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Brake calipers

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bob hughes

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Happy New Year to you all.
For my present I had a new set of discs ( rotors) and some almost new calipers, the paint had hardly dried on 'em when the lady wanted to upgrade to girling 16s. So to save the bother of re rubbering my old girling 14s it seemed a snip at ÂŁ60 the pair. I have spent the day replacing the new for old and have just observed a great puddle of brake fluid under the right hand front wheel. It appears that the seal has been breached on the outer chamber. It may be bad luck or - there was a 14 thou difference when checking the gap either side of the disc, does any one know if this would cause the problem.
 
Hi Bob, I doubt if a difference of travel between the two pistons of 14 Thou would cause your problem. However, to be sure the 14 thou should be shimmed so that the spacing is the same on both sides of the rotor. The resultant spacing on either side of the rotor should not exceed 0.015". If this does not cure the leak you may have to take that side to bits and have a look at the rubber seal-FWIW---Keoke
 
After an innitial bleeding of the system to enable me to turn the car around to get to the other side, I applied the brakes and felt the piston go, after that the brake fluid leaked constantly without applying any more pressure. It has to be a strip down now. The other side is worse, there is a 0.030" difference but I have not applied pressure to that one, I will shim out the difference before applying pressure. On the plus side of things, the new discs (rotors) are running true so I will not get the accompanying clacking noise, the old one were warped by as much as 10 times the maximum allowable. I have just phoned my local Healey man and complained bitterly ( he sold me the almost new parts),I am hoping to negotiate a free set of seals.

Regards

Bob /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cheers.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/england.gif
 
Bob, deals like that can just about leave you gutted -Huh--Cheers Keoke /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/patriot.gif
 
Keoke, he is an honourable man, we think that the seal may have been nicked (damaged) during the rebuild (by professionals) and has taken the caliper back. He will replace the seal himself and I am collecting it tonight. That's service with a smile.
We discussed the eccentricty problem and we both agree that in principle, there is enough room on the piston travels to
take up any differences. In fact the garage has never shimmed any calipers and he has been rebuilding Healeys and racing them for years.

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cheers.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/england.gif Bob
 
Bob,

Is that Rawles by any chance as they are down your way I think - I was considering running down to them for a price on a paint job so positive feedback is very useful
 
Yes Andrew, I have not had any work carried out by them yet and I know that he is not cheap, but he does a good job. His place is worth a visit. He came through with the caliper tonight, there was a great chunk out of the seal apparently. The lady who bought the car (not A Rawles refurb by the way)had a lucky escape and following that, so did I. It would appear that the car has not been driven since the refurb, or if so, hardly any distance before being sold on to the lady and she has not driven it yet. Talking to Bill about it, it is unusual for such damage to occur, but not impossible. The moral of this story is:- if you refurb your brakes or buy some in, give them a good testing in the car BEFORE you start rolling and then check it on a straight road with no traffic about.

Bob
/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cheers.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/england.gif
 
Hey Bob, that is great news.---Keoke- /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cheers.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/patriot.gif
 
Bit of a red face and near disaster. The refurbed calliper was installed and still leaked. New seals were ordered and fitted and the calliper was tested in the garage. No problems, great, intalled it all this Saturday, took it off again to push the pistons back to get the pads in. Installed it again, took it out for a drive, stopped after a very short drive, jacked the car up, took the wheel off and turned the inner pad around to the correct orientation. Woops!! All ok now, great brakes, no clacking, no thunk when you put your foot on the brake.

Bob /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cheers.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/england.gif
 
Well Bob ,glad it turned out OK,but there must have been some rotten buggers in there someplace. Regards Keoke /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/patriot.gif
 
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