[Sooner Cole]

(2017 ZL1 M6) I apologize in advance, I'm still new to this. The engine oil and differential fluid changes were straight forward. But I'm a little lost on the brake fluid change. I searched threads and youtube and found info on fluid choices, but not much on the actual process of swapping the brake fluid. Anyone have step by step process on this. Thanks in advance for helping this rookie out!

[Ryephile]

Good timing, I just flushed mine yesterday on my 1LE. I used a Motive power bleeder with an 1108 adapter to fit onto the master cylinder fluid reservoir. This link includes both. You'll use the thin gasket, but you'll also have to trim the circumference ever so slightly to make it fit, it's too big for whatever reason. I also have a Genesis bleeder bottle where the hose fits onto the caliper bleed nipples nicely.

You'll need 1 liter of brake fluid for a full flush. I found it's a 1/4 liter per side in the rear, and less than that on each side for each front. The total for me was about 0.8 liters needed. Personally I'm done screwing around with brake fluids and only bother with Castrol SRF. It's expensive but you only need to do one flush a year even if you're a track rat like me. In the long run it's less expensive since you don't have to flush the fluid every event like you do with every other fluid that has a crappy wet boiling point.


The hydraulic line routing on the Camaro is a little unusual, given the ABS module is on the opposite side of the car from the reservoir. As such, start with the drivers rear caliper, then pass rear, then driver front, and finish with the pass front. Make sure to do both sides of each caliper. It's an 11mm hex for the bleeders, use a closed end wrench.


Cheers,
Ryan

[TJay74]

Where did you get the Motive bleeder from? Did you bleed from the caliper back to the master?

[LibertyHill]

Anyone doing this should consider installing stainless brake lines at the same time.

[Whitespeed]

Originally Posted by Ryephile

Good timing, I just flushed mine yesterday on my 1LE. I used a Motive power bleeder with an 1108 adapter to fit onto the master cylinder fluid reservoir. This link includes both. You'll use the thin gasket, but you'll also have to trim the circumference ever so slightly to make it fit, it's too big for whatever reason. I also have a Genesis bleeder bottle where the hose fits onto the caliper bleed nipples nicely.


Cheers,
Ryan

I just tried the Motive bleeder with the thin gasket tonight and it ended up leaking badly. The gasket fit the cap just fine and it passed the dry pressure test @ 15psi. But, of course it let go when fluid was involved, and I discovered very expensive SRF brake fluid pouring on the ground, and of course on the inner fender paint . I spent the next hour obsessively hosing everything under the master cylinder down with water and then I needed to get to bed. Before calling it quits for the night I did try the thick gasket in the cap though. I didn't think I'd be able to get the cap on the MC with the thick gasket, but sure enough I was able to get it on without too much trouble. I'll give that a try tomorrow night.


Nigel

[ZL1Tracker]

Had someone come to my house the other day to do it for me before a track day because I wanted higher temp stuff in there.

He made it look pretty simple by making a plastic canister with a tube on the end of it that he connected to the bleeding line of the brakes.

He added the new brake fluid and had me pump on the brakes as he was bleeding it multiple times for each caliper.

He also mentioned doing it this way is better then taking all the oil out because you can end up with bubbles in the lines and not know it which can cause other issues.

So basically he put enough brake fluid that would measure the total capacity allowed, and by bleeding flushed out the original fluid.

[Zl1+911]

Use the dry method vs. wet....look it up on Google

[Stephen12ZL1]

Originally Posted by Whitespeed

I just tried the Motive bleeder with the thin gasket tonight and it ended up leaking badly. The gasket fit the cap just fine and it passed the dry pressure test @ 15psi. But, of course it let go when fluid was involved, and I discovered very expensive SRF brake fluid pouring on the ground, and of course on the inner fender paint . I spent the next hour obsessively hosing everything under the master cylinder down with water and then I needed to get to bed. Before calling it quits for the night I did try the thick gasket in the cap though. I didn't think I'd be able to get the cap on the MC with the thick gasket, but sure enough I was able to get it on without too much trouble. I'll give that a try tomorrow night.


Nigel

be careful as the three tab type cap like our Camaros use only seal well in one of the three possible ways it can be installed. If you rock the cap adapter and it doesn't feel solid, try again and you will find one way it is solid.

[TheRealJA105]

Originally Posted by Zl1+911

Use the dry method vs. wet....look it up on Google

Yes, don't put any fluid in the Motive bleeder. Just top off the reservoir and keep an eye on the level. Remove the Motive when low by unscrewing at the Motive cap to release pressure first then remove from the reservoir, refill and repeat.

[EDFHOBBIES]

I have done mine and a friends 1le both times I used the speed bleeder and wasn't able to get the pedal feel we were looking for after swapping fluid.. so we manual bled another bottle of motul in after using 5 of the smaller ones w the bleeder. It also seemed to work better with the car on as opposed to off. After the car running and manual bled it feels better than how it came from dealer.