Brake caliper refurb, worth it?

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Kamys
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Brake caliper refurb, worth it?

Post by Kamys »

Hello, I hope i don't annoy anyone with my many questions, but now I got the break disks ready to change, and i will definetly need to do something with the calipers, as they are quite ... seized. I've looked for new ones, but thats not really and option for me right now (due to price), so I turned to refurbishing them. Would the kits from this site -- https://www.bestpartstore.co.uk/brakes/ ... /rx-8-se17 -- be a good option? Is refurbishing them a good option? Should i sell a kidney and get new calipers?

Thanks in advance for the advice!
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Re: Break caliper refurb, worth it?

Post by AutoGibbon »

Depends really. It could just be the guide pins are stuck, which is a really easy job to fix once you have the refurb kit. have at it with a hammer and blow torch, once the old hardware is out, WD40 everything! Did this just last week on my 6, no bother at all.

Edit: I should read the whole post before responding...
A refurb kit should cost under £30 per axle, you'll receive new pins, grommets, and lube. Just need a hammer and/or blowtorch to get the old pins out. A rebuild kit including pisstons (if the pistons are buggered) will obviously cost a little more but will still be cheaper than brand new calipers.
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Re: Break caliper refurb, worth it?

Post by SeriousSam »

Refurbishing calipers is almost always an option, and it's a good idea. Have you done it before? Which calipers are the siezed ones, and can you tell whether it's just the slide pins that are stuck or whether the pistons and seals are sticking as well?
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Re: Break caliper refurb, worth it?

Post by Kamys »

So i took one of the calipers out, took it all apart, and i need slide pins and piston...the piston looks fairly ok (its body) but the corrosion from the head of the piston started to spread slightly on the body (which i believe will wreck the seal). I haven't done this before, but I'm quite mechanicly inclined, I watched a few tutorials and it doesn't seem much of a challenge. What really messed my project up is a bolt that holds the disk...it turned to playdoh when i tried to take it out.

So...is that site a good shopping place for refurb kits?
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Re: Break caliper refurb, worth it?

Post by SeriousSam »

Personally I prefer brakeparts.co.uk, they've never gone wrong for me. Is it just the front brakes you're refurbishing? If so those are pretty easy, but beware the rears - those can be a pain in the arse. Also if you can share a picture or two of those pistons I'd be happy to tell you if they're any good - essentially any corrosion on the outside of the barrel below where the dust boot would sit makes it a write off.

If you happen to have an impact driver those are great for shifting the disc retention screws. Sounds like it may be a bit late for that though...
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Re: Break caliper refurb, worth it?

Post by ChrisHolmes »

SCREAM! its brake not break. No wish to offend but this spelling error is a pet hate of mine.
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Re: Break caliper refurb, worth it?

Post by Dazza44 »

my posts must really grind ur gears chris

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ChrisHolmes (Mon Jul 09, 2018 8:44 am)
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Re: Break caliper refurb, worth it?

Post by ChrisHolmes »

It is a cross I have to bear in life LOL
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Re: Break caliper refurb, worth it?

Post by GreySilver Beast »

If it happens in the Events Sections at least Chris can then correct the spelling errors without you all noticing :thumright:

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Re: Break caliper refurb, worth it?

Post by Ainmhidh »

ChrisHolmes wrote:
Mon Jul 09, 2018 8:44 am
It is a cross I have to bear in life LOL
Grrrrr!
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Re: Break caliper refurb, worth it?

Post by Kamys »

At the moment all the work on the car is on hold as i work 12 hour shifts, I will resume on thursday and I'll upload pictures aswell.
@Chris, thanks for the correction, no offence taken :D
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ChrisHolmes (Mon Jul 09, 2018 2:39 pm)
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Re: Break caliper refurb, worth it?

Post by Kamys »

So the day has come, I didn't manage to do too much, but this is how it went,

Things went smooth on this side, the bolts that hold the caliper required about 2 and a half hours of constant greasing. The bolts that hold the brake disc were a delight...unlike on the right side..

I started to drill into it and i stopped to regroup...it might be something above my capabilities. If anyone can give me advice, it would be appreciated.

Back to the left side...the end product looks like this ....I painted the heat shield and the hub centre.

On both sides the calipers are removed for restoration. This is the right caliper, inside the piston housing, is it salvageable?


It feels smooth to the hand, plus there would be a layer of oil anyway.

Tomorrow I'll post some pictures of the Caliper restoration, I'm planning on painting it black (High temperature paint)
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Re: Break caliper refurb, worth it?

Post by delta0 »

I find paint doesn’t stick well to new discs so you may need to paint them again at some point.
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Re: Break caliper refurb, worth it?

Post by SeriousSam »

The inside of the barrel on the caliper isn't usually going to cause you any problems, what you need to do is clean out the grooves where the two rubber parts will sit. A wire brush should be enough for that, just make sure most of the rust and crap is cleared out. That way you can seat the square cut seal and dust boot without damaging them, that's very important.

Next most important, check the condition of the piston - any corrosion on the outside face usually means it's a write-off and needs replacing. You definitely shouldn't attempt to clean that up or abrade it flat, just get a new piston.

Last up, since you're going to have to buy some new parts anyway, get yourself a fresh pair of nipples. You may as well, they're only a quid each.

As for the disc, you don't technically need the retention screw, it's just a nice-to-have, so you're free to destroy the old one and run without it in future. To get the old one out, there's a tool you can use which is like a reverse-thread drill bit that bites into the screw and releases it - it's got a technical name, but I don't know it. Alternatively, drill it out the normal way, get a pair of vice grips and go to town to remove the shaft, then just replace it with a new one if you feel the need.
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Re: Break caliper refurb, worth it?

Post by nightfire10 »

The drill bit is an easy out

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SeriousSam (Fri Jul 13, 2018 12:45 pm)
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just oil lines to fit at some stage ( had them a while too) :P

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Re: Break caliper refurb, worth it?

Post by nightfire10 »

Aldi £3.49

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Hayward's Street/bridgeported rebuild,595's,Tein coilovers edfc Racingbeat rear anti roll bar oil pres oil temp gauge pod's,lockwood front rear grills,Tinted wind ws folding tow hook's,595s,connect2 ,at long last sohn and ap50 tank instaled ,revi ram air duct already fitted ! calipers painted,diff oil changed .
just oil lines to fit at some stage ( had them a while too) :P

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Re: Break caliper refurb, worth it?

Post by ChrisHolmes »

Those easy outs are fine if it's just the head that's damaged but a badly seized bolt or stud can result in a broken easy out which as they are harder than a drill bit is a disaster and the only solution is spark erosion. Use with care is my advice.
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Re: Break caliper refurb, worth it?

Post by warpc0il »

Left-handed drill bit ftw

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Re: Break caliper refurb, worth it?

Post by AceCobra1 »

When I screw the brake calipers back to the bracket i.e. the sliding pins (really long) screws, do I need to add any thread lock? How about the brake line to caliper screw - I assume this needs thread locking. I know that the screw connecting the brake pads bracket thing needs to get screwed onto the metal housing protecting the brake discs in thread locks though lol
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Re: Break caliper refurb, worth it?

Post by SeriousSam »

I've never used thread lock, because you'll need to take the whole thing apart every now and then. Just pinch the bolts up nice and tight and you should be fine. There is an argument for using it on the bolts that hold the carrier to the hub, since it will be much longer between disc changes, but even then you'll need to remove them every now and then, so I don't bother.
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Re: Break caliper refurb, worth it?

Post by AceCobra1 »

SeriousSam wrote:
Sun Jul 15, 2018 6:09 pm
I've never used thread lock, because you'll need to take the whole thing apart every now and then. Just pinch the bolts up nice and tight and you should be fine. There is an argument for using it on the bolts that hold the carrier to the hub, since it will be much longer between disc changes, but even then you'll need to remove them every now and then, so I don't bother.
So do you not use any thread locks on any of the screws or just the screws with the sliding pin ?
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Re: Break caliper refurb, worth it?

Post by ChrisHolmes »

Sam says no thread lock on anything is his approach.
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Re: Break caliper refurb, worth it?

Post by warpc0il »

A thin coat of copper grease on steel threads to aid future removal.

Bolts tightened to correct torque don't require thread lock, and you'd regret it next time around.

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Re: Break caliper refurb, worth it?

Post by goodeggbob »

hi ,as for removing the retaining screw start with smaller drill bit and work your way up ,simples.
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Re: Break caliper refurb, worth it?

Post by AceCobra1 »

Nice one - if I am replacing the caliper only, do I need to remove the brackets holding the brake pads? Or do I just remove the 2 sliding screws, remove brake line, replace brake line and screw back onto the bracket then bleed the brakes ?