1.9 Brake Caliper Refurb

[Obey_R 23]

Well I just thought I would post this as when I was getting ready to build mine there wasn't much info all in one place. So if possible can this be moved into the Body, Misc etc. catagory.

 

 

So I started with a very used set of 1.9 front calipers donated to me by Wracing in exchange for some phase 2 rear lights. I got the disk, pads and calipers but as they were going onto my 1.6, the disks are the wrong offset.

 

I started by checking them over, James said they weren't in bad condition (which they wern't) but a couple of the dust covers had split and they were filthy, unfortunately I didn't get a 'before' pictures but we've all seeb muddy, oily calipers before.

 

I took them to work and started to strip them down, this was the first time I'd ever had a caliper off the car so it's all new territory for me. I basically started by taking the pad carrier off the main body of the caliper, exposing the slider pins and more of the piston.

 

So a spanner on the inner section of the sliper and a 13mm(??) socket on the bolt that holds it to the main body and they came off quite easily - making note of which slider can off where, incase it mattered.

 

Next was getting the pistons out which, again, I'd never done. I took the dust seal from around the piston and managed to lever it out with 2 screwdrivers in the little slot. It took a lot of jiggeling around but eventually they will pull out by hand.

 

I started scraping at them with a screwdriver to get all of the old paint off (they had previously been painted red), the plan was to take a wire brush drill attachment to them when I got home from work. Then an old boss popped into the shop and offered to have them shot-blasted at his new place, so come monday evening I had these...

 

 

I then bolted the slider pins back into place and started to paint them - just a small tin of Smooth Red Hammerite, no primer and it took about 4 coats but they came up brilliantly, much better than they look in the photos.

 

I'd ordered a Big Regg seals kit on eBay for £18 plus postage. Covered the sliders in Moly Grease, put the gaitors on and filled them with grease, too and put them onto the caliper. It's a little fiddely to get the gaitors over the caliper 'lip' but I used a small 'jewellers' screwdriver and just levered it over.

 

Both sides done and then needed to fit the piston seal, just lube up with a bit of brake fluid (DOT4 I was using) and pop the inner seal in place - I then put a bit more brake fluid on the sides of the piston to help getting it back it.

 

Note to everyone else, put the piston and dust seal on before you fit the pad carrier, as it's quite fiddely to get the metal band around it once they're fitted. I had to seperate the two sections of caliper to fit the little metal band then refit the pad carrier.

 

The piston pushed in relativly easily once you'd lubed it up with brake fluid - put new bleed nipples on and nipple covers supplied with the kit and you're ready to go!

 

 

I then needed the shorter 1.9 bolts from Peugeot (not much ££) to fit them to my 1.6 uprights, pads are a grand total of £6 something, the paint was £4 and the seals kit £20inc postage, so total cost of £35max for 2 fully refurbed calipers!

[allye 530 3 Cars]

Did you use rubber grease? I may do this on mine before they go back on. Like you i have never done this either!

[james_ix 0]

Just out of curiosity, how much of a difference did you notice after doing the caliper refurb?

 

I have the kit ready to mine fairly soon

[Obey_R 23]

I hadn't driven the car before doing this - it was all preperation work for the big MOT day. But they're very good now.

[james_ix 0]

I'll give mine a go then.....they could always be improved.

 

BTW what pads are you using? I am contemplating a set of EBC Yellowstuff