Brake caliper ventilation area broke!
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 469
Likes: 0
From: Tallinn (Estonia)
Brake caliper ventilation area broke!
Hi,
Please help! I was nearly complete with my brake rebuild and just finished fastening all the ventilating valves. Then I suddenly noticed that I had somehow probably fastened both rear outside calipers so much that the metal surrounding the valve screws had broken! I guess there's no way to repair those now, huh?
Is there anything to try before I decide to buy new stuff? And if I need to replace these calipers, do you recommend ordering perhaps all new brakes from Ecklers or this http://www.summitracing.com/parts/SSB-A109/ ?
Thanks.
Please help! I was nearly complete with my brake rebuild and just finished fastening all the ventilating valves. Then I suddenly noticed that I had somehow probably fastened both rear outside calipers so much that the metal surrounding the valve screws had broken! I guess there's no way to repair those now, huh?
Is there anything to try before I decide to buy new stuff? And if I need to replace these calipers, do you recommend ordering perhaps all new brakes from Ecklers or this http://www.summitracing.com/parts/SSB-A109/ ?
Thanks.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 7,562
Likes: 9
From: B'Ville NY
Cruise-In III Veteran
St. Jude Donor '05
Are you talking about the bleeder valves? You should be able to use an "easy out" to remove the broken ones if that is the case. They are tapered and screw in counter clockwise to try and brake the thread seat free.
Less than $5 repair, here they are from Sears:
Less than $5 repair, here they are from Sears:
Last edited by SmokedTires; Feb 22, 2010 at 04:59 PM.
Race Director
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 11,874
Likes: 263
From: Arlington Va Current ride 04 vert, previous vettes: 69 vert, 77 resto mod
its not clear to me if your were tightening the calipers to the spindles and broke the caliper casting or if you were tightening the bleeder valves and broke the casting, or if you just stripped the threads on the caliper for the bleeder valves, .....if you stripped the threads perhaps you can find larger bleeder valves and have the calipers machined to accept them. i see you are in Estonia i do not know the metric sizes of stuff or if you have machine shops like we do here in the states, perhaps there are metric sizes a little bit bigger. If it was the casting that broke i cant imagine breaking those like that. some body must have really torqued on those to do that. some guys are really heavy handed if you are one of them buy a torque wrench it will help in getting the feel for the proper tightening effort. i use to work with a guy on cars who was a pipe fitter damn if he didnt break everything he touched.....your real caliper choices are for either an O ring set up or a the original lip seal. good luck bob
Last edited by bobs77vet; Feb 22, 2010 at 08:34 PM.
Safety Car
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 4,883
Likes: 11
From: North Easton Mass
If you could post some pictures that would be very helpful. I doubt that you could crack the caliper housing by over-tightening the bleeder screws, so it sounds like you may have broken some of the bleeder screws. If you spray penetrant on the threads and use screw extractors you should be able to get the bleeders out without causing any more damage.
If you decide to buy new calipers I's recommed the VB&P O-ring calipers. They should be less prone to leakage than the stock calipers, even with SS-steel linings.
Rick B.
If you decide to buy new calipers I's recommed the VB&P O-ring calipers. They should be less prone to leakage than the stock calipers, even with SS-steel linings.
Rick B.
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 469
Likes: 0
From: Tallinn (Estonia)
I'll try to get some pictures for you... However, I DID break the caliper metal around the bleeder valve screw. I didn't even tighten it very strong and as soon as it began giving me some resistance I saw a crack appearing out of the new paint I put on the caliper. I removed the screw from there and a metal piece of the caliper surrounding the screw-in area came off. I don't know how such a thing could even happen...
Race Director
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 11,874
Likes: 263
From: Arlington Va Current ride 04 vert, previous vettes: 69 vert, 77 resto mod
I'll try to get some pictures for you... However, I DID break the caliper metal around the bleeder valve screw. I didn't even tighten it very strong and as soon as it began giving me some resistance I saw a crack appearing out of the new paint I put on the caliper. I removed the screw from there and a metal piece of the caliper surrounding the screw-in area came off. I don't know how such a thing could even happen...
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 469
Likes: 0
From: Tallinn (Estonia)
I think the same. I think that new brake set order is to be carried out soon. Well, I gotta think positive - perhaps my "restored" brakes would have given me a lot of trouble during Summer driving season anyway.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jan 2000
Posts: 8,918
Likes: 27
From: New Hill NC
I'll try to get some pictures for you... However, I DID break the caliper metal around the bleeder valve screw. I didn't even tighten it very strong and as soon as it began giving me some resistance I saw a crack appearing out of the new paint I put on the caliper. I removed the screw from there and a metal piece of the caliper surrounding the screw-in area came off. I don't know how such a thing could even happen...
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Melting Slicks
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 2,209
Likes: 12
From: Montgomery Alabama
Cruise-In VII Veteran
St. Jude Donor '06
I don't know about where you are, but around here, Autozone, Advance Auto, and O'reilley's carry the replacement calipers in stock. I had to go to 3 different ones to get calipers that had not been drilled out and re-taped to larger bleeder valves.
Yours are still good for a core.
My rebuilt calipers didn't last long on my 71. I ended up replacing the calipers. I think the rebuild kits I got were no good. They started leaking almost immediately. I won't waste my time on those kits again.
Yours are still good for a core.
My rebuilt calipers didn't last long on my 71. I ended up replacing the calipers. I think the rebuild kits I got were no good. They started leaking almost immediately. I won't waste my time on those kits again.
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 469
Likes: 0
From: Tallinn (Estonia)
Can somebody comment on the following brakes, they have a good price and somebody locally suggested those:
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/SSB-A109/
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/SSB-A109/
Race Director
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 15,892
Likes: 42
George,
That caliper set is not made by Summit- like most vendors they buy them from somebody else, possibly Lone Star. I imagine the shipping charges to Estonia and core charges would be a bigger factor than saving a few dollars on initial purchase price.
That caliper set is not made by Summit- like most vendors they buy them from somebody else, possibly Lone Star. I imagine the shipping charges to Estonia and core charges would be a bigger factor than saving a few dollars on initial purchase price.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jan 2000
Posts: 8,918
Likes: 27
From: New Hill NC
Plainly says they are from SSB.
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 469
Likes: 0
From: Tallinn (Estonia)
Thanks Mike. The shipping seems to be pretty OK from Summit and they aren't reporting any core need so it seems to be like a new product with no core charge. Can somebody tell me this?
Le Mans Master
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 6,362
Likes: 7
From: Brazos TX
Cruise-In IV Veteran
Cruise-In V Veteran
They are brand new parts with no core charge. SSBC states that on their web site http://www.ssbrakes.com/commerce/det....cfm?nPID=8224
