Anybody done the 320i Brake upgrade?

Tidybuoy · 07-25-2003, 01:07 PM

Has anybody done the 320i brake upgrade?

I'm in the process of upgrading my front calipers to the BMW 320i calipers. I got the donor pair & after cleaning them up, I'm wondering where I should get the machine work done.

As I am looking over the calipers, it looks to me that the machine work is going to be a very simple proceedure. In fact, I'm thinking that I could probably do this work myself since I have a fixed grinding wheel on my work bench. The calipers fit up to the grinding wheel perfectly.

I'm wondering if anyone out there has done this machine work and do you have any tips. I've read the Pelican tech article several times but the author makes it seem so difficult (20 pages??). I'm no machinist but this looks pretty simple to me.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks................................Vern

914GT · 07-25-2003, 01:28 PM

I'm thnking of this too. I'm not ready for 911 conversion and want to keep my Rivieras with their new tires. I'm already sinking a big chuck of $$ into this project.

I think the bench grinder is probably a no-no. Yeah, you could probably do it. The question is, how bad will the tolerances be and is it going to throw your caliper/pad geometry off and reduce braking, reliability, or pad life. I'd like to see what's involved up close and personal but the grinder does not sound good with what I've seen and read so far.

my15window · 07-25-2003, 03:01 PM

I'm finishing mine up now, I sent mine to Rimco they had to make up a jig special for it.they charged me 40$ they have to be machined to be perfectly parallel

Jared at Pelican Parts · 07-25-2003, 03:23 PM

I have to agree with 914Gt, this is something that needs to be done by a machinist or someone with the right machine and the correct jigs. This is something that needs to be a precision job..

Another alternative to the 320i calipers, (which in my opinion really arent that much of an improvement over the stock calipers) are the 4-piston calipers of the Volvo 240DL from 77 thru 84.

chrisreale · 07-25-2003, 03:32 PM

Be prepared to fiddle with the front to back brake bias.

Jared at Pelican Parts · 07-25-2003, 03:35 PM

Thats right, you need to recalibrate the proprtoning valve to really make use of the calipers.

Tonyakavw · 04:17 PM

I did the machining at the machine shop of my former university and it took me maybe 2-3 hours to set everything up, machine it, and then clean up. I'm no machinist but I have quite a few hours on machine tools and build a lot of stuff. I used a relatively new vertical milling machine and a 3/4 or 1 inch end mill.

The trickiest part is clamping it down well. I honeslty can't remember what I did, but it involved some large clamps. If you can't clamp it down with huge amounts of force, make sure to machine slowly and maybe shave it off in 5 or 10 thousandths at a pass, and move the table slowly. Another thing I did was to use lots of duct tape on the caliper to protect the piston areas from getting shavings embedded in the seals.

You need to make sure that the area that you machine down ands up being flat, and also that it be on a plane parallel to the pistons. Otherwise you risk putting force on the pistons which would reduce their life.

I've had the new calipers on for a good year and a half I guess and they work well. Try machining it yourself, but just be patient in trying to figure out how to hold it still while machining.

-Tony

John Rogers · 07-25-2003, 04:57 PM

If you put the 320i calipers on the front, use a 19mm master cylinder and dump the prop valve for a tee then put in some race pads you will be able to brake better than most 911s with early brake systems! If you use 320i calipers on both ends and a 21mm m/c you will be able to brake so well it will scare you! No fiddling with the brake bias is needed at all. We use the first setup on our street 914 and the second setup on my vintage race car. Good luck

skline · skline's Garage

I have to second the Volvo brakes. I was out on the Temecula run and there was a nice yellow 74 parked right next to me and I took a second look at his brakes and noticed they were much larger than even the 320i brakes. He told me they were from a Volvo 240 and they shim them to fit with a washer. No machining or nothing. So I just got a set for mine and I will be fitting them on in a week or so. Bigger is better right?

skline · skline's Garage

And one more cool thing about the Volvo brakes, I have one of those machines that cuts the vinyl lettering, and the Volvo brakes have more of a flat surface and I cut out the PORSCHE lettering and can stick it on there after I paint them. I will post pictures after I get them done.

bernbomb914 · bernbomb914's Garage

thats my yellow car your talking about. Volvo calipers work great, simple bolt on, you need to put a tee on your brake line to divide it so you can run a line to both pots. I used a washer to center to the caliper, replaced the porp. valve with a tee to balance the front and rear and installed a 19mm m/c. It works very good and is less expensive to do with a much larger pad service.

Bernie

John Rogers · 07-26-2003, 01:10 PM

I would be very interested to see how the Volvo calipers hold up in a 30 minute race with the stock rotors (solid)?? I would worry they would warp the rotors from the heat of the larger pads. Anyone know if they are being raced (not auto-x or DE events)?

914GT · 07-26-2003, 03:27 PM

Bernie - I was just checking Autozone and Checker web sites and neither list a Volvo 240DL, but they do list a 242DL -same thing? The tee you added - on each caliper for each piston? Appears a little brake line plumbing is involved. A stock hose to a tee, then tubing to each piston?

I'm glad I'm holding off buying stock 914 brake parts until I understand all the options.

Thanks,
Guy

skline · skline's Garage

Come on Bernie, I need more info too. Tell me about the T's and where do I get them. I got the brake calipers (or I will next week) and will be needing this info.

bernbomb914 · bernbomb914's Garage

I bought my tees from richard {beautiful yellow 914 ) in texas I cant find his email but someone out there knows who I mean. He does conversion parts also. The tees bolt into the caliper so you can use your existing brake line They sell for $45.00 makes for a simple installation. I posted pics on a old thread on this here or on 914club.com. to old and cant remember which. sorry

Bernie

914GT · 07-27-2003, 02:33 PM

I found some old threads on this subject
BMW Calipers and
O.K. If 320 calipers work do Volvo 4 piston?

They use VW brake line tees.

yoh!!! · yoh!!!'s Garage

To cause some more confusion... and to add one more option...
BMW 2002 (model not year) uses some nice (ATE - same as porsche) 4 piston calipers in the front. The original rotors are solid, and the brake pad area is comparable to the Volvo 240's, bolt pattern fitts, and they clear all of the stock weels. For both (Volvo 240 and BMW 2002) brake conversions the stock MC will not do the job. Luckily there are 19mm (porsche 911) 21mm, and 23mm available from ATE. T's are available on local junk yards (lots of VW's, Audi's T off their brake lines in the back) or from there dealerships.

Patrick

Dave at Pelican Parts · Dave at Pelican Parts's Garage

ATE (Alfred Teves something-or-another-in-German-beginning-with-E) supplied brake calipers to a lot of car manufacturers over the years.

The T's are available as VW Bug parts, BMW 2002 parts, and parts from other places as well. You should be able to pick them up from a Bug specialty shop (or an old Bug or Bus at a wrecker's) for pretty cheap. Or the Audis as Patrick mentioned.

Rich in Texas is Rich Johnson, a914guy (at) aol (dot-com).

--DD

914GT · 08:09 AM

Patrick - no machining required on the BMW2002 calipers to get them to fit?

Jared at Pelican Parts · 07-28-2003, 08:12 AM

From Chibone914..

This is a copy of a post earlier this year. So far, no problems whatsoever.....just stops NOW.

Ok Guys, Here goes....

I've done the Volvo Girling 4 piston caliper x-over and here is what you need:

19mm master cylinder

Three VW brake line tees

Four 6mm X 203mm hard brake lines

Four VW bus front shock spacers

Two 4 piston girling calipers (240 series, solid rotor car)

new pads and hardware (for Girling)

You'll need to remove the brake proportioning valve and use a tee in it's place.

Use the brake lines and remaining tees for the front. Girling calipers have 2 brake line inlets instead of 1 inlet. Just screw in the hard brake lines into each hole, bend lines accordingly and screw opposite ends into the brake tee.

The spacers will need to be machined down to properly center the caliper over the rotor. (sorry, you'll need to cut and test fit the spacers 1mm at a time for best fit)

Use your original 914 brake caliper bolts (or get new ones)

Put everything together and bleed like crazy. You'll have a little more brake pedal travel, but improvement in stopping is very different from stock.

The calipers fit perfect with original 2 liter Fuchs alloys (sorry, can't tell you if other wheels would work or not)

Pad overhang is minimal (about 1/4") but there is far more pad contact versus the ATE 320i caliper.

Good Luck and I must include that if you choose to embark on this conversion, this information is FYI only. If you crash and burn I nor this forum are not held responsible.