I believe the brake slave/master are the same on a ZR-1 as your 96. But, in any case there is a bleeder valve on the slave cylinder.
One method of changing the fluid is to -
- replace the fluid in the reservoir with new fluid,
- and then pump the clutch about 50 times
- and then again replace the fluid in the reservoir.
- repeat steps 1 thru 3 until the fluid in the reservoir remain relatively clear after the 50 cycles.
Another (I prefer) method requires jacking up the front of the car to access the slave cylinder and use the slave as a "pump" to pull fresh fluid into it from the reservoir. (I usually try to combine tasks e.g., changing trans fluid, etc to reduce the jacking up the car/jack stands process as much as possible.)
In short, I start by replacing the fluid in the reservoir (and if you have a method of keeping the reservoir full of fresh fluid - such as an attachable Mitivac bleeder kit, or an assistant to keep the reservoir filled, the process will go very quickly w/o you having to climb out from under the car to keep filling the reservoir...just sayin!)
I remove the slave from the housing
loosen the bleeder valve (and I attach a clear plastic tube to the bleeder so the dirty fluid runs into an oil catch can)
force the clutch actuator rod back into the slave cylinder and HOLD it while you close the bleeder valve.
Then release the actuator rod and let spring tension force the (internal) piston outward - drawing fresh fluid from the master reservoir into the slave cylinder.
Then, loosen the bleeder valve again and repeat the process a few more times until the expelled fluid is clear (mine usually takes no more than 3 cycles to flush the entire system before the fluid 'runs clear'). The whole pumping process only takes a couple minutes, and ALL the old fluid and air is removed - is why I prefer this method.
If you don't have a tool (like the Mitivac) to automatically keep the fresh fluid filling the master reservoir, then a trusted assistant needs to be ready with more fluid to keep from pulling air into the system - very much like the process for bleeding brakes, doanchaknow... OR, be ready to scoot out from under the car to fill the reservoir yourself, and then get back under the car to "assume the position" for another cycling of the slave cylinder. Prolly not a big deal if you're skinny and spry like Marc Haibeck, but old FAT guys (like "SOME" of us...) might rather to not have to get up and down and up and down so much. (Just sayin...
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AS FOR BRAKE PADS:
For me, ±98% of my driving driving is normal street/highway, with occasional sprints through some twisty mountain curves or zips down the 1/4 mile track.
For that I find the Hawk HPS pads to require less pedal force overall than stock pads or some others, and I like 'um very much. Even for a limited amount of track/autobahn type running around, the Hawk HPS pads work quite well, I find.
That said, serious autobahn track drivers often opt to use dedicated (racing) pads for the track, and then change back to "street pads" for the drive home. (the C4 Corvette calipers are quite well designed to enable quick pad change out, I find.)
Note: I don't "HPDE" competition race (yet), so suggestions for true racing pads will have to come from someone that does - like Mark Horner (for one).
