So my brakes intermittently go soft. I suspected that there might be water in my brakes lines. I pulled off the cover to the Master Cylinder to see this:
http://lh3.ggpht.com/_bdm4FMlIqRg/TQ_bsO2T0rI/AAAAAAAACDk/oDvF1nn8gk4/s640/IMG_20101212_175638.jpg

My understanding is the color of the fuild in the back chamber is normal. Right? Then what is going on with the fuild in the front? Is there just water in my brake lines? Will bleeding the brakes solve the problem?

Thanks for the help.
PG

New brake fliud is clear. You have water in the front chamber. You should flush the entire system and check the seal on the master cylinder cap. Looks like the cap isn't sealing, rust around the top edge of the master cylinder. If the cruck runs and drives, then the brakes are the most important item to get working properly. You may have rust in the lines or brake cylinders also with that much moisture in the system.Just a thought!

Brake fluid absorbs water, and that water will migrate to the lower points in the brake system and start to corrode your calipers and wheel cylinders, as well as the master cylinder.
I would start by flushing the entire system until you have clean fluid at the bleeders. Then evaluate how well the brakes are working. You may end up rebuilding everything.
Any time you see brake fluid turning dark it is time for a system flush.
Better to spend the $$ and be safe.

Yeah, i figured that a flush was needed. I really was just looking for pro tips on what might be causing this discoloration.

Thanks for the info!

Yeah, i figured that a flush was needed. I really was just looking for pro tips on what might be causing this discoloration.

Thanks for the info!

The discoloration is from water absorbtion, most likely from the stamped steel cover not making a perfect fit/seal with the gasket on the MC. It's fairly common, even with the newer plastic reservoirs.

If you engine oil ever gets looking milky like that you will know you have a coolant leak in the block or heads.

Yeah, i figured that a flush was needed. I really was just looking for pro tips on what might be causing this discoloration.

Thanks for the info!

'What' is causing the milky brake fluid (water) is already identified. 'WHY'??????? heres just an opinion.

Just from what I can see in the photo,, you appear to have nice clean rocker covers. Spend any time at the local car wash really washing the heck out of things underhood, or have the engine bay steam cleaned???? You would be hard pressed to drive through a puddle and splash water up that high inside the inner fenderwell. I'm suspecting this is a self induced misery caused by the spray wand operator,, being the result of a bad seal of the mastercylinder cap gasket.

But shuuush,, don't tell woody I was here. I'm supposed to be in time out. :-)

What Marv said. Here's a tip (better late than never) take some sandwich bags with you next time to the car wash and cover your M/C AND your Distributor cap. You might also replace the seal on the master cylinder cover and if yours has the wire clips on the top you can bend them just a little to tighten them up and hold the lid tighter.

I read somewhere that DOT 4 and synthetic fluid didn't collect water. I couldn't find any dot 4 and didn't want to use synthetic so I flushed the entire system. I used a Mity vac to evacuate the system. I could hardly believe the junk that came out of the brake system.

Silicon based fluid won't collect water. But it's not compatible in any way with the glycol based fluids.

Just stick with the standard glycol and flush on a regular basis (2 to 3 year intervals) and you'll be just fine.

im using a synthetic dot 3 can be mixed with reg dot 3 but does not absorb water :smileyb: