"Typing" Brake Fluid?

[Phill Pollard]

I'm a life-long professional Auto Tech (Mechanic) and I've never found the need to do this before but...

I own ERA #446 and the clutch fluid is getting low. It's right at the port for the feed line to the MC and needs to be topped off.

The problem is, I have NO idea what type of brake fluid is presently in it. I've seen customer cars where someone put the wrong type of fluid in and I have NO intention of dealing with a ruined hydraulic system myself. It is NOT pretty.

AND...I have NO idea how I can determine what type of BF is presently in it.

I was thinking I could pull a small sample out of the reservoir and test it by adding/mixing in each of the different types of fluid to see if I get an adverse reaction from each type (Dot 3, Dot 5, etc).

But I'm still not sure that would be fail-safe.

Does anyone know a better way to "type" the brake fluid that's in the clutch reservoir???

I mean, other than taste?

Scratching my head,

Phill Pollard - Co. Springs, CO