Brake caliper leaking

[EuroZ06]

Might seem like a silly question, but this is new for me.

Noticed a puddle in my garage. Upon investigation, it seems that brake fluid leaked out from the bottom most bolt of the caliper. Is this an easy fix? Any suggestions? Id love a simple fix, if thats possible. Im in montana now, the winter is coming and im scheduled to be moving across the country in next month, so dont have much time to address properly. Btw, pedal has no pressure and brake fluid reservoir is empty

[rwest]

First, make sure it is actually the bolt that holds the two pieces together, might be leaking down from the bleeder or hose attachment.

If it's the bolt on the caliper I think you'll need to get a rebuild or new one. I seem to recall several threads where people tried to source gaskets and bolts for the caliper and didn't have much luck. Even if you can find the parts, I think with your tight timeline a new or rebuilt would get you back whole faster.

[wayne robson]

Yes the simple fix is money, just order new or rebuilds from our host
if its the front do both, and the job is not that bad,fairly easy , if you have
the appropriate tools, because time is important to you that is the best approach
right now.

[EuroZ06]

Thank you.

So i went to garage today and took off the calipers. It seems that the leak is from piston area. I took off the passenger side one as well, it doesnt look that great (but isnt leaking), so ill refurb both of them while im at it.

Now, here is another quedtion. We have a shop that specializes in brakes. A friend of mine had calipers rebuilt there before. Do you think they will have the parts to rebuild it? I dont want to waste time/money on getting a repair kit, if those parts are common.

Finally, if i do need to get repair kit, which one would u suggest?

[rwest]

There isn't anything all that special about our brakes that a competent shop wouldn't be able to handle. The rebuild kits are easy to get, so check with them first.

I hope you blocked the brake pedal down before you removed the caliper hoses; if not, you will get air all over the system and bleeding can be a headache. If not, maybe go do it now to stop any more fluid from leaking out. Just reread your post and see that you're past that point- do some searching before you need to bleed it.

Always a good idea to replace hoses, only about $20 each.

[steely]

Use your model year and model to search in the parts section on this site to get an idea of parts and cost. If your friends place does Porsche, they may have the parts on hand, otherwise, they will have to get them from a local dealership, so the costs may be higher and you may have to wait anywhere from a couple hours to days. A reputable place may have them on hand.

If your calipers are beat, you might be looking at a more costlier option unfortunately if the piston wells are pitted. Car brakes that aren't decently maintained will have the brake fluid absorb water and they'll pit the aluminum.

Put up some more info (year etc) and folks here can advise better. Best of luck.

Edited: if you have a G50, be advised your clutch uses the same brake fluid reservoir, so if you're empty, you may have to bleed your clutch system too at the slave cylinder.

[EuroZ06]

Its an 88 carrera. Thank you for reminding me about clutch fluid!!! I hope i didnt do any damage, as i just recently had clutch and clutch for replaced.

The caliper looked simple, ao im curious if the shop will have generic parts... im sure some are interchangeble. I live in Montana, so i know for a fact they dont have porsche parts on hand.

[steely]

I honestly don't know how interchangeable an '88 Porsche Carerra (front or rear) would be. I've rebuilt a couple myself, but I can't recall a favorite repair kit brand. You can search here but specify front or rear. Figure a couple quarts of brake fluid. Your clutch should be ok if you haven't been driving while it was leaking. Been to MT twice, just beautiful.

Have you checked this out?Porsche 911 Brake Caliper Rebuild | 911 (1965-89) - 930 Turbo (1975-89) | Pelican Parts DIY Maintenance Article

[MoonDog]

I had my right rear caliper leaking this spring and I got rebuilt rears from PMB. Swapped them out and replaced the soft lines. No issues so far.

[Trackrash]

While you are at it, make sure that your pistons don't have any pitting or corrosion. They aren't expensive.

[Cook&Dunning]

I had a similar problem on my 89. For me, by the time I added up pistons and kit, plus labour - (I am not a diy guy), or shipping both ways plus resto, it was nearly the same money as new Porsche Classic calipers. I went with the new calipers. Not knocking PMB at all, his work is amazing.

[Jdub]

I would be interested to know if your master cylinder (MC) is in good shape, and not causing pressure in the lines by not retracting within the bore? Do you have any record of work done on the MC? This might be a good time to have a look.