Bulk Brake Fluid

[The Critic]

Someone told me that Sears purchases their brake fluid in bulk (five gallon drums) for use in their service area.

I've always been told to only use brake fluid from a sealed container. Wouldn't bulk storage of brake fluid cause moisture to enter the fluid? I know that assembly plants use bulk brake fluid, but theirs is stored in a vacuum I believe.

Would you folks trust brake fluid that was stored in bulk containers?

 

[Audi Junkie]

Probally better than the old stuff that came out.

 

[ryan2022]

I dont think Id feel comfortable with that. But brake fluid wont fail instantly on you, like a leak or major braking issue. The pedal may just feel a little spongy, and the longterm condition of your braking system may not be what it could be.

I think Id bring in my own stuff if I were you.

I dont like buying brake fluid containers larger than 1 Litre for that very reason!

 

[mechtech2]

The point is NOT to leave brake fluid in an OPEN container.
Put the cap back on your home bottle.
I would not hesitate trusting the bulk type unless I knew it was improperly stored or used.

 

[The Critic]

Originally Posted By: mechtech2
The point is NOT to leave brake fluid in an OPEN container.
Put the cap back on your home bottle.
I would not hesitate trusting the bulk type unless I knew it was improperly stored or used.

Right, but according to many service manuals, a cap alone is not adequate. They want you to use it from a sealed (foil seal) bottle. A drum can be capped, but it will not be resealed each time.

 

[Kestas]

What does the foil do that a tightly capped container cannot?

 

[The Critic]

Originally Posted By: Kestas
What does the foil do that a tightly capped container cannot?

An air tight seal when you use foil?

 

[moribundman]

Originally Posted By: The Critic
Wouldn't bulk storage of brake fluid cause moisture to enter the fluid?


Maybe they use a gas blanket or a floating lid? No wait, we are talking about Sears...

Originally Posted By: The Critic
Would you folks trust brake fluid that was stored in bulk containers?

No.

 

[Hootbro]

Considering I almost went through two quarts of DOT 3 fluid to flush my Crown Vic out, 5 gallons will not stay around long enough to get stale.

 

[mechtech2]

I did not see the bulk container.
But something tells me it is designed properly, if it is a dedicated brake fluid dispenser.

 

[artificialist]

I don't trust this system at all.

I worked at two shops where brake fluid was always needed for vehicle repairs, so a company would sell us 24 12oz plastic bottles of DOT3.

If a car came in that needed DOT4, we would order 1qt at a time from the auto parts store.

 

[Ken2]

Originally Posted By: The Critic
Someone told me that Sears purchases their brake fluid in bulk (five gallon drums) for use in their service area.

Go look for yourself.

It doesn't matter what size the brake fluid container is...what matters is how long the fluid is sitting around exposed to humid air. If they use five gallons in a short time, great. If you have a pint open for months on your shelf at home, not great.

 

[The Critic]

They told me that they used bulk storage for the brake fluid, but they moisture test the fluid once a week.

Let's just say I skipped the brake flush for now.

 

[GMBoy]

Originally Posted By: The Critic
Someone told me that Sears purchases their brake fluid in bulk (five gallon drums) for use in their service area.

I've always been told to only use brake fluid from a sealed container. Wouldn't bulk storage of brake fluid cause moisture to enter the fluid? I know that assembly plants use bulk brake fluid, but theirs is stored in a vacuum I believe.

Would you folks trust brake fluid that was stored in bulk containers?


You are correct that assembly plants use bulk brake fluid - but of very high quality and very pure. At my assembly plant, they come in huge white (almost clear so you can see the level) containers about 4feet by 3 feet. I never looked to see how many gallons were in a container. Anyway, they are tightly sealed and when hooked to the brake fill equipment, there is no air entry and to top it off we check the boiling point and other fluid specs about 3 times thru a shift.

 

[Kestas]

Why three times a shift? Water can't be absorbed that quickly. Unless you use three containers a shift, then you're checking each container.

 

[benjamming]

Is water or brake fluid more dense?

 

[tom slick]

Originally Posted By: benjamming
Is water or brake fluid more dense?


The specific gravity of dot3 brake fluid is about 1.03, so it is slightly denser then water.

not sure how it applies to brake fluid affinity for water though.

 

[GMBoy]

Originally Posted By: Kestas
Why three times a shift? Water can't be absorbed that quickly. Unless you use three containers a shift, then you're checking each container.



That's the reason. Each container is checked before use.