Packard Forum Index » Post-War (1946-54)

I have a nicely operating BTV Easamatic brake system in my 1954 Packard Clipper Super 2-door Club Sedan. I have seen other posts recommending complete change of brake fluid every two years. I don't know the last time my brake fluid was changed. The service manual shows how to bleed the brakes but I don't see a section specifically describing the the procedure to completely change the fluid. Is there a link to this procedure? Thanks for looking!

Packard didn't have a brake fluid change as a regular maintenance requirement, hence there is no Packard procedure for it. In fact only a very few car manufacturers actually include regular brake fluid changes in their required maintenance schedules (BMW, for example). Nevertheless, it's come to be a well-accepted practice especially for collector cars and in particular those that see limited use. It's probably much less important when DOT-5 is used, but DOT-5's use in TreadleVacs has been questioned by at least one of the major rebuilders.

I just do it as I'd do a brake-bleeding, I just bleed much more fluid from each wheel cylinder while regularly topping off the master with new fluid. If you get 90% or more replaced this way and do it every couple of years, that should be more than adequate.

Thanks Owen, that sounds good...common sense procedure I reckon.

I'm a little late here, but what I do is open the master yearly and suck out the fluid, and replace. That changes most of it. Every *Few* years, I repeat that, and additionally open the lines at the brakes, and refill.

It's incorrect to open the lines and drag all the fluid (presumably with all the accumulated gunk) thru the lines and out the wheels, for obvious reasons. The right way to change fluid is to suck as much as you can from the the top of the master, and then open and drain the lines to remove what's in them.

Brake fluid should be replace every two-three years, (or when it turns deep yellow from the original light yellow)... there's a hole in the top of the master to allow the air to escape which results from applying the brakes and moving the fluid. However, this hole, however tiny, also allow moisture in, and brake fluid being hydrophilic, it quickly absorbs it, and over time, erodes the fluid (and your master cylinder), so regardless of OEM rec's, it should be monitored and changed.