Noob brake fluid question

[LR Max]

Ever say to yourself, "Oh, well the auto parts store HAS to have this. No big deal!!" Yeah, that just owned me...

So I've always put Castrol GT LMA brake fluid in my rover. I go to FOUR AUTO PARTS STORES and NONE of them have Castrol LMA! I had 2 stores say they've never even heard of the brand.

Holy smokes! What happened? I remember buying this stuff on the shelves last year!

Anywho, so I need the Castrol stuff (because that is what I've been told to always put into british cars) and nowhere to buy it.

Question A: Does anyone have a suggestion on where to procure? I'm in Atlanta, GA. Not afraid to go hunt for it.

Question B: What other off the shelf brake fluid can I dump in there that will jive with what I've got?

Thanks for the help. Can't believe no one carries Castrol anymore! And yes, I checked NAPA, Advance auto, Autozone and O'reillys.

-Max

[TedW]

Max:

Your timing is impeccable. If you scroll down the thread list a bit you will find one called "What clutch fluid can I use? It says girling castrol.."

You should get your questions answered there. Or, if not, just ask.

BTW: You can order Land Rover brake fluid from our hosts.

Hope this helps - Ted

[bkreutz]

Or.......... look in the phone book (or online) for a repair shop that works on British cars, they'll either tell you a local source or sell you some. (I'm not disagreeing with the other thread regarding brake fluid, I just look at that discussion as one of personal preference.)

[Apis Mellifera]

There is no reason to use GT LMA...or any other brake fluid in a LR. The brake parts will be fine with whatever you use (assuming you aren't on 30-year-old parts).

It is important to know what you have in the master cylinder. If it's glycol (DOT 3 or 4) you can add any DOT 3 or 4 to it (though I've not found any scientific documentation to say mixing 3 and 4 is bad, some people do not recommend it. Personally, I've not had a problem.) If your fluid is silicone (DOT 5), you shouldn't add 3 or 4 to it.

If you don't know what's in the MC, you probably ought to flush it and refill with whatever you find locally. I've converted my fleet to Valvoline Synth-whatever-it-is and haven't had a bit of trouble.

[albersj51]

I picked some up at pepboys for $9

[LR Max]

So I called every auto parts store in a 20 mile radius. No Castrol.

However I have spoken to two englishmen who have told me that Valvoline DOT 3 works just fine. I mean, if the guy who owns a perfect TR3B tells me it works, that is all there is to it!

Glad the classic rover parts world has caught up with the rest of the world.

[feildpickedrover]

i used parts plus dot 3 fluid in my rover(resivoar was bone dry when i pulled it from its former grave) and got the brakes and everything working, and ended up blowing all the master cylindar seals and the clutch slave seals, i read afterwards that dot 4 was the nom, and in auto school i was taught dot 3 fluid in a regularly dot 4 system dries out the seals and cracks em...oops

[LR Max]

I talked to more people. My uncle who is a BIG british car guy (currently has 2 jags, one is a XKE) said that the Valvoline Synthetic was just as good. So I went with that.

If I explode all my brakes in 6 months, I will report back and say its no good.

[Apis Mellifera]

in auto school i was taught dot 3 fluid in a regularly dot 4 system dries out the seals and cracks em...oops

So does having a braking system that's been bone dry for ages...the fluid leaked out somehow...before the DOT3 was added.

One thing I've learned is that irrational beliefs are often hardest to break. No amount of fact will convince people as long as they don't want to be convinced. No offense meant to the quoted. It is surprising that such nonsense is being taught in an automotive school, though. The same goes for "Fram oil filters are awful" and "champion spark plugs burn pistons." Amazing.

[Terrys]

So does having a braking system that's been bone dry for ages...the fluid leaked out somehow...before the DOT3 was added.

One thing I've learned is that irrational beliefs are often hardest to break. No amount of fact will convince people as long as they don't want to be convinced. No offense meant to the quoted. It is surprising that such nonsense is being taught in an automotive school, though. The same goes for "Fram oil filters are awful" and "champion spark plugs burn pistons." Amazing.

VERY well said!

[printjunky]

I agree that most anything will work, but FWIW, GT LMA can be had anywhere for a good price via Amazon, from a racing place called Hoerr(sp?) Racing in Peoria. Oddly (or not) it's more expensive on their own site than it is on Amazon, making me think it would cost me more to drive the hour to get it from them.