/braking system of the W124 chassis, specifically a 500E, or does it still eat brake seals ?

I had considerable brake-fade after 3-laps (10 to go!) when I took the 500E to ButtonWillow raceway, and will be upgrading to race-pads and was wondering whether or not to upgrade the brake fluid as well.

FWIW, I was running ATE Typ 200 brake fluid, and Textar "yellow-box" pads. Below is table of boiling-points. Note that Castrol SRF's wet boiling point is SIGNIFICANTLY higher than some dry boiling points of other brands.

Rule of thumb for heavy brake users and those who don't flush at least every two years, is to have a brake fluid with a dry boiling point over 500-F, esp. if you vehicle is OVER 3,000-lbs.

:-) neil
1988 E36T AMG
1993 500E

Brake Fluid Comparison Chart

Brand Wet / Dry Boiling Point
Castrol SRF 518°F 590°F
Motul RBF600 420°F 593°F
AP-600 410°F 572°F
ATE-Super Blue 392°F 536°F
Valvoline 333°F 513°F
Castrol LMA 311°F 446°F
Ford HD 290°F 550°F
Wilwood 570 284°F 570°F
PFC-Z rated 284°F 550°F
AP-550 284°F 550°F

[gsxr]

I am not sure. I have heard enough anecdotes to where I would not use SRF in anything but a dedicated race car that got fluid changes every few months (or events), which would be very expensive with SRF.

If you are experiencing fade, I would seriously consider brake size or pad upgrades. If you have the small 300mm fronts, that's the problem. If you have the 320's, toss those YellowBox pads and get some R4 pads or something. I think the ATE fluid should be adequate. If you do need something more, I would strongly lean toward the Motul fluid. It's more expensive (about $25/liter) but does not have the negative side effects of the SRF.

I use the ATE (SuperBlue and Type 200) in my cars, btw, with R4-S pads, but I have not been to the racetrack (not counting the dragstrip).

[gsxr]

Oh yeah - brake upgrades. If 320mm fronts with R4 pads don't cut the mustard at warp speed, your next reasonable options are:

1) Movit's 380mm Brembo setup ($if you have to ask, you can't afford it)

2) StopTech's very sweet 355mm kit (~$2500)

3) OE Brembo 334mm R129 brakes ($1000-$1500 total)


I have a set of the 334mm brakes that I was thinking of putting on my E500, but honestly the stock 320mm's worked better than I thought they would, and I may just leave them alone. I might be persuaded to sell them if the price was right. Total weight is the same as stock 320's since the caliper is aluminum, and the brake pad is larger too (more swept area). Heck, I might even let the 300mm rears go too, if I'm not gonna upgrade the fronts...!

[ke6dcj]

The 500E already has the larger 600SL calipers & rotors.

However, the 500SL and larger 600SL brakes both use the SAME brake-pad!

Time for real race pads, esp. for a near 2-ton vehicle.

I also verified with Mallett Corvette that they DO NOT recommend Castrol SRF.

===========
----Original Message-----
From: support@mallettcars.com [mailto:support@mallettcars.com]
Sent: Friday, October 22, 2004 1:15 PM
Subject: Re: Castrol SRF brake fluid

Yes, this statement is true. We do not promote using Castrol SRF in any Mallett corvette. For further information or to speak direct to Chuck Mallett please call 440-243-8550. Thank you for your interest!

Regards,

The Mallett Team

----- Original Message -----
To:
Sent: Thursday, October 21, 2004 8:52 PM
Subject: Castrol SRF brake fluid


> Is it true that Castrol SRF brake fluids are not recommended in Mallet
> Corvettes ?
>
> I've been told to stay away from one that I was looking at purchasing
> because SRF have "eaten" the brake seals, and that Mallet had
> previously sent out a notice to all owners regarding this.
>
> Please advise.

[2phast]

Its been a well known fact that the Castrol SRF will destroy your brake seals.

Use this chart to help determine a suitable fluid to choose. I use Motul and so does most SCCA racers I know.

http://www.2phast.com/brakefluid.htm