Help with Brake caliper rebuild

[Jack Gresham]

Is there anybody in the Tampa bay area that could show/help me rebuild my front calipers?

Thanks,

Jack

[emcon5]

I used the Pelican tech article, it is pretty good.

http://www.pelicanparts.com/techarticles/911_caliper_rebuild/911_caliper_rebuild.htm

Tom

[juanbenae]

i too used the article, it was pretty easy. i used only clean fluid for the reinstall lube.

[Jdub]

It is a reasonably easy task, but the peripherals (removal, bleeding, pre-setting the pads to rotor) can be troublesome.

Plus, we're talking about brakes here - if it were a go-fast goodies that's one thing, but if you screw up brakes that is a big problem.

There must be someone in Fla to give you a hand. Check out the local PCA for starters?

John

[JeremyD]

Jack - I did mine - though I bought rebuilt calipers - ended up costing me about 100 per side once I returned the cores - PM me and I'll tell you where -

Really not that big/bad of a job -

[emcon5]

Originally posted by Jeremy964
Jack - I did mine - though I bought rebuilt calipers - ended up costing me about 100 per side once I returned the cores - PM me and I'll tell you where -

One of Wayne's competitors does this, (rhymes with "squeaks"), and frankly for the amount of work they do, it's prison sex. And you are the one with your head between the bars.

You have to remove the calipers anyway to send them out, you are halfway there. All they do is replace the seal in the piston and the dust boot. Wayne sells the rebuild kit for ~$15 per caliper here.

The whole job will cost you about $60, plus brake fluid. $120 if you change the lines (which is probably a good idea while you have the calipers off). Wayne's competitor charges $99 each for rebuilt calipers. So getting rebuilt calipers will cost you $400 plus fluid (plus shipping, 2 ways), plus another $60 if you do the lines, and you end up with someone else's calipers of unknown history.

For the extra $360 you pay for rebuilt calipers, you will save about an hour of your time, probably less. When I did mine, the first one took about 20 minutes to figure out what I was supposed to be doing. The other 3 took about 5 min each, if that long.

Good luck,

Tom

[pbs911]

Is there anybody in the Tampa bay area that could show/help me rebuild my front calipers?

Jack, asking for someone to help or show you how to rebuild you brakes says you have some mechanical experience. Rebuilding the brake calipers is quit simple. As others have mentioned, the tech article is very good and allows anyone who can read do the job. One thing you will need is flare nut wrenchs. Do not even try to remove the brake lines with a regular wrench. You'll strip the head. Do not split the caliper. The only piece that needs to be removed in the seal on the piston, the dust cover and a spring that secures the dust cap to the caliper. It is really a one person job except for the brake bleeding if you proceed with the two-man method. Speedbleeders and the Motive Power Bleeder make bleeding the brakes a one-man job.

It's also a good time to paint the calipers. Before you install the new seals and after you remove the old ones, clean the calipers up, paint with a high-temp paint of you choice and then bake in the oven at 350 for about 10-15 minutes. The result will be a baked on finish that will last a long time. You can't get that from squeeks.

[Jdub]

Paul is right on target with the wrenches. This is a tool you must have. New stainless lines would be nice as well.

Also, you might purchase a new pair of pad retaining springs. These are the flat plates that sit "behind" the pads and help them return to the original position once you remove your foot from the pedal. They get old, head cycled, and lose their springiness.

And, while we're at it, once you have the calipers off you are halfway to the hub/rotor/wheelbearings. You might consider either repacking or replacing the wheel bearings at this time.

John

[Vipergrün]

Timely post, I am rebuilding my front calipers ummmmmm, tomorrow! I am having a challenge visualizing how to use that 20 degree tool thingy. The article says to be careful not to get the piston cocked in the bore. Isn't this what you are essentially doing? Cocking the piston at 20 degrees so one side of the piston is higher out of the bore than the other? Sorry, first time caliper rebuilder....in case it wasn't obvious

[n8marx]

"Cocked in the bore" is entirely different from rotated 20 degrees. When inserting the piston, which you've aligned at the 20 degree rotation, be careful to push it in straight. Do not put more pressure on one side than the other or it will jam in place due to the tight clearance between the two parts. If you do jam it, resist the temptation to tap it in place with a hammer. Doing so will damage the smooth plating on the piston and probably wreck seals in the long run. Pull it out, possibly wiggling it a little bit and try to insert it again. Slower and straigther this time.

[toolman]

To make the 20 degree tool, my wife came up with a template off a computer program and I just traced it to a peice of sheet metal. You only have 4 parts to deal with, 1 caliper, 2 piston, 3 seal, 4 dust boot. Get some crocus cloth from the auto parts store to clean the bores and pistons, and some silicone lube for assembly. It would help to have an air compressor and a rubber tipped blow gun to remove the pistons. The hardest part for me was removing the grease covers on the hub.

[Superman]

I made the template with a protractor and a piece of a Wheaties box.

You are getting good advice here. Rebuild kits are pocket change. Aside from removal and reinstallation, this is a half-hour job for all four. As far as reassembly goes, the 20-degree orientation is important to reduce brake noise. Beyond that, brakes are pretty hard to install incorrectly. Mercifully, brake systems are simple, with just a few parts that only go together one way.

Don't do this job without flare nut wrenches. We're warning you.

[Jdub]

To blow the piston from the bore I used a floor pump (bicycle) and stuffed a bit of hose in the schrader head, pinning the hose in by locking it via the locking mechanism on the floor pump head. Then I pumped that baby up and waited for it to budge out.

Work cleanly. I like to use butcher paper on my workbench and throw it out when done. Some use aluminium to keep the aliens away - your call on this critical decision.

Am I a waffle or what? First I tell him to find someone to help then I've got him swapping out the wheel bearings while he's at it. Sheesh.

John

[Vipergrün]

Yeah, this is good advice....and after just replacing F&R wheel bearings, this should be cake Wheaties, huh? No wonder you are Superman! Yes, flare wrenches are my friend. Ever tried to use a Cresent wrench....DOH!

[CHILI]

I made the template with a protractor and a piece of a Wheaties box.

Quote of the day!

I've been thinking about doing this too. What are the symptoms that show that it needs to be done. My care doesn't pull in any one direction, but occassionally will pull. Sometimes left, sometimes right, but only about once a month.

I also can't lock up my wheels, like many mention. Is that bad? I have 7's up front, and 9's in the rear, so there's a lot of rubber. Maybe that's why it won't lock up???

[Jack Gresham]

Thanks to all that have responded, I am making my plans to do the job myself using your suggestions.

Thanks,

Jack

[Vipergrün]

Chili, in my case, I have a slight shimmy up front which appears to be due to the old piston seals binding and keeping the pads from fully retracting, causing one rotor to hear up and warp a bit. This is the only wheel that routinely locks up under hard braking. I also have a slight pull to the right.

[Vipergrün]

Oh, and Jack, thanks for letting me hijack your thread

[Vipergrün]

Me again.....does anyone have the torque values handy for the bolts that attach the rotor to the front hub?

Thanks!

[Jack Gresham]

Brake rotor to bearing hub fasteners, 23 Nm (17 ft-lb)

That's from my Bentley Service Manual, 84 thru 89 Carrera.

Jack