1LE
20+ Year Contributor
- 1,347
- 4
- Aug 1, 2002
-
Sylvania,
Ohio
Is there anything special about the 2g rear brake (I have the larger bore, with the vented rear disc configuration) calipers?
This isn't my first caliper rebuild, and it really was in pretty good shape, was just sticking a little, nowhere near as bad as the ones I did before.
However, I can't get it to go back together. It cleaned up nice a shiny, seal popped right into place, everything lubed up, but an extremely tight fit, only went in about a cm and jammed. As a matter of fact, I can't even get the piston back out now. Air pressure won't blow it out. I hooked it back up to the car to use the hydraulic system to blow it out, but either this caliper is really funky or my bleeder valve has failed too. Absolutely nothing comes out of the bleeder. Disconnect the brake line again, and fluid comes out of the line itself fine.
Leaning towards eating the cost of the rebuild kit and using it as a core for an already reman'd unit. Thought I'd check here first in case I missed some oddity of this configuration though. I can't imagine what though, looks stupid simple. No parking brake mechanism on it to get in the way or anything.
UPDATE (for others that might be interested and are following along):
Remembered I had a vacuum pump laying around, tested the brake bleeder valve. It's bad... I'll be getting a new bleeder valve on order.
Vice Grips on the boot lip and mounting the caliper in a vice, then hitting the vice grips with a hammer broke the piston loose to the point where I could rotate it and then pull it out. Bore & piston inspection and they look perfect still. The seal is pretty thick, might just be hard to compress at first? Piston/bore fit fine without the seal... Reassembled, but this time, in addition to pre-lube, kept a continuous pour of brake fluid dribbling around piston. Was able to work it in much easier, did have to tap lightly with a hammer at one point when I must have let it get a little too dry. Eventually seated down.
A little concerned about how much force & lube this does take. I've never seen a perfect looking caliper that took that kind of force before. Normally they just slide right together with the pre-lube, but I've also never seen one with such a thick seal before either...
This isn't my first caliper rebuild, and it really was in pretty good shape, was just sticking a little, nowhere near as bad as the ones I did before.
However, I can't get it to go back together. It cleaned up nice a shiny, seal popped right into place, everything lubed up, but an extremely tight fit, only went in about a cm and jammed. As a matter of fact, I can't even get the piston back out now. Air pressure won't blow it out. I hooked it back up to the car to use the hydraulic system to blow it out, but either this caliper is really funky or my bleeder valve has failed too. Absolutely nothing comes out of the bleeder. Disconnect the brake line again, and fluid comes out of the line itself fine.
Leaning towards eating the cost of the rebuild kit and using it as a core for an already reman'd unit. Thought I'd check here first in case I missed some oddity of this configuration though. I can't imagine what though, looks stupid simple. No parking brake mechanism on it to get in the way or anything.
UPDATE (for others that might be interested and are following along):
Remembered I had a vacuum pump laying around, tested the brake bleeder valve. It's bad... I'll be getting a new bleeder valve on order.
Vice Grips on the boot lip and mounting the caliper in a vice, then hitting the vice grips with a hammer broke the piston loose to the point where I could rotate it and then pull it out. Bore & piston inspection and they look perfect still. The seal is pretty thick, might just be hard to compress at first? Piston/bore fit fine without the seal... Reassembled, but this time, in addition to pre-lube, kept a continuous pour of brake fluid dribbling around piston. Was able to work it in much easier, did have to tap lightly with a hammer at one point when I must have let it get a little too dry. Eventually seated down.
A little concerned about how much force & lube this does take. I've never seen a perfect looking caliper that took that kind of force before. Normally they just slide right together with the pre-lube, but I've also never seen one with such a thick seal before either...
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