Here is a mod for all you pre series III alpine owners
who want more bite to your brakes.
Since no aftermarket performance pads seem to be available for
the early girling calipers, here is a way to get real sports
car braking for very little coin.
I have done this mod twice "once with $9 repco heavy duty pads,
and once with the metalic pads". Total work time should be
about 1.5 hours.
This mod will give better stopping power, less to no brake fade
and more brake pad surface area relative to the stock asbestos
pads.
Drawings will be available "upon request" if the instructions
are not totally clear.
NOTES:
This tech note applies only to non modified early girling
calipers that use the rounded bottom brake pads.
It is imperative that you keep the brake pads clean and do
not touch the pad surfaces with oily hands.
Also do not inhale any of the dust generated by the grinding
process.
Read the instructions totally so you are not in the dark with
future instructions before you get to them.
You will need a bench grinder "or equiv", a dremel tool, a sharp
scratch awl and a fine eye.
1)
Purchase a set of metalic brake pads to a 76 datsun 260Z.
The Datsun uses calipers nearly identical to a later model
alpine or tiger.
I got mine at the auto parts club for $18 (PN 700-150M).
The M in the part# designates metalic.
There are two obvious differences between the old vs. new
girling pads.
a) The bottom portion of the pads are rounded "specifically
the old pads have a 1.5 inch radius". The new pads are
somewhat square.
b) The new pads have metal that surrounds the pad holddown
pins. The old ones do not. Also the pins will not exactly
the new pads in the caliper, so a dremel tool will be used
to open the outside portions of the pin holes for fit.
2)
Pull one of your old pads from the car. Clean the old pad
thouroughly.
3)
Place one of the new pads in the caliper with the metal side of
the pad place toward the piston side of the caliper, but with the
pad portion on the outside of the caliper. This will allow you
to gauge the amount of metal you will have to remove from the sides
of the pin holes on the new pads. Use a dremel tool with the
appropriate size bit and grind until a slightly loose fit is
secured with the pins fully installed through the pad and caliper.
4)
Take the old pad and the new pad and put them back to back.
Line the pads such that the the bottommost portion of the new
pads pin hole lines exactly with the top most portion of the old
pads.
This assures the pads are alligned how they will be used.
A pin installed through the new pads pin hole, should just touch
the old pad where the old pad was held in the caliper.
5)
With a very clean pair of vise grips and very little force,
squeeze the two pads together while adjusting thier positions
accurately.
6)
Take the scratch awl and carefully scribe a line in the back
side of the new pad, using the old pads side as a guide.
7)
Remove the vise-grips and carefully grind the material off the
outside portions of the new pad. Keep the radius slightly oversized
as final fitting will be done with a file.
8)
The sides of the pads will also have to be notched similar to the
shape of the old pads so the pad can be rotated in the caliper.
The exact shape of the notch is not critical, but dont remove too
much pad backing as only a small notch will be needed. This is so
the pad will freely rotate in the caliper.
9)
Slide the new pad into the caliper and check for fit. Attempt
to install the pins into the caliper and pads. It will not likely fit.
You must now remove the pads and use a file to trim the pad so that the
pins can be installed with a very small amount of play. Note that the
pads should be able to freely rotate inside the caliper with the pins
removed. The pads should be fully deburred and smoothed with a file
prior to final assembly.
Good luck!!!!
Jarrid Gross
SII EFI
"If it aint bleedin, it must be out of oil"
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