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Fun with brakes

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sammyb

Luke Skywalker
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I finally got my TR3 calipers back from the brake shop. Since I couldn't remove the pistons with all my best efforts, I just bit the bullet. I bought a new seal kit and 4 pistons from Moss, and then Rapid brake only charged me $65 to dismantle, clean and put them back together. Money well spent.

Put them back on today (although I realized they put the bleed screw on the wrong side on the driver's side caliper.)

One rear brake seems to be fine, the driver's side was stuck, so I just took out the cylinder. Again, I tried compressed air to get it out...nothing. Switched to my larger compressor...still nothing.

Total crap shoot -- I put the cylinder in boiling water. Nothing.

With the cylinder still very hot from the boiling water, I put in some penetrating oil (in the fluid hole, as well as around the top of the piston.)

I went out about ten minutes later, pounded it with a hammer, put it in my vise, then used a screwdriver to try to budge the piston clockwise/counterclockwise. TA DA it moved!!! Was able to bring it out with pliers.

It's definitely rusty, but I'll see if I can clean it up enough to make it functional. I had to do the same thing on my red TR3, and the brakes haven't let me down once. Of course, if they leak or bind, it's $22 for a new cylinder from Moss (at least they're on sale right now.)

After the brakes are done...I'm taking her out for a drive!
 
Yeah... those rears are a real booger. Did you check the adjusters? If the cylender was rusted like that then the adjusters might be stuck too. I soaked one for a month in ATF and it still won't budge. The wedges finally came out but that screw just won't move. It actually put dings in my shop vise when I tried holding the screw tight and used a 4 foot breaker on a monkey wrench trying to spin the unit around the screw.

20 bucks or so from Moss. You might give them both a spin before you place that order.
 
Re: Fun with brakes *DELETED*

Post deleted by trrdster2000
 
"After the brakes are done...I'm taking her out for a drive! "

Sam-in this weather?
 
One of Road and Track's early test drives of a TR3 involved taking out to the mountains on a ski trip. Where are my snow tires... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

I figure the snow will be gone by the time I get the rear cylinder fixed, the brakes bled etc...

As long as it's not raining hard or snowing, I have no problem taking a TR3 out.
 
[ QUOTE ]
...Did you check the adjusters? If the cylender was rusted like that then the adjusters might be stuck too. I soaked one for a month in ATF and it still won't budge.

[/ QUOTE ]For whatever it's worth, I've successfully "rescued" dozens of these adjusters. In fact, I've yet to encounter one that didn't free up after a bit of heat treatment with a propane torch. That's enough to help loosen the screw, which then WILL loosen the wedges, etc. Get it all apart, clean it up, and reassemble with white lithium grease. Haven't had a recurrence of the problem yet!
 
Interestingly enough, I've never had to play with the adjusters -- all my cars have had the perfect amount of contact on rear brakes (and I don't drive them enough to have to readjust once set.) But we'll see with this last one brake, which looks like it might need some adjustment. I've been dying to play with an adjuster and take one apart anyway!

Another thing that I just remembered is that I haven't really checked and cleaned the clutch slave...so that's something I should do before driving. I had good pressure on the clutch, but I'm guessing I should check for corrosion on the piston and cylinder. As long as I have it on jack stands and will eventually have an extra foot for bleeding the brakes, it's something that should be addressed.

But THEN....it'll be drive time.
 
Heck Sam, For $22, you should just buy another one before you even look at the other side. This will be pretty cheap insurance that the other side will be fine.
 
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