To rebuild calipers or not to rebuild calipers

[sobamaflyer]

When my car came to me it's brakes drug the rotors enough it didn't need the emergency brake on to hold it at a slight incline. The reservoir was bone dry (although there is traces of fluid in the lines when I removed calipers) and I can tell the MC had been leaking fluid all over my pedal cluster (another seperate issue).

I've now got in my hot little hands a brand new MC, big thing of super blue and a full set of caliper rebuild kits, braided lines and speed bleeders. (the hard lines actually look pretty decent).

Before I crack open the calipers, something I'm not jumping for joy to do for some odd reason, is it pretty well certain they needed to be rebuilt since they were engaged as they were, or was that a symptom of the other brake system issues & bad soft lines?

I really don't want to do this twice so if the concensus is nut up and rebuild them while they are off just tell me that.

Also, searching has thus far not told me just how to bench bleed the MC.

Thanks, Travis

[Oh Haha]

Rebuild them but you don't have to separate the halves. I did mine a few years ago due to one sticking and it was easy.

AFA bench bleeding the MC- take 2 lengths of proper size hose and attach them to the outlets on the MC, take the other ends and submerge them in the resovoir, filled with fresh fluid.

Move the piston in and out a few times or until no bubbles appear in the fluid. Keep the lines on but pinch them shut somehow until you attach the car hardlines. It's been awhile since I've so forgive me if I left out a detail.

[herr_oberst]

Do it!

And be sure to read the instructions carefully, the pistons need careful orientation in the bores. Ask me how I know.

[JJ 911SC]

Travis

Just like you, I got all the parts for a re-build but I'm not sure I want to do it...

When I got Das Babe, the PPI list that she was pulling to the right under braking as well as the emergency brake did not work.

I had the shop do a brake job, the emergency brake was fix but not the pulling. In Wayne 101 Project book, he describe the same symptoms and mentioned that it's a rather easy project that people fears.

Now that I got a scissor lift, Joined the scissor lift owner's club!, I got now excuse not to do it... might wait for the fall.

Go for it... and keep us posted.

J.J.

[Oh Haha]

yep, the piston position can be tricky but it's not a big problem with the help you will find here.

these are threads that have tons of good info and techniques for the job.

Pelican Parts Technical BBS - Search Results

[James Brown]

You will like yourself and so will your car, brakes will improve dramatically! and you will save some fuel.

[RWebb]

get the magic Porsche brake paste too

[cyclistep]

For what it's worth, I just recently had a sticking caliper. New fluid and lines solved the problem without a caliper rebuild.

[vash]

first dont crack open any calipers. all a rebuild is: slide out the piston, clean, put in new seal, slide piston back in, put on new dust boots..and you are done!

on that 75 car, do the calipers first. changing the MC is not hard, but putting on the brake fluid supply lines is an exercise in kungfu meets taichi, with JEDI master skills. you will be grunting with unZEN like fury. it isnt a good time. unless the MC is bad..i would avoid it. on my 75 car, it leaked fluid onto the floorboards. your floor dry? as a consultation prize, the 75 pistons are easy to remove..

one bottle of brake fluid aint gonna do it. i burned thru 3.

[Zeke]

Or, you could send your calipers to Goldline Brakes - Rebuilt Disc Brake Calipers and have a work of art not to mention the best working hardware.

[sobamaflyer]

Ok, coming inside for a quick bite, I was almost ready to come in and ask how the holy ^&%%$## you got the supply lines out but apparently my combo of cursing, thai-chi and kung-fu finally got it. You ain't kidding!

Yes, my floorboard is soaked and has the largest (still not awful) bit of rust on the car so far. The bushings in the pedal cluster are toast also due to the leaky old MC.

Thanks for the encouragement on the calipers. I tried moving them with compressed air, only 1 of the 4 wanted to move freely. I have the feeling that will be fun too. I'm going ahead with the matra of fix it all once and fix it right.

[Oh Haha]

Good for you!!!

You'll be happier and enjoy the car more when you KNOW the brakes will function properly.

If you get stuck, just ask. We'll get you through it.

[tevake]

Hang in there on the brake rebuild!!
I had all of the calipers off the car, and found that air pressure wasn't enough to move some of the pistons out of the calipers. So I reinstalled them on the car to used hydraulic pressure to free them up on the car. That worked great. And gave me practice in installing the calipers and bleeding the brakes. Made the final assembly that much easier.
You may have to deal with the MC to be able to proceed this way. I rehung the calipers without the rotors in place.
Also use 2x2 timber as spacers in the calipers to keep the moving piston in place while freeing the other. I used a very large adjustable wrench in place of a clamp to control the moving piston, while freeing the other.
Cleaning the cylinders and pistons, replacing the seals went pretty quickly.
some Hi temp paint made the calipers look good.
Do be careful there is a lot of pressure at play. The pistons can blow out like a shot.
I haven't done anything like this for decades, with the help of the forum and tech articles it went well for me and was very satisfying.
Good luck!! let us know how it goes.
Richard

[vash]

soba. i have a bike tire pump that i cut the tip of the hose. it is dedicated for 911 caliper rebuilds. if i remember correctly (i'll deny everything if you tell anyone), on the fronts, you can use two wooden dowels to pry up the pistons. i think the fronts have a "lip" you can grab. i used two wooden shims i had laying around. you need two, to form a fulcrum on each side.

good luck. you have passed the point of no return!! gooooo!!

[vash]

wait until you want to put the input lines back in. breath in blue, breath out pink...repeat.

[Flieger]

Well, I am going to plug Eric Shea at PMB Performance for great brake work. www.pmbperformance.com

[Wavey]

Originally Posted by milt

Or, you could send your calipers to Goldline Brakes - Rebuilt Disc Brake Calipers and have a work of art not to mention the best working hardware.

Goldline also has a proprietery coating that is awesome. I had them do mine 5 years ago and the calipers still look new. If you care about that kind of stuff

[Carrerax]

Originally Posted by Flieger

Well, I am going to plug Eric Shea at PMB Performance for great brake work. www.pmbperformance.com

+1 He does an amazing job.