Replies to Jeff follow his text:
______________________ Reply Separator ___________________________
>Subject: My Choice was Re: Choices...
>Author: "Jeffrey Wilson" <jeffalso88@hotmail.com>
>Date: 6/6/2001 1:53 PM
>
>1. Should I replace the entire brake portion on just that wheel or do I go
>and replace the brake portions on All wheels?
It depends on the condition, so you have to "open up" things first. Best
bet is to work in pairs, either front or rear. I think you said your front
wheel leaks, so your car dictates starting first on the front pair of
wheels. You have a dual master brake cylinder, look for the "F" or "R"
stamped below each brake fluid bowl on the master and just work with the
"F" one first.
>2. Do I simply replace the "broken" portion, or since we really have no idea
>what has been done to this car before we bought it, should I yank the entire
>brake assembly off all wheels and redo them all from the ground up?
Again, it depends. Don't yank off everything. Start with one wheel. If you
get confused with how the parts go together, then you can compare with the
other still-installed side. The exception is if the slave cylinder(s) on
one side is/are really screwed up, then it's almost certain that the other
wheel is just as bad (since they share a common master and the fluid).
>3. Depending on the direction we go (just the one wheel or all wheels) what
>parts will be needed and where do I find them?!?!?! Nothing fancy needed, no
>racing parts needed, just the parts that will allow me to get the brakes
>working and reliable!
Get the parts from any of the roadster vendors. We've got a couple local
vendors in the Bay Area where you can pick up the parts. Before starting your
inspection, it doesn't hurt to pre-buy the brake rebuild kits, as they are
relatively cheap and you'll need them someday anyway. The other brake
components are expensive, so buy them as needed after your inspection. Buy
lots of brake fluid from the local auto store.
>4. Lastly, is there anything out there that would give me a Step-By-Step on
>how to replace all these parts on the brakes? The more detailed the better,
>please. I'm pretty good at following instructions as long as they are clear
>and detailed. Pictures really help! :) Remember, I've never done this before
>so I need all the help I can get ;)
I've got a web link for the rears, nothing for the front as yet.
http://www.2xtreme.net/fredkatz/brakes1.html
The rears are really easy to take apart and reassemble. The front is a little
more complicated, but easy to master. Loosen the lug nuts. Jack up the front
and put it on jackstands. Remove the wheels. Crank the steering wheel so you
can reach the 2 bolts holding on the caliper assembly. Drain as much fluid as
you can from the "F" side of the master cylinder at the firewall. Put a catch
basin under the caliper assembly, and remove the hydraulic line between the
caliper assembly and junction block. Important - use a marker to note which
side is up and what side of the car it's on. Use a breaker bar to remove the
2 bolts holding the caliper assembly. Check for thin washers behind the
bolts, don't lose them! (Critical for alignment.) Now slide the entire
caliper assembly away from the disk rotor. Simple!
Now re-attach the hydraulic line to the junction block. Loosely mount a
C-clamp on the caliper closest to the junction block. Put the caliper
assembly into a bucket, and cover with rags to prevent splashing of brake
fluid. Gently pump the brake pedal until you hear a "pop" in the bucket. You
will see that one of the pistons popped out of the caliper. Now you can
inspect it to get an idea of how bad off it is. To do the other one, take off
the C-clamp, remove the crossover line between the caliper halves, and plug
the open fitting and again gently pump the brake pedal to "pop" the remaining
piston out. An alternative method is to use an air compressor (with very low
air pressure, 3 to 5 pounds).
>Oh, one more question I suppose. Am I nuts for wanting to do this myself
>when I know nada about cars and even less about how to do brakes? It's
>scary, that part of me wants to just go out there and pull the car apart
>and start replacing parts, but I don't think Diana would like to see her
>car in pieces ;)
>
>Jeff
Not at all! We all had to go thru this the 1st time. Just don't take off
more than you need to, keep it manageable, and document what you do (easy
to forget how something came off). Use safety goggles, protect your paint
from brake fluid. The important thing is to do the brakes right the first
time. If not, the problems will come back fairly soon. And a lot of us have
had to do our brakes over again (me included).
Fred - So.SF
|