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I tried topping off my swing brake fluid with ATF instead of the good stuff
Last month on a job in Mobile I ran out of the proper hydraulic fluid for my swing brake and figured transmission fluid was close enough. Next day the brake started grabbing unevenly and I nearly overspun the load into a steel beam. It cost me 6 hours of downtime and a $450 flush to fix what I caused. Anyone else ever try a dodgy substitute and get burned bad?
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riley_miller254mo ago
Whoa, wait. You actually used ATF in a swing brake? That's wild man, I can't believe you even tried that. I mean I get being in a pinch but that stuff is totally different, it's got friction modifiers and crap that mess with the seals something fierce. You're lucky it was just a grabby brake and not a full lockup at the wrong moment, that could've been a real disaster. I've seen guys substitute cheap hydraulic oil for the good stuff but never transmission fluid, that's a whole new level of daring. Glad you got it flushed out but man, that's a hard $450 lesson right there.
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bennett.mason4mo ago
Jump right into what happens with those friction modifiers when they mix with brake fluid residues, it can create a weird sludge that clogs up the tiny passages in the valve body. Your mileage may vary but I've torn down a few brake systems that had ATF in them and the seals were all swollen and mushy, totally shot. Take this with a grain of salt but $450 sounds about right when you factor in the labor to chase down that kind of hydrolock issue.
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susan1304mo ago
Didn't you feel the pedal get all weird and spongy right before it started grabbing?
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