Black fluid leaking on wheels.
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 480
Likes: 0
From: Springfield MO
Black fluid leaking on wheels.
Alrighty i need some help finding out what the heck is wrong with my car. I just cleaned my vette like a wheek ago and have drivin it about 10 hours over the whole week. I just noticed my front wheels are coverd in a black flim from a fluid that is leaking. What is the deal here because it has thrown it all over the sides of my car too and its coming through the side louvers, and is this something i could fix by myself?
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 872
Likes: 3
From: Cortlandt Manor New York
Check your brake fluid. It sounds like a bad caliper leak. If it is as bad as you indicate you should be without front brakes shortly. The fluid shouldn't be black but rather clear. Other possibilities are Power steering fluid or if it is truly black then that sounds like oil. You need to find the leak before anyone can determine if you can fix it yourself.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 1,028
Likes: 0
From: San Antonio Texas
that's usually an indication that brake fluid is leaking out of the calipers and getting "slung" out on the wheels. has the vehicle sat for a while? you may need to invest in new calipers (get the stainless steel sleeved ones).
Burning Brakes
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 1,028
Likes: 0
From: San Antonio Texas
true, BUT after my vette sat for several years the brake fluid was as black as coffee. never seen oil or power steering fluid leaking to the outside of the wheels. this is almost certainly a caliper leak. check your master cylinder. it's probably empty or near it. you'll lose all brakes soon if it is brake fluid leaking.
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 480
Likes: 0
From: Springfield MO
Thanks for the quick response, i had my dad look at it when he got home and he said it was my calipers leaking. I dont want to take it to bubba but if i have to i will. Changing calipers: is that something i could do by myself?
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 24,125
Likes: 15
From: Columbia Missouri
Yes, more than likely a job you can do with simple hand tools, and a little determination. If not, come see me up in Columbia and I'll help you out.
Race Director
Joined: Nov 1999
Posts: 10,643
Likes: 8
From: Foxfield CO 1970 Convertible
There are two bolts that hold each caliper on. However, if they are the originals, you may want to get a 3 foot length of iron pipe as a breaker bar to bust the bolts off the first time.
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Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 24,125
Likes: 15
From: Columbia Missouri
Note. If your calipers are original, you may want to invest in some newer S/S sleeved calipers. Four of them from Autozone carry a lifetime warranty for $69 each. Buy a set of new rubber hoses or even spring for the S/S braided ones.
The rotors may or may not look okay but runout is a big problem and can be checked by having the rotors turned. Some Oreillys will do this for you cheap. If the rotors are too far gone, new ones are not that expensive.
Don't skimp on cheep pads either. Get the good ones for a lasting quality.
Once everything is back together, bleed in this order.
Driver's Rear - Passenger Rear - Passenger Front - Driver's front.
You may need to do it more than once, and tap on the calipers with a wooden handle or rubber mallet to loosen any air bubbles.
Also, if you are not replacing all your brakes, make sure you do them in pairs. If one back caliper is bad...do the other side too.
The rotors may or may not look okay but runout is a big problem and can be checked by having the rotors turned. Some Oreillys will do this for you cheap. If the rotors are too far gone, new ones are not that expensive.
Don't skimp on cheep pads either. Get the good ones for a lasting quality.
Once everything is back together, bleed in this order.
Driver's Rear - Passenger Rear - Passenger Front - Driver's front.
You may need to do it more than once, and tap on the calipers with a wooden handle or rubber mallet to loosen any air bubbles.
Also, if you are not replacing all your brakes, make sure you do them in pairs. If one back caliper is bad...do the other side too.
Race Director
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 16,945
Likes: 9
Driver's Rear - Passenger Rear - Passenger Front - Driver's front.
Drifting
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 1,526
Likes: 2
From: Oak Ridge NC
As others have said, it isn't too difficult a chore. Just be carefull if you decide to change the brake hose as well. Bubba went at it with a normal wrench and rounded off the flair nut...then to make it worse, he managed to crack the flair nut...but he was nice enough to thread it back on the brake line
........lucky it was the front crossover line which was not that difficult to replace.
TheCorvetteBen
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 4,987
Likes: 144
From: Van Alstyne, TX
Rebuilding the calipers is actually really easy, but it might take alot of time. I just got done rebuilding a rear caliper on my 75 that was leaking. What you have to do is take both caliper halves off of the car and pop out the little pistons. The reason that mine were leaking was because the rubber rings around the pistons were old and cracked. You can get a set for one wheel at an autoparts store like Autozone for about $13.00. Just make sure when you reassemble the calipers that the rubber seals are on correctly, you put the springs back inside the caliper, and you bleed the breaks.
hope that helps!
hope that helps!
Burning Brakes
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 851
Likes: 10
From: Palm City, FL
Here's my .02
Depending o how orig you car is and how orig you want to keep it etc.......
You might opt to not get new calipers and to restore/rebuilt the ones you have.
Don't just throw those old ones away.... to some they are worth something. If you were going to throw them away, I'll take them, of course I'll $$$ the shipping
Depending o how orig you car is and how orig you want to keep it etc.......
You might opt to not get new calipers and to restore/rebuilt the ones you have.
Don't just throw those old ones away.... to some they are worth something. If you were going to throw them away, I'll take them, of course I'll $$$ the shipping
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 480
Likes: 0
From: Springfield MO
Thanks Durango and everyone else, your never ending help is nothing short of amazing. Im gonna borrow my friends garage and lift and get those S/S ones from Autozone. How much are original calipers worth?
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 24,125
Likes: 15
From: Columbia Missouri
From an '80? Not much. It just depends if you find someone with an '80 that's looking for an original set. I would say use then as the core when you buy the new ones...other wise they won't be $69 each. They will be whatever the core charge is added to that.
Team Owner
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 24,125
Likes: 15
From: Columbia Missouri
Not a dumb question. A core charge is what they charge if you cannot give them the old part as a trade in. See, most parts you buy are not produced in high numbers so they take trade in of your old parts to refurbish and rebuild and then sell again as a new part. Some parts are cheaper only because they get your old part to rebuild. Without it they raise the price.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 851
Likes: 10
From: Palm City, FL
Not a dumb question. A core charge is what they charge if you cannot give them the old part as a trade in. See, most parts you buy are not produced in high numbers so they take trade in of your old parts to refurbish and rebuild and then sell again as a new part. Some parts are cheaper only because they get your old part to rebuild. Without it they raise the price.
When you trade the part in for a core and get the new ones for $69... he may only be saving $20 or so.... (actual price $89 each minus $20 core). If he sells them, he might be able to do better than $20 each... making it worth while to see them the a person that wants to rebuild them rather than trade to AutoZone for a core.
But you did make a good point... it's an 80 and the calipers aren't worht a whole lot to anyone anyway. Some other years are harder to come by if your looking for the correct part for a correct car.