Mineral Clutch fluid or DOT4 or DOT5?

[evacuk]

Mineral Clutch fluid or DOT4 or DOT5?

Let me first explain the background to my questions, due to an injury to my right hand and elbow I have to ride with my front brake on the left hand handle bar and the clutch on the right hand handle bar. This normal means using the clutch master cylinder as a brake and the brake master cylinder as a clutch. I have made this conversion in the past on my 04 K1200LT with out to any problems expert for bleeding the brakes but that is another story. I now am running into a few problems with my new BM a R1200GS 54.

Firstly can any one tell me the size of the piston in the clutch master cylinder is it the same or close to the size of the brake master cylinder piston?

Secondly, the GS clutch use’s mineral clutch fluid V10 I believe, is this the same as the Mineral fluid sold in Halfords as LHM Plus . ?

If I use DOT 4 for my new braking system will it affect the seals in the clutch master cylinder, now the brake.

If I use DOT 4 in the new clutch system will it affect the seals in the clutch slave cylinder? If I use Mineral fluid will it affect the brake master cylinder, which is now the clutch.

I have been told that DOT5 (not DOT5.1) a silicon synthetic fluid is compatible with both DOT4 and Mineral Fluid , can any confirm this?
If true this would be the answerer to my problems.

If I have to change my clutch slave cylinder is there another model GS which uses DOT4 which is a direct swoop for a R1200 GS

 

[patzx12]

I have some spare levers and will look at this it may be possible to switch the fluid pots around.
Check my old posts re: the slave cylinder dimensions

 

[Funners]

err DOT 5 isn't compatible with DOT 4 or 5.1 as (as you say) it's a synthetic silcone based fluid that needs changing every 5 mins
DOT4 and 5.1 are glycol based and compatible but you end with a hybrid DOT rating somwhere between the two depending on mix.
Mineral fluid (LHM) is totally different and the two don't mix at all
whether or not DOT5 (Silicone) and the mineral oil mix I wouldn't care to hazard a guess...

link here to fluid specs...BRAKE FLUID STUFF

 

[AndyW]

Sorry, no answers to the questions but...

Personally I would go to a BMW main dealer and sound them out on this - I can understand how you may want to do the work yourself as you're capable having done the mod on a previous bike and to save on cost but future brake/clutch problems could be even more expensive or worse still a brake failure could result sometime in the future!

 

[John Armstrong]

Sorry, no answers to the questions but...

Personally I would go to a BMW main dealer and sound them out on this

I know Williams in Manchester have done a number of conversions of handlebar controls, so I'd agree with the ask someone who's done it before.

Hi, btw

 

[evacuk]

Thanks guy for the replies and info, I have tried the BM dealers, but as soon as you start talking about modification to a brake systems, liability claims start popping into thier heads and they politely change the subject.
You are right the seals in the clutch cylinder/ slave will not work DOT grades
I think I have found a solution, I will change the clutch master cylinder for PT radial MC which use DOT4 and is the same piston size as the original brake MC and connect to the braking system, just need to sort out a switch to control the servo pump,you now the one you first think is the brake light switch but is not.
Then I will use the original Brake MC to operate the clutch, which bring me to my last same problem. The DOT 4 fluid is OK for the brake MC (now my clutch) but not the seals in the clutch slave MC .
Does anyone know were I can get replacement seals to suit DOT4 or
Am I right in thing that the 1150 GS uses DOT4, does any one know if the salve cylinder from a R1150 GS will fit the 1200

 

[RickG]

If I've followed the story Ok you're correct in saying you can't use dot 4/5 fluid in the clutch slave cylinder as it'll destroy the seals, but you want to use a brake master for the clutch?

Question is then, could you simply use mineral oil instead as although dot 4/5 rots oil seals that work with mineral oil, it's unlikely to be the case the other way around, in which case you just fill the system with it and you're sorted?

 

[JDarrow]

Mineral Clutch fluid or DOT4 or DOT5?

Let me first explain the background to my questions, due to an injury to my right hand and elbow I have to ride with my front brake on the left hand handle bar and the clutch on the right hand handle bar. This normal means using the clutch master cylinder as a brake and the brake master cylinder as a clutch. I have made this conversion in the past on my 04 K1200LT with out to any problems expert for bleeding the brakes but that is another story. I now am running into a few problems with my new BM a R1200GS 54.

Firstly can any one tell me the size of the piston in the clutch master cylinder is it the same or close to the size of the brake master cylinder piston?

Secondly, the GS clutch use’s mineral clutch fluid V10 I believe, is this the same as the Mineral fluid sold in Halfords as LHM Plus . ?

If I use DOT 4 for my new braking system will it affect the seals in the clutch master cylinder, now the brake.

If I use DOT 4 in the new clutch system will it affect the seals in the clutch slave cylinder? If I use Mineral fluid will it affect the brake master cylinder, which is now the clutch.

I have been told that DOT5 (not DOT5.1) a silicon synthetic fluid is compatible with both DOT4 and Mineral Fluid , can any confirm this?
If true this would be the answerer to my problems.

If I have to change my clutch slave cylinder is there another model GS which uses DOT4 which is a direct swoop for a R1200 GS

This is an old post but I'm hoping to find out how you solutioned the mineral oil / DOT 4 master cylinder conversion issue. I'm dealing with the same situation in the US on a 2004 R 1200 RT. Hoping for a response.