Monoblock issues (long)

[carrera1975]

Well, I bit the bullet and purchased a Monoblock Brembo kit for my 1975 Carrera. I also added Zimmerman cross drilled rear Carrera rotors and rebuilt calipers. A shop that I have used many times before did the installation

The problem is the car pulls hard to the right, after closer inspection the milling marks on the right rotor are gone but on the left they are still present. I took apart the right side assembly hoping to find the problem, off came the caliper, off came the pads. I used 0000 steel wool on the pistons lubed them up with super blue and strapped it back together. Bled the whole system and still pulls to the right.

Question, when I had the pads out, the backing plates for the pads are screwed into the pistons? Is this normal? there is also sticky substance on this plate that sticks onto the pad.

Also the banjo fitting that goes into the caliper has a unique tightness beforee it will not leak, are the copper washers that go between the bolt on fitting reusable? Mine does not leak but man that has to tight.

thanks, sleepless in the shores

[Bill Verburg]

New rotors should exhibit a finish like this


The ground finish will facilitate bedding in new pads


The spiders (seen at the right here), if used are glued to the back of the pads

here they are glued on


they are a press fit into a recess in the pistons

[carrera1975]

Bill thanks for the reply,

What would cause one side to work and the other not? Could it take a while in the bedding process to get the pistons to fully extend on the Left side? I have the Smart Racing 23mm master cyl.

[TRE Cup]

we found that with race or near race compound pads, it could sometimes take 50-60 miles of bedding them in to get the pads to achieve full contact on the surface. After this bedding in, we've bled the system again and 99% of the time have not had any problems- just good results in braking
The majority of our installs (and client installs) have not used the spiders on their cars.

you mention a problem with the banjo fitting on the front caliper? can you post a close up pic?
We recently changed to a specially made front brake line for our kits due to the close fit of the banjo fitting and the caliper. I was not happy with the file and grind of a fitting to make it fit, so a 30 degree angled fitting with -3 an hose was made for us so we could eliminate a leakage problem there

[TRE Cup]

Oh yes- with full race pads- it takes a lap of use to warm them up to full efficiency. I have experienced a sharp pull to one side, under hard use, till they are warmed up. After that the pedal pressure is up and they work terrific

[carrera1975]

Originally posted by TRE Cup
Oh yes- with full race pads- it takes a lap of use to warm them up to full efficiency. I have experienced a sharp pull to one side, under hard use, till they are warmed up. After that the pedal pressure is up and they work terrific

I have Pagin blacks in the Mono block calipers, Should I bed the pads in at high speed 80mph (highway) or slow down hill 40mph

country rds, I won't get to the track till next month, I don't want to get there and have the problem still exist.

Those brake line with the angled fitting sounds like a better solution, the current banjo type is close and could rub on the strut

What is the cost and avail. on those?

[TRE Cup]

The hoses are $65 for the pair inc hollow bolts and copper seals (+ tax Calif resident)- we have them on the shelf

50-60 mph with medium pressure stops and cooling off in between is the way to go. Cooling off means car shut off and in gear- no handbrake applied- you don't want to warp the rear rotors. Do it 5-6 times then let the car sit overnite. Don't be surprised if the pedal feels softer when you are done- you will have to rebleed. Pagid blacks take some time to get bedded in. The PRC guys have been partial to Hawk Blue compound and i have been partial to the Porterfield R4 (full race) compound. Pagid ORange has been waaay too noisy - it really hurts your ears when driven on the street!