brake oil dot5.1 .. ??

This is why I like brakes that use mineral oil. You'll have to check with the brake manufacturer on this one. The fluids should flush pretty well, but as for residual damage, call the man.

dot 4 should be fine.
I'll oxidize quicker if left out. but if you're running a closed system and have your bottle open for no more than 20 minutes at a time you should be in good shape.
I like to run the 5.1 stuff from the auto parts store.
wayyyy cheaper than o.e. kits

that's my 2 cents

I was actually talking to the guys at Avid about this yesterday. Dot 4 fluid will be fine, but won't function nearly as well as 5.1 because it has a lower boiling point, meaning it cannot handle the higher temperatures that come with downhill riding. Whatever you do though DO NOT USE DOT 5 FLUID! The previous owner of my brakes had them shop bled and the mechanic used dot 5. The o-rings are now coming apart, and chunks of them are flushed out when I bleed them. This is at least what I got from my talk with those guys yesterday.

The-Hoff wrote: I was actually talking to the guys at Avid about this yesterday. Dot 4 fluid will be fine, but won't function nearly as well as 5.1 because it has a lower boiling point, meaning it cannot handle the higher temperatures that come with downhill riding. Whatever you do though DO NOT USE DOT 5 FLUID! The previous owner of my brakes had them shop bled and the mechanic used dot 5. The o-rings are now coming apart, and chunks of them are flushed out when I bleed them. This is at least what I got from my talk with those guys yesterday.

http://www.pricepoint.com/detail/21712-115_AVDBF1-3-Parts-158-Brakes/Disc/Avid-5.1-DOT-Hydraulic-Brake-Fluid-offerIN211GLB.htm?utm_source=Googlebase&utm_medium=datafeed&utm_campaign=FTP&zmam=3075515&zmas=1&zmac=30&zmap=115%20AVDBF1

huh, yeah, I wouldn't use avid's own products either.....

ohhh shoot!
my bad. 5.1= good.

my reading ability = poor.