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03 Cobra maintenance
- Thread starter Cobratron
- Start date
I can't believe some are gauging 'age' by mileage. The car was built 8 years ago. Coolant does not have.a useful life that long!
Id recommend for everyone to change the fuel filter... When my mechanic took it out it was very dirtywhich surprised us. Key thing is its better to safe than sorry. I'm going to replace the brake fluid and coolant. Fluid is cheap and lets face we don't drive these cars like grannys. Ill probly change the transmission fluid and supercharger oil too.
Now I just to make sure I can get the original fluids from the dealer. Thx for the feedback fellas.
Now I just to make sure I can get the original fluids from the dealer. Thx for the feedback fellas.
Fluids need to be changed regardless of miles, and fuel filter is a must every 2 years or 15k due to contamination/dirt buildup. Brake fluid is a very important fluid most overlooked as well as it absorbs moisture at a higher rate than any other fluid. Here is a little description/ write up on it. Coolant is another fluid prone to breakdown over time and looses its ability to keep its freezing and boiling points. It will also allow corrosion into the cooling system if not flushed out on a regular interval. :biggthump
Lets look at what the DOT ratings mean. The table below shows the MINIMUM wet and dry boiling points for DOT 2, 3, 4, and 5 brake fluid in degrees fahrenheit.
DOT 2 DOT 3 DOT 4 DOT 5 Dry Boiling point 374 401 446 500 Wet boiling point
284 311 356
The DOT 2 spec is for drum brakes and is obsolete. If you have any DOT 2 in your garage, throw it away! DOT 5 is for silicone brake fluid. Silicone brake fluid (DOT 5) should be avoided because it is not compatible with regular brake fluid, it is hard to pour without introducing bubbles and thus results in soft pedal feel, and moisture still gets into your system and will pool in low areas like your calipers and encourage rapid corrosion. STAY AWAY!
That leaves DOT 3 and DOT 4 fluids. These fluids are compatible with each other and may be interchanged or mixed with no ill effects.
Let's look at some popular brake fluids and their boiling points:
Fluid DRY WET Castrol LMA DOT 3/4 446 311 Ford Heavy Duty DOT 3 550 290 ATE Super Blue Racing 536 392 ATE TYP 200 536 392 Motul Racing 600 585 421 Castrol SRF 590 518 Performance Friction 550 284
Castrol LMA is very good at rejecting moisture and may be kept in your brake system for a couple years. The LMA stands for "Low Moisture Activity". This is the minimum quality stuff that I would use in my Impala. It comes in plastic containers which do not have a long shelf life. Don't buy lots of this stuff at a time because moisture can make its way through the plastic containers.
Ford Heavy Duty DOT 3 is VERY inexpensive and is popular among racers because of its excellent dry boiling point. It absorbs moisture quickly, but the racers don't care since they change their fluid frequently. Comes in metal cans so it may be stored. I would not use this in my Impala for the street.
ATE Super Blue Racing and ATE TYP 200 are the same brake fluid in two different colors (blue and amber, respectively). BMW recommends this brake fluid for their street cars because it, like Castrol LMA, absorbs moisture very slowly. The advantage over LMA is that ATE has a much better wet boiling point. You can put this stuff in your car and forget about it for a long time. An excellent choice for a weekend track car which also sees regular street duty. Comes in metal cans. This is what I use in all my street cars.
Motul Racing 600 is a very exotic and expensive synthetic fluid with high wet and dry boiling points. I use this exclusively in my race cars. Too expensive for the street and requires frequent changing due to its hygroscopic nature. Sold in plastic bottles. It is not suitable for the street because it absorbs moisture quickly.
Castrol SRF is a hyper-exotic and hyper-expensive brake fluid that is generally used by wealthy Porsche owners at track events. I've seen prices of $78 per liter for this stuff. Sold in metal cans. I can't afford this stuff!
Performance Friction High Performance DOT 3 has a good dry boiling point but a crummy wet boiling point. It comes in metal cans which is good for shelf life and sells for $7.87 per 16 ounce container. If you are even considering this fluid, I would go with the cheaper Ford Heavy Duty DOT 3. In either case, change this fluid frequently due to the poor wet boiling point.
Thanks to Leigh Smith for the following information on the impact of moisture content in brake fluid :
The amount of moisture in brake fluid definitely affects its performance. The big problem is it is absorbs moisture quickly. Over a relatively short period of time brake fluid will absorb moisture from the air. SAE field tests have shown that the average one year old car has 2% moisture in the fluid. A random test of vehicles in the U.S. showed an average water content of 2.6% for vehicles with an average age of 8 years. And 25% of these vehicles had water content greater than 4%.
As water content in brake fluid increases over time, the boiling point decreases. Fluid with a reduced boiling point (or high water content) can create vapor by boiling in the caliper, or wheel cylinder. The result is sudden brake failure. And water in the brake fluid can contribute to corrosion of parts such as steel pistons and ABS modulators.
The end result is even though DOT 3 fluid is "rated" at greater than 401oF, in the typical 3 to 4 year old car with 3 to 4% moisture content, it could boil under 300oF. And if it has got more than 4% moisture, you may as well be running straight water!
Moral: Flush your brake fluid every year or so. But only if you would like it to work well scarcely an inch away from those toasty 500oF rotors on your SHO during a couple of hard stops! Or would you rather have a squishy pedal?
Technical data courtesy of Leica Refractometers. www.leica-ead.com.
Brake fluid is a non-compressible liquid (like hydraulic fluid.) As the brake pedal is pushed, this force is transmitted to the individual brakes via the brake fluid. Fluids are generally non-compressible, while gases (vapor/moisture) are compressible. If brake fluid boils (becomes a gas) it will lose its ability to transmit force - in other words, brake failure. The Department of Transportation (DOT) requires that brake fluid have a dry (no moisture) boiling temperature of at least of 401 degrees, with a wet temperature of no less than of 284 degrees. A 3% moisture content in DOT3 brake fluid will reduce the boiling point to 293 degrees. Which is dangerously close to DOT and OEM requirements. Based on NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) studies, brake fluid can absorb 3% moisture through hoses and valves in 18 months. 20% of the cars tested had a moisture content over 5%.
What impact does this have on my ABS (antilock or stability control braking system)? Per AlliedSignal's Bendix (a leading brake manufacturer) "The ABS modulator unit isn't just complicated and expensive, it will get damaged if the fluid is either dirty or moisture-contaminated. Since most brake fluid naturally absorbs moisture from the atmosphere, the only way to fight this problem is to regularly flush and replace fluid every 2 years or 24,000 miles. " Why is moisture a problem? Brake fluid is a non-compressible liquid (like hydraulic fluid.) As the brake pedal is pushed, this force is transmitted to the individual brakes via the brake fluid. Fluids are generally non-compressible, while gases (vapor/moisture) are compressible. If brake fluid boils (becomes a gas) it will lose its ability to transmit force - in other words, brake failure. The Department of Transportation (DOT) requires that brake fluid have a dry (no moisture) boiling temperature of at least of 401 degrees, with a wet temperature of no less than of 284 degrees. A 3% moisture content in DOT3 brake fluid will reduce the boiling point to 293 degrees. Which is dangerously close to DOT and OEM requirements. Based on NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) studies, brake fluid can absorb 3% moisture through hoses and valves in 18 months. 20% of the cars tested had a moisture content over 5%. DOT4 brake fluid does not absorb moisture as fast but is impacted by the moisture to a greater degree. A 3% moisture content in DOT4 fluid reduces the boiling point up to 50%.
Lets look at what the DOT ratings mean. The table below shows the MINIMUM wet and dry boiling points for DOT 2, 3, 4, and 5 brake fluid in degrees fahrenheit.
DOT 2 DOT 3 DOT 4 DOT 5 Dry Boiling point 374 401 446 500 Wet boiling point
284 311 356
The DOT 2 spec is for drum brakes and is obsolete. If you have any DOT 2 in your garage, throw it away! DOT 5 is for silicone brake fluid. Silicone brake fluid (DOT 5) should be avoided because it is not compatible with regular brake fluid, it is hard to pour without introducing bubbles and thus results in soft pedal feel, and moisture still gets into your system and will pool in low areas like your calipers and encourage rapid corrosion. STAY AWAY!
That leaves DOT 3 and DOT 4 fluids. These fluids are compatible with each other and may be interchanged or mixed with no ill effects.
Let's look at some popular brake fluids and their boiling points:
Fluid DRY WET Castrol LMA DOT 3/4 446 311 Ford Heavy Duty DOT 3 550 290 ATE Super Blue Racing 536 392 ATE TYP 200 536 392 Motul Racing 600 585 421 Castrol SRF 590 518 Performance Friction 550 284
Castrol LMA is very good at rejecting moisture and may be kept in your brake system for a couple years. The LMA stands for "Low Moisture Activity". This is the minimum quality stuff that I would use in my Impala. It comes in plastic containers which do not have a long shelf life. Don't buy lots of this stuff at a time because moisture can make its way through the plastic containers.
Ford Heavy Duty DOT 3 is VERY inexpensive and is popular among racers because of its excellent dry boiling point. It absorbs moisture quickly, but the racers don't care since they change their fluid frequently. Comes in metal cans so it may be stored. I would not use this in my Impala for the street.
ATE Super Blue Racing and ATE TYP 200 are the same brake fluid in two different colors (blue and amber, respectively). BMW recommends this brake fluid for their street cars because it, like Castrol LMA, absorbs moisture very slowly. The advantage over LMA is that ATE has a much better wet boiling point. You can put this stuff in your car and forget about it for a long time. An excellent choice for a weekend track car which also sees regular street duty. Comes in metal cans. This is what I use in all my street cars.
Motul Racing 600 is a very exotic and expensive synthetic fluid with high wet and dry boiling points. I use this exclusively in my race cars. Too expensive for the street and requires frequent changing due to its hygroscopic nature. Sold in plastic bottles. It is not suitable for the street because it absorbs moisture quickly.
Castrol SRF is a hyper-exotic and hyper-expensive brake fluid that is generally used by wealthy Porsche owners at track events. I've seen prices of $78 per liter for this stuff. Sold in metal cans. I can't afford this stuff!
Performance Friction High Performance DOT 3 has a good dry boiling point but a crummy wet boiling point. It comes in metal cans which is good for shelf life and sells for $7.87 per 16 ounce container. If you are even considering this fluid, I would go with the cheaper Ford Heavy Duty DOT 3. In either case, change this fluid frequently due to the poor wet boiling point.
Thanks to Leigh Smith for the following information on the impact of moisture content in brake fluid :
As water content in brake fluid increases over time, the boiling point decreases. Fluid with a reduced boiling point (or high water content) can create vapor by boiling in the caliper, or wheel cylinder. The result is sudden brake failure. And water in the brake fluid can contribute to corrosion of parts such as steel pistons and ABS modulators.
The end result is even though DOT 3 fluid is "rated" at greater than 401oF, in the typical 3 to 4 year old car with 3 to 4% moisture content, it could boil under 300oF. And if it has got more than 4% moisture, you may as well be running straight water!
Moral: Flush your brake fluid every year or so. But only if you would like it to work well scarcely an inch away from those toasty 500oF rotors on your SHO during a couple of hard stops! Or would you rather have a squishy pedal?
Technical data courtesy of Leica Refractometers. www.leica-ead.com.
Brake fluid is a non-compressible liquid (like hydraulic fluid.) As the brake pedal is pushed, this force is transmitted to the individual brakes via the brake fluid. Fluids are generally non-compressible, while gases (vapor/moisture) are compressible. If brake fluid boils (becomes a gas) it will lose its ability to transmit force - in other words, brake failure. The Department of Transportation (DOT) requires that brake fluid have a dry (no moisture) boiling temperature of at least of 401 degrees, with a wet temperature of no less than of 284 degrees. A 3% moisture content in DOT3 brake fluid will reduce the boiling point to 293 degrees. Which is dangerously close to DOT and OEM requirements. Based on NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) studies, brake fluid can absorb 3% moisture through hoses and valves in 18 months. 20% of the cars tested had a moisture content over 5%.
What impact does this have on my ABS (antilock or stability control braking system)? Per AlliedSignal's Bendix (a leading brake manufacturer) "The ABS modulator unit isn't just complicated and expensive, it will get damaged if the fluid is either dirty or moisture-contaminated. Since most brake fluid naturally absorbs moisture from the atmosphere, the only way to fight this problem is to regularly flush and replace fluid every 2 years or 24,000 miles. " Why is moisture a problem? Brake fluid is a non-compressible liquid (like hydraulic fluid.) As the brake pedal is pushed, this force is transmitted to the individual brakes via the brake fluid. Fluids are generally non-compressible, while gases (vapor/moisture) are compressible. If brake fluid boils (becomes a gas) it will lose its ability to transmit force - in other words, brake failure. The Department of Transportation (DOT) requires that brake fluid have a dry (no moisture) boiling temperature of at least of 401 degrees, with a wet temperature of no less than of 284 degrees. A 3% moisture content in DOT3 brake fluid will reduce the boiling point to 293 degrees. Which is dangerously close to DOT and OEM requirements. Based on NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) studies, brake fluid can absorb 3% moisture through hoses and valves in 18 months. 20% of the cars tested had a moisture content over 5%. DOT4 brake fluid does not absorb moisture as fast but is impacted by the moisture to a greater degree. A 3% moisture content in DOT4 fluid reduces the boiling point up to 50%.
hahaha, what?
I'm asking where you get the supercharger oil from, i do believe you need 6 ounces of it.
I might try that though, i was just going to use a syringe with some small plastic tube to suck it out.
yes and yes
did a quick search for u and found a write up
http://www.allfordmustangs.com/forums/4-6l-talk/64910-fuel-filter-change.html
I decided to change my transmission fluid....any suggestions? Should I stick with the factory stuff from FORD or go with aftermarket? I have a Steeda short throw shifter and have grinded the gears so many times trying to get into 5th gear. For some reason it's really hard to put into 5th gear.
Can't go wrong with keeping the fluids(blood) of the car fresh!
Can't go wrong with keeping the fluids(blood) of the car fresh!
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