Don't ever do this!

[gost]

I recently completed alot of needed basic work on my 85 and one of the tasks was to rebuild my calipers. While at it I changed rear rotors and pads and installed DOT SS lines and replaced a few hard lines and had the calipers powder coated.
OK..I put it all together and proceeded to bleed the system with the new Motive pressure bleeder I picked up. I ran 2 liters of DOT 3 to flush everything out nicely and then ran a 3rd litre of the ATE DOT 4. I read a post that reccomended tapping the calipers with a rubber mallet to dislodge any air bubbles which I did and sure enough when I did that a few bubbles did pop out and thought, hey cool, good tip! I ran so much fluid to flush everything out that I had the chance to pump the pedal a few times on every corner. I did not depress the pedal anywhere near approaching past the 1/2 way point at any time. I read the posts about the seals yada yada. Great...done. I start the car and pump the pedal a few times about 1/2 way and they did firm up. I pull out of the garage and crap, the pedal is soft. I pump once and twice and pedal is firm and the car stops like a champ. I drive away and the next time I applied the brakes (15 seconds) SOFT. This keeps going on. Absolutely no leaks anywhere and there wasn't an air bubble in sight for the entire second half of my bleeding (with slight pedal pumping remember which is the best way to do it) which we're talking 1 1/2 litres without a bubble in sight tapping and all. I read the posts and picked up that the pistons may not have stretched their legs and stay recessed in the bore a bit too much when just rebuilt and have a longer travel distance to contact the pads. OK. I remove the new pads and slip in the old ones and apply the brakes which now drives the pistons farther out of the bore and gets them past the fine line. To get the new pads in I pushed back the pistons just enough so I can slip the new pads in again buttoned it all up pumped the pedal, felt firm in the garage with the engine off. I start her up pulled out of the garage and ....SOFT! Crapola! Exact same symptoms again. Stops like a champ after one additional pump again, drive a few seconds, soft, pump, champ. I bleed one more litre and not one air bubble..surprise!!!
OK...I then read a few posts that said it can take a couple of hundred miles (one to two hundred) for everything to seat properly before the brakes are 100%. Don't know why that would be but hey, you guy's have the Porsche experience so who am I to argue. So I drive and drive and drive. Clock 250 miles non highway (OK a little highway) miles and same thing goes on. I'm ready to put a sledge to the calipers at this point. Then a thought entered my tortured mind. Could it be that? OK. Whats wrong with this picture guy's?
OOOOhhhhhhh! Looks nice doesn't it? What's he talking about, what's wrong here?
Since everything was looking so pretty I decided to clean up all the hardware, springs and pins holding the pads in, on a wire wheel and then had the brain storm to paint them that lovely silver color. Red/Siver OOOHHH how nice. When I took out the new pads to put the old pads back to push the pistons out farther I noticed that the painted pins were kinda sorta binding on the pad retaining holes they're pushed through and the bottom of the pads (closer to the hub) were slightly closer to the rotor than the top where the pins are. Didn't pay much mind to it and went on with my tasks as I described above.
Now I take out the retaining hardware and wire brush the paint bye bye. I then put a slight coating of caliper grease on the pins and the surface of the springs where the pins rest on.
Put it all back together take the car out and hit the brakes.....SOLID!! Stops like a champ. Drive a little further hit the brakes....Like a champ!! Been good ever since. Now I can't be positive it was the damn paint or if maybe I just needed to drive 250.5 miles to seat everything properly I guess I'll never know for sure but I thought I had to share this with you guy's just in case anyone else might have a brain fart and decide to paint their retaining hardware because it looks soooo nice! DON'T!!!!!

[Jeff Alton]

Good tip!

Jeff

[450knotOffice]

I would not have expected that. Thanks for the heads up and sorry you had to learn it for all the rest of us.

[aigel]

You needed to be punished. Painting stock calipers is already bad enough, but painting the hardware is really over the top, since nobody will ever see it before it is all dusted up

I was sure you had the calipers switched between sides until I checked for the bleeder. That is a much more common mistake than you'd think. Then the calipers bleed to the bottom and you'll never get the air out!

George

[gost]

Everything was done right, except for the painting. I went over everything I did again and again (I took lot's of pics and video) and could not come up with anything. I ruled out the master cylinder because the brakes were rock solid before I started and the pedal never went more than 1/2 way. I checked vacuum lines. The pistons went in straight and smoothe as silk. I was thinking I was in a twilight Zone episode. Whoda thunk? PAINT!

[aigel]

I think you can be proud of yourself finding that. You should have left it to us to guess what is wrong. I am pretty sure nobody would have guessed it, no matter what one may say now.

And now PLEASE stop painting stuff on your car that nobody can see!

George

[gost]

Well thank you george. It was the only item that was out of the ordinary therefore using Spockology must have been the culprit.
I was really looking forward to painting everything under the car, darn!
Hey, where's the dog?

[Nine9six]

The Porsche manual states that you must lightly grease the pins before reinstall. Painting would definately be a no-no.
Excellent troubleshooting!

[efhughes3]

Great find! A lot of newer brakes are designed so that the moving parts get lubed along their slides. I'd still be trying to find out what went wrong.

[gost]

All you guy's probably would not have painted the hardware and not have had the problem to figure out to begin with but thanks for the support. Funny, I remember having thoughts of wether or not it was proper to paint them before I did. I thought can't be a problem with all the pressure on the pads what would a little paint do? Ah huh!