brake caliper hot hot hot

[Daytona]

My caliper got so hot that it was glowing red. I do know that the rubber fluid line is bad, and that i need to rebuild the caliper.

The $100 question is do I need to seperate the halves and put orings in?

It was glowing red hot,lucky no fire, thank god!!!!!!!!

I did search previous posts.

Thanks

[djpateman]

Yes, at that kind of a temperature all the seals would melt. I'd be inclined to find a replacement if it is not a special caliper.

[jmancool]

Originally Posted by Daytona

My caliper got so hot that it was glowing red.

Are you sure it was your caliper glowing red? I have never seen a caliper glow red even on a race car. Maybe it was your brake disc and caused by your faulty caliper?

[javadog]

If your brakes got that hot, you really ought to take a close look at your wheel bearings...

JR

[Dixie]

I have never seen a caliper glow red even on a race car.

I'll second that. My brakes get hot enough on the track that the dust seals will catch fire, and the rotor will start to glow. Yet I've never had a caliper turn red. And I've never melted the internal o-rings between the halves. The calipers have a lot of thermal mass. To melt those o-rings, you'd have enough heat to catch the car on fire.

[Dixie]

I forgot to mention: If you split the caliper, don't count on finding the correct size o-rings. And if you do, don't expect to reassemble it and have a leak free caliper.

Just get the rebuild kit from Pelican and a new line.

[James Brown]

Hummm sounds fishy, youll need more than a rebuld kit, start with a new or rebult caliper(s), add pads, rotors, brake hose, wheel bearings, seals, fluid, sensor cable...... oh yeah, a good weekend for sure. Were assuming they were the fronts? Or a stuck rear?

[burgermeister]

No way it was glowing red-hot ... as soon as the brake fluid vaporizes (long before metal glows), you'd loose the ability to brake the car. It's also very difficult to get enough heat transfer through the small piston-pad contact area to cause any glowing, even absent the need to boil off a bunch of brake fluid. Must have been an optical delusion, or it was the pads / rotor as stated above.

Seems to me if you still had brake fluid in the caliper, it (and the o-rings) didn't get hotter than whatever the boiling point of your fluid is...

[911s55]

It seems we have a communication/definition issue. It sounds to me that the poster "could" be unclear as to which part he's referring to.

It is VERY unlikely that his caliper was glowing, had to be the brake rotor and for that to occur with street driving, yikes.
Whatever the case he needs to do as James Brown suggests.

[efhughes3]

Originally Posted by Daytona

I did search previous posts.

Try different search terms, there are so many threads on brake rebuilds, it is scary. There are also some tech articles.

[Formerly Steve Wilkinson]

Subscribed, since I haven't the faintest idea what the OP is talking about and will be fascinated to see where this goes. Maybe he painted his calipers "glowing red" and wants to know how to get the paint off?

[James Brown]

Oh wow yeah Steve, it could be that easy. One good thing about brakes (any make) is all the parts are replaceable and available from your local parts house.

[Formerly Steve Wilkinson]

Huh?

[Dixie]

....will be fascinated to see where this goes.

It appears to be going nowhere.

[Formerly Steve Wilkinson]

"Oh wow yeah Steve, it could be that easy. One good thing about brakes (any make) is all the parts are replaceable and available from your local parts house."

Ah! Now I remember. You are Mr. Airplane Mechanic! So you will understand that this is not like the dreadful early Citation 500 I used to fly, where I'd have to wait 30 minutes for a turnaround after landing for brake cooling in order to make a legal takeoff in case I had to reject and stop. What instead fascinates me here is that we have a guy who has red-hot calipers and he isn't even landing long.

But thank you for the brake-parts sourcing advice. 'Preciate it.
__________________

[James Brown]

you should get an old Cub, talk about slim brakes!!! but makes a better pilot out of you

[Daytona]

I guess a little clarity is in order.

Yes indeed it was the caliper that was a hot dull red, not the rotor.I know this is odd and I have not seen it before as well.

As for some background info, this problem is on a 1983 Mercedes 300 DT. Now don't flame me since this is a p-car forum, its just you guys have the most sensible and comprehensive knowledge base out there. Also this caliper (rear) is almost if not the same as the "ate" caliper on my 88 p-car.

This is what happened the other night when I drove the car to an x-mas party. About 10 miles from home with flat road driving and minimal stopping and easy on the brakes.

I arrive at the gate to the party and roll the window down and smell burning. At the left rear I see smoke rising, park the car ,get out and look at the rear wheel area . That is when I see the dull red glow of the caliper, the rotor is not glowing, very strange. And I still have stopping power.

So the wife and I proceed to the family get together, and let it cool down. When we get ready to leave I test the brakes and they are still working, so we drive home around 40 mph. Everything goes well and no heat when I get to the house. Wierd.

So I have since taken the caliper off and it is probably the first time it has ever been off. The pads look glazed and the dust boots crumbled. I was able to blow the cylinders out with compressed air. And the brake line was clogged could not blow air thru it. Since I got the cylinders out I believe the orings might be okay. I will let you know after I rebuild it and road test.

But the honest truth the caliper was red hot and yes that was before the party began!!

Cheers and Happy New Year!!

[James Brown]

Well, that changes everything

[efhughes3]

You obviously need to rebuild the caliper and replace the line as you plan. The line is probably the issue. But, I find it weird that you get that kind of heat in the caliper and not the rotor too.

[Gunter]

Don't know what it has to do with a Porsche but, I own a 1980 Volvo Wagon since new.

Exhaust gets really hot; what to do?

Anyone else with non-Porsche problems?