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Join Date: Aug 2001
Posts: 211
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Help: Schematic for machining BMW calipers
I just came from the machine shop (the one recommended by John Rogers) in turns out is not far from where I live.
Bought rebuilt calipers from a local shop "Foreign Auto Supply" $55 each with a core charge of $33. A week previous I'd gone to a wrecking yard where I picked up a set from a car for $35. Initially I thought about rebuilding them myself, but never had done this before, so I figured, instead of spending $20 for a rebuilt kit and buying the tools to do the R&R and taking a chance of doing them wrong... (you know where I'm going with this) I decided to just buy then rebuilt  the rebuilt ones look nice and shinny and have new pads also.I took a printout of the tech article on "Upgrading the 914's Front Brake Calipers to BMW 320i Units" and showed it to the machine shop operator, but he was uneasy about it, and asked if I could provide him a schematic. Anyone out there have one or can draw one up for me? |
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10-09-2001, 01:56 PM
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Unregistered
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: a wretched hive of scum and villainy
Posts: 55,652
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find a different machinist.
The job is so simple and straight forward, he must be afraid of the liability of working on a brake system. ------------------ Gerald Gore II (Sam) 73 914 350 small block |
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10-09-2001, 02:01 PM
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Join Date: Oct 1999
Location: San Ramon, CA
Posts: 1,207
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Hey if this works out for you, maybe you could act as liason and get them done for others? With a reasonable handling fee of course.
Keep us posted. |
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10-09-2001, 02:03 PM
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Join Date: Aug 2001
Posts: 211
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bowlsby,
If all this works out, I'll post all the information and let the machine shop know that others are interested in this sort of custom work, they're more equipped with dealing with payment/shipping etc... At this point, I'm hoping they can do the work and do it right
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10-09-2001, 02:23 PM
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Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: San Diego, CA
Posts: 173
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Hey I would be interested in getting this done too. Im near San Diego up here in Escondido. I just need to get my car running first!
 Let us know how it goes.------------------ 73 914 2.0 corybrown@nctimes.net |
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10-09-2001, 02:32 PM
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Registered
Join Date: Aug 2001
Posts: 211
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Cory,
Cool, you're in San Diego also (I'm in Chula Vista). Are you a PCA member? I just joined a couple of weeks ago. For those of you that have done (or seen) the BMW calipers machined for the 914, can you check this site and let me know if this is what I would expect when my calipers are done. http://www.datapace.com/bryan/porsche/photos.html I would expect them to be similar since the photos from this site talk about a 74 914. Nice job from Bryan Mattern, his main site is: http://www.datapace.com/bryan/porsche/ |
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10-09-2001, 03:23 PM
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Registered
Join Date: Dec 1969
Location: chula vista ca usa
Posts: 5,705
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Take a digital picture of the side of the calipers from the side and print it out. Then draw a line from the seating surface of the mount ears and go down the amount of the material to remove. If I remember it is 0.5 or something and there is a cast line at about the location where the milling should stop. Machinists generally will not work from word of mouth instructions and demand a drawing and that's what I gave the shop. If you want to come by I'll show you what I mean but tomorrow I have school so it will have to be Thursday.
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10-09-2001, 07:40 PM
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Unregistered
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: a wretched hive of scum and villainy
Posts: 55,652
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I have done three of these machining jobs to the BMW calipers, total time involved is less than 1 hour after the set up is figured out.
I could do them for everyone, but since my machine shop is actually owned by an oil refinery, I have to be careful to not exceed the acceptable "G job" limits. I am usually pushing the limit with just my own stuff. Just tell them to clamp the caliper flat, indicate the inside flange where it mounts to the strut within .005", and cut off 1/8" (if i remember correctly, it is in the pelican tech article). Both ends of the flanges can be machined at the same time without changing the set up if they have the right flycutter tools. ------------------ Gerald Gore II (Sam) 73 914 350 small block 80 911SC |
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10-10-2001, 08:15 AM
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Join Date: Aug 2001
Posts: 211
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UPDATE:
I got a call today from the machine shop, after he (shop operator) reviewed the instructions in the article, he said he is willing to do them and have them ready by Friday. I'll keep my fingers crossed and hope to have a bolt-on set of calipers to install this weekend He's charging me $60 for both calipers. (sounds reasonable to me) TOTAL COST SO FAR: calipers from wrecking yard $35 Rebuilt calipers from local parts store $119 (including tax, I used the "wrecking yard" calipers to avoid the core charge, it turns out, the core charge was $33!!! lost $2.00 Originally intended to rebuild them myself.) Machine shop: $60 7-8" Rigid brake lines ??? - Fernando |
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10-10-2001, 11:59 AM
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Join Date: Aug 2001
Posts: 211
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I posted this information under a heading of it's own. But I'm also pasting it here, since I said I would
For those of you in search of a machine shop to machine BMW calipers to fit later 914's, below is the contact information. Bill Goulet 340 W. 26th Street Suite J National City CA 91950 Tel: (619) 336-1999 Fax: (619) 336-2467 Nice guy, just picked up mine up today, he charged me $50.00 for both. |
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10-12-2001, 02:28 PM
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