First off, I know there are a ton of leaking caliper threads on this forum and I read a whole bunch of them this morning. I also watched this really informative video posted from someone at Wilcox Corvette on this other thread. I'm still a noob when it comes to cars, and other than changing pads and rotors, I've stayed away from brakes because I'd rather not park my car into a wall because I messed something up.

With all that said, I had new front calipers installed in May of 2015. As I was installing new shocks a couple days ago, I came across the wonderfully leaking calipers seen in the pics below. I never drive my '72 vert in the rain (although I did get caught in a freak shower last summer) and I always park the car in my garage. I'm surprised that the calipers developed so much surface rust already, but I'm more pissed that they are leaking and it hasn't even been a full year!

To the best of my knowledge, the calipers have stainless steel sleeves, but I don't know if my brake lines are SS braided. I do not have power brakes. I drive the car from April through November and put about 1,000 miles a year on her. She's a cruiser, not a track car.

From what I've read, these calipers tend to leak after a few years, but less than a year is nuts. I've also read that aftermarket calipers from a local parts store may have a better warranty, but they don't last any longer. Personally, I don't care what caliper I install. I just want to go more than a year before dealing with this crap again. I also want to keep my stock wheel and tire set up.

I'll take whatever advice you guys have. Thanks.

 

I feel your pain. I have 9 calipers (leakers) in a stock pile. Many of the people that do not have this problem usually have the follow circumstances.

1. the calipers are usually installed before 2005-2008
2. drive the car year round ( they dont sit for months on end)
3. usually lonestar brand and or rebuilt the existing units with new SS Sleeves and seals.

Those that fail where purchased new or rebuilds o-ring or lip seal within the past 3-4 years from corvette vendors, local parts shops etc. Tried to just replace seals on exisiting calipers ( partial rebuild) and sit in the winter months. Northern USA / Canada.

I fit in the after 2005-2008. Sits for months (Canada), Mine were lonestar (o-ring) first set were unknown (lip seal). The best I got was 4 years, and the worst was 5 months. They usually didn't all fail at the same time, the best I got was 2-3 years without a failure. But then I could have 1 every spring.

This is what I have now Wilwood D8-4 (these are a direct fit). As for will these do better, I don't know they have only been on the car since ~ aug 2015. They did make it through the storage period but I would like to see 10 years or more similar to the factory OEM calipers my car came with which lasted 14+ years before leaking / failure.

You will get a lot of responses all over the map that they don't have any problems very few will have more than 2-3 years since installed. (similar to your purchase date of calipers)

I believe there is a problem with the tolerence of the sleeves fitted and the quality of the seals being used. I think they all buy from the same suppliers and some may do a better job of checking tolerences but the seals come from the same supplier.

This is just my experience. But I did search for Wilwood D8-4 leak problems. Not much posted on the same problem.

The only problem with wilwood D8-4 is the brake bleeding of the rear calipers. The first time you need to bleed them sitting vertical and off the car.

 

I have always bought mine from Vette Brakes. I have been a customer of them since they were sleeving calipers in their garage. I have never had a caliper failure, and my cars sit a lot. The 69 I have right now has been driven about 500 miles in the last 10 years and they don't leak.

 

Are you sure that is not just residue from when they were originally installed, and bled? Look in closer at the back of the pad where the pistons contact them, and see if they are wet with fluid in that area.
Those look pretty dry to me in the picture, and the discoloration just looks like staining from the original bleeding process.

 

I'm pretty sure it's new, but then again I haven't felt any difference in brake feel or stopping power. I'll clean up the calipers before I take it out again and see what happens.

 

So you fit in the group where you installed your calipers before 2005-2008. That doesn't mean what Vette Brakes sells today are the same quality/standard.

From VBandP Website

"Limited lifetime warranty." Mid America also had this warranty posted and since have removed the claim. The warranty only covered leaks between the SS sleeve and the caliper housing. Very misleading until you make a claim and get denied warranty. ( My experience with Mid America).

I would ask VBandP what the warranty covers ?

Also

"This is the ONLY caliper with a 4 Micron finished sleeve for great performance " ( their rebuilds )

I wish I had purchased their brand in 2005 to see if my situation would be different now.

 

As someone else stated. It is worth checking if it is a real leak. The only way is to remove the wheel and push the brake pads away from the rotor and look.

It's worth a quick check for 1 wheel.

 

That looks like very minor seepage if it's not simply a little oil left from installation. If there was a drop of fluid hanging from the bottom of the caliper I would be concerned.

 

Don't jump too quickly here. I agree with others that said these don't look too bad. Have you checked the fluid level in the master cylinder? Did you have to add fluid? My experience has been, you would have fluid stains on the bottom of the tires on the inside. Or, inside the rim at the bottom.

 

Hmmm. I paint my calipers, so, to me, this looks major. BUT. I know how quickly these IRON calipers rust, even from the inside. What I can tell you is, if brake fluid is actively leaking, you would have a mess of black gunk inside the wheel well. Also, typically, if fluid is getting OUT, air is getting IN. Are your breaks spongy? By which I mean, if you slam the pedal while the motor is running, does it feel like...if you were stronger, you could push that pedal in further, or is it fairly rock hard?

Could be that some residue has cause a bit of rust on those calipers...which is why I paint mine, lol.

 

Yep there is some fluid used to lubricate during assembly that may have just sweat out a little. If the pad looks like it is wet or has grease on it then the caliper is definitely leaking.
I have pulled calipers apart on cars that I have purchased to find they already had been sleeved with stainless steel. Put in some new rubber, and they were good to go.
I also buy my rebuild kits from Vette Brakes.
I have even seen the little O ring go bad that seals the fluid passage between the two halves of a caliper.
In the OPs case if the pedal feels normal, and nothing is on the pads, I would just drive it.

 

I think it may be residue, too. I wasn't able to remove the calipers and check to see if the pads are wet because the last mechanic must have tightened the crap out of them. I put a two-foot extension pipe on my socket wrench and the damn bolt still wouldn't budge. So, I cleaned up the calipers and took the car for a spin. Brake pedal feels normal, fluid level is good, and everything looked dry, but I'm going to keep an eye on it.

Sooner or later those suckers are going to start leaking again and I'm not looking forward to removing that bolt. Thanks for the help.

 

You don't need to remove the caliper. Just push the brake pads away from the rotor , then release and look behind and around the caliper piston area for wetness.

But after a cleanup it will be easy to see.