Wilwood problem-My turn

[Aggressor]

As they say everyone gets their turn on the wheel.
So I'm cruisin through life enjoying my car and wondering why everyone else has Wilwood M/C failures and I am approaching 10,000 miles on my original unit. Reality gets your attention as you have an instant failure, 35 miles down range, returning from a car show. Flat shifting and blipping the throttle in neutral to try to match engine speed gets you home. The fluid is medium gray in color and thickened slightly from what used to be the rubber M/C seals. About six weeks ago I installed a new clutch, rebuilt my hydralic T/O bearing, flushed the DOT5 out and installed DOT3 fluid. I changed fluid as I understand that McLeod does not recommend it for the T/O bearing seals. The original DOT5 fluid appeared used and discolored but relatively clean when flushed. No Gray tint.
It appears that the seals disolved since the rebuild. I'm an old school sports car owner so lacking the option of using vintage Castrol/Girling crimson fluid, I'm switching to Castrol/Girling LMA DOT3/4. A new Wilwood unit is on order. I've had occasion to do a number of rebuilds on my GT6's M/Cs, but in a quarter million miles, I've
never experienced a Girling M/C instant failure.
Any new insight? - Geary

[Naumoff]

The only thing I can think of is you changed fluid types and the seals in the M/C didn't like it.

Or all these after market racing parts aren't made for the long haul.

[JerryBP]

What did you use to flush out your brake system?
It seams that Silicone dot5 is nearly imposible to compelety remove.
This is the best paper I have ever seen on the subject.
http://www.xs11.com/tips/maintenance/maint1.shtml

[Aggressor]

Flushed with DOT3. Hydralic T/O bearing was rebuilt after the flush. I think the gray DOT3 will flush out . I'll be pushing plenty of the new fluid through the system.

-Geary

PS The Wilwood box is stamped for racing only.
Don't they produce a street version?
The function of this unit is rather simple so
what constitutes are racing only status for
this product?

[JeepSnake]

Aggressor,

I think that the "For Racing Only" or "For Offroad Use Only" wording is there simply to cover the manufacturer. In other words, Wilwood (in this case) hasn't gone through all the hoops of getting the master cylinder an SAE engineering number, approval by the DOT, etc. etc. You can have a part that's 50 times stronger than the original, lasts 10 times as long, etc., but if it hasn't gone through the approval process, it's still "technically" not supposed to be used on a street vehicle.

Case in point - very few racing harnesses are "street legal." From time to time, you see people on Club Cobra and other internet auto websites grouching about being ticketed for driving with a non-DOT approved harness on the street. Same thing with non-DOT headlights, taillights, glass, etc.

But, you're generally going to have to have an encounter with someone with a serious axe to grind to start getting into these matters. Seatbelts & headlights tend to catch a lot of heat because seatbelt laws are always being focused on, and headlights really are an area of abuse that can cause danger to others. Doubt you're going to get a cop looking under the hood and ticketing you for a Wilwood master cylinder, though!

[Tony Radford]

Geary, I decided to go with DOT 5 shortly after my new clutch was installed. MAJOR MISTAKE! I went through two masters and one slave before it was over. The DOT 3 turned inky black for months. I must have run quarts of DOT 3 through the system over a six month period. And it doesn't hold much.

[Aggressor]

Thanks for the info guys. Clutch is bled and we're back on the street again.
I anxious to see what longevity I will get with the Castrol LMA and new Wilwood unit.

_Geary