I need advice on the following situation:

Right front brake caliper is stainless sleeved and I installed an o-ring kit.

Left front brake caliper is stainless sleeved o-ring caliper that I bought new from Lonestar


I installed both calipers approximately 6 months ago, used Dot 5 fluid and everything was fine until a month ago. The right front caliper started leaking so I took everything apart to make sure dirt did not get into the seals during the bleeding process. Re-installed right front caliper and it started leaking again. Took it apart to make sure the mating surfaces were true and have since re-installed it but have not bled it yet. While working on several other projects, the left front caliper started leaking.

Now, I'm in the process of doing a frame on restoration, so I have not driven the car since installing the new/rebuilt brake calipers. So my questions are:

1. Will this problem go away once I start driving the vehicle?

2. Could this be an issue with using silicone brake fluid?

3. With the calipers having the o-ring kits in them, I figured I wouldn't have this issue, so is there anything else I need to look at?

Thanks, Eric

 

Not sure why you used DOT5 other than it doesn't absorb moisture, but I have 3 o-ring calipers that leaked at some point. 1- 4 years of use (lonestar). The last set starting leaking after replacing brake pads. I tried cleaning and hoping after the brake pads where in place they would stop leaking, but they never did. I am not sure if you will be lucky to get it to stop without new seals, but dont' expect this problem to go away for the next 10 years.

 

my new oreilly chinese calipers , lip seals leaked left and right, when struggling with the pad install, but like the old ones they replaced stopped leaking almost immediately.

i think the fluid had nowhere to go and with the pistons cocked, it leaked and with it straight it stopped

thanks goodness

 

I'm not having any issues with the rear calipers in which I also installed an o-ring kit. I'm starting to wonder if the silicone brake fluid is the issue.

 

i have read some bad things about them

 

Any other ideas before I switch from Dot 5 to Dot 4 and see if that solves the problem?

 

Installed O ring calipers and silicone fluid in my 71 about three years ago no problems. Used silicone because it sits a lot.

 

I have used the lip seals and silicone brake fluid for 35 years now, and they do not leak. And yes I drive this car and put about 90,000 miles on it. I have owned my 68 for 43 1/2 years. Lou.

 

NO...a leak in a hydraulic system is NOT going to 'self correct' itself. Or at least in 30+ years..I have never had a Corvette that had a leaking caliper STOP leaking on its own.

I seriously doubt it.

YES...I know the reason people use these O-ring design calipers is due to the car is not used a lot and sit for long periods of time. BUT....these O-ring calipers can still leak nonetheless.

I would check to make sure you bearing play and rotor run-out is correct.

Where did you get the O-ring kit ????

ALSO....I have serviced so many calipers that when I pull out the pistons. Many times they are O-ring seals in them..and when I look into the piston bore....I can see an evident wear pattern inside the stainless steel sleeve. Which is why I do not spend a second of my time trying to rebuild calipers..( even though I can)..I put on lipped seal calipers. And this is because the time I would spend honing and polishing up the stainless steel sleeve and reassembling the caliper would cost my customer more money than be buying new calipers already rebuilt. I will sell/install only lipped seal calipers. The reasons are I 'feel' a difference in how the calipers react....and lipped seals came in the car from the factory and I have liability issues I have to worry about.

Obviously...this is your car and you can do as you wish.

I do know that you might want to contact Lone Star and talk with them and see if they use any specific type of tool that allows them to compress the O-ring prior to pressing it into the bore WITHOUT damaging it. I have the correct tools for compressing the lipped seal design seals...but I do not know if they use the same tools when installing the O-ring design. It would be worth a call.

DUB

 

IF you are using DOT 5 (silicone brake fluid)....you can not mix it with ANY OTHER TYPE of brake fluid!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Read and or scroll down and look at the visual test he did with brake fluid in the baby food jars. That says it all.

http://www.buckeyetriumphs.org/techn...luid/Fluid.htm

SO...if you change off of DOT5 silicone brake fluid.,...a THOROUGH cleaning of every entire pair is required....or at least I would...which may make it easier to buy new parts and flush out the lines well instead of me breaking down calipers and master cylinder to get all of the silicone fluid out. Once again...I am not a DIY'er working on my own car...I have to cover by backside. What others have done is up to them.

DUB

 

Rotor run out is fine. Only one of the front calipers is a rebuilt unit that I bought from Lone Star and on the other front caliper, I rebuilt it using a Lone Star o-ring rebuild kit. I have not driven the car since I installed / bleed the calipers approximately 6 months ago. I have read where some people would occasionally step on the brake pedal every so often if the car sits for awhile, I did not do this but then again, I thought that is why I installed o-ring seals. I guess it would make more sense if I installed an o-ring rebuild kit in both front calipers but like I previously stated, one of the calipers already came with o-ring seals.

I'll give Lone Star a call before I proceed.

Eric

 

I think this video is something everyone should watch in regards to O-ring and Lip sealed brakes.

 

Well, I contacted Lone Star today. Apparently there have been problems with Dot 5 brake fluid and the o-ring seals for the past couple of years. They believe the chemical composition in the Dot 5 fluid has recently changed and it is causing the o-ring seals to either harden and/or deteriorate to the point where it will start leaking. The rubber composition of the seals has not changed in years and until recently, there was not a problem with using Dot 5 fluid so now they do not recommend Dot 5 fluid with their calipers or rebuild kits. So, I guess I get to buy all new rebuild kits and a master cylinder rebuild kit and flush the system.

Now, I have to decide whether to go with o-ring or lip seal kits.

Eric

 

[QUOTE=Willcox Corvette;1591737716]I think this video is something everyone should watch in regards to O-ring and Lip sealed brakes.

Thank you for the video Mr. Willcox! Thank you so much. Does leave me with a couple of questions though - what about when you have to replace the rotor and drill out the rivets? If they recommend leaving housing and rotor together, why the later recommendation from GM NOT to re-rivet them back together? Just don't want to mess up what I have done and if I need to re-rivet, now is the time! Thanks again for the very informative video!

 

[QUOTE=Andy Tuttle;1591752073]For me... I have never installed the O-ring calipers in my shop.. Zero.. Nada.. and I never will.. Nor will I ever use or install the silicone brake fluid.

As for the rotors/hubs.. I can turn a rotor with the hub on the car so I never have a issue with run out.

As for the general population, I'd take a new rotor with the hub to a shop that can turn them together (riveted or not) or I'd take the time to measure the run out and try to shim it. Like I said, I don't have this issue so sadly it has not been one I've never had to breach. The rivets to me are not a player in the equation since they don't have anything to do with run out and our shop's goal is to get rid of the run out... riveted or not.. I hope this makes sense... sometimes I ramble.

Willcox

 

100%. O-ring designed calipers is something that I just do not 'buy' into.

Rivets to hold the rotor are NOT needed...because PROPER TORQUE of your lug nuts do the same in keeping to attached the bearing hub/housing....UNLESS you are the type of person who feels that the rivets are REQUIRED...so in the chance that your wheel lug nuts get loose...and your wheel is about to fall off going down the road...your brakes will still work due to the brake rotor will still be true to the bearing housing/hub.

DUB

 

[QUOTE=Willcox Corvette;1591752390]Do you have a picture of what that looks like. The people in my area (Canada) look at me funny when I ask about this process.

 

Here is a video from Pro-cut and there are other brands such as Ammco, Hunter.

 

wrong thread