Why are brake systems so old fashioned?

[spitfire6]

Hi,
I have used cooking oil in my clutch for over a year with no noticeable difference apart from fixing the leak.
I have run baby lotion in the brakes so that I could drive home. 
I think brake fluid needs to have a very high viscosity index, hence engine oil is no good.
DOT5 & ABS? I really don't know why not.
Cheers,
Iain.

[Escadrille Ecosse]

Imaginative get you home fixes.

Not sure what the DOT 5 and ABS is, but apparently why the military stopped using it for their vehicles. 

Suspect it's because it's not as 'slippery' as glycol or mineral based oils. Or the madly expensive aerospace ester based fluids.

[Nick Jones]

Bit surprising your clutch seals are surviving veg oil. EPDM isn’t usually suitable for it. 
 

Probably best to use water for short-term emergency use (and don’t cane it!) as won’t hurt the seals and can be nicely flushed out using hygroscopic DOT fluids!

 

[JohnD]

Would that be better than Cuban mixture?  Alcohol, sugar and shampoo, allegedly.

John

[RogerH]

9 hours ago, JohnD said:

Would that be better than Cuban mixture?  Alcohol, sugar and shampoo, allegedly.

John

Shampoo in the brake fluid is a No NO - it would aerate too quickly.

Real Poo would be too viscous

 

Roger