One calliper or four...

frogger · February 14, 2011, 19:15

Bargain. I have an excel sheet on my PC from when I was costing up my options 12 months ago, and judging by the above price brakes int. seem to have knocked a nice amount off since then.

ChrisGB · February 19, 2011, 10:49

Little update, new callipers fitted on rear axle, job went smoothly enough, only thing is brake pedal travel is now a little longer making heel 'n toe a little trickier. Git bit: getting the pins out of the handbrake actuator levers, they are a close fit and really not easy to shift.

Chris

Two's Company · August 8, 2011, 13:26

I have been considering a Bigg Red refurb but am considering just getting an OSR caliper for now from Brake Int'l.

ChrisGB - how are they holding up? What kind of finish do they come with?

Thanks

Steve

Steve Green · August 8, 2011, 13:47

To repeat what I have said before, For the technically minded have a look in the How To's for my rear caliper rebuild procedure. It might save you some hard earned and give you some pride in a job well done. If it becomes too difficult you have just wasted the cost of the seals etc.
If you start dismantling before buying the seals and it gets beyond you, you would have only lost the price of the special nut from Mr T. as the calipers can still be returned to claim back the surcharge.

The increace of brake pedal travel may be due to a small amount of air in the system, it could be anywhere so worth bleeding the front and rear calipers. I use a vacuum system to draw the fluid through rather than a pressure system to blow the fluid through.
This lets me suck a lot of fluid continuously through the system, the only help needed is to ensure the reservoir is continuously topped up, None of the open the bleed valve press the pedal down, tighten the bleed nipple, let the pedal up and repeat. Just slacken the bleed nipple, suck untill the fluid is bubble free and clean, then tighten the nipple and move on to the next caliper.

The pressure systems also works but in my experience isjust a little more tedious than the vacuum.

Two's Company · August 8, 2011, 14:29

Steve - I read your How To and decided it was beyond my mechanical capabilities! s:? :? s:?

Anonymous · August 8, 2011, 17:23

So, is fitting post-facelift rear calipers to a pre-facelift car a straight swap? Can anyone confirm that?
No extra parts or mods necessary? That would really save my day, as pre-facelift rear calipers are expensive over here in Norway, while post-facelifts are not.

Steve Green · August 8, 2011, 17:48

Personally I have never had the two side by side.
Since the discs are the same as are the pads, the physical claw dimensions would be the same. I have seen rear calipers advertised as 00-06.

I think it would be worth a punt to find out. Unfortunately It wont be me as I refurb my own.

ChrisGB · August 8, 2011, 23:27

Quote from: "Two's Company"I have been considering a Bigg Red refurb but am considering just getting an OSR caliper for now from Brake Int'l.

ChrisGB - how are they holding up? What kind of finish do they come with?

Thanks

Steve

Hi Steve

They seem to work well. Probably, given Toyota's reputation for seizing callipers, they are better than originals. I have only done a few hundred miles on them though. Cannot remember what the finish looked like but was bright.

Chris

kentsmudger · August 9, 2011, 00:01

Quote from: "ChrisGB"
Quote from: "Two's Company"I have been considering a Bigg Red refurb but am considering just getting an OSR caliper for now from Brake Int'l.
ChrisGB - how are they holding up? What kind of finish do they come with?
Thanks
Steve
Hi Steve
They seem to work well. Probably, given Toyota's reputation for seizing callipers, they are better than originals. I have only done a few hundred miles on them though. Cannot remember what the finish looked like but was bright.
Chris

I had all 4 corners done by BiggRed - 18 months on a daily driver before one of them started leaking from a seal. Not sure how long any other refurbs last, but I am a little disappointed.

Two's Company · August 9, 2011, 13:09

At the moment I'm leaning towards Brakes Int'l because I can go and pick them up on Saturday.

kentsmudger · August 9, 2012, 17:33

Quote from: "kentsmudger"I had all 4 corners done by BiggRed - 18 months on a daily driver before one of them started leaking from a seal. Not sure how long any other refurbs last, but I am a little disappointed.

...and another one started leaking today - Not sure if I should have just bought Toyota genuine parts - They lasted at least 6 years before the first one seized s:(

s:(

Steve Green · August 9, 2012, 18:01

Quote from: "kentsmudger"
Quote from: "kentsmudger"I had all 4 corners done by BiggRed - 18 months on a daily driver before one of them started leaking from a seal. Not sure how long any other refurbs last, but I am a little disappointed.

...and another one started leaking today - Not sure if I should have just bought Toyota genuine parts - They lasted at least 6 years before the first one seized s:( s:(

It all depends on how deep your wallet is.

Does MrT still supply new calipers for the MR2 they are model specific? I would guess they might supply rebuilds only?

If it's just seals, they are pretty easy to do yourself for comparative pennies assuming nothing else is wrong.

frogger · August 9, 2012, 23:40

Out of interest, where exactly on the caliper does the fluid seem to be leaking from?

kentsmudger · August 10, 2012, 01:36

Quote from: "frogger"Out of interest, where exactly on the caliper does the fluid seem to be leaking from?

I haven't spotted it yet, but last time it was somewhere near the pivot for the handbrake lever, i.e. at the base of the spring in the pic below - I'm due off on hols this weekend so will get the wheel of and investigate on my return.

in with the new by kentsmudger, on Flickr

Quote from: "Steve Green"
Quote from: "kentsmudger"...and another one started leaking today - Not sure if I should have just bought Toyota genuine parts - They lasted at least 6 years before the first one seized s:( s:(

It all depends on how deep your wallet is.

Does MrT still supply new calipers for the MR2 they are model specific? I would guess they might supply rebuilds only?

If it's just seals, they are pretty easy to do yourself for comparative pennies assuming nothing else is wrong.

The car is my commuter and daily-driver - I can't spare it the downtime time to strip and repair these myself, and am not sure I am capable of judging whether anything else is wrong either.

I thought manufacturers were required to make parts for cars for 10 years (or more?) after production ends?

The question I am really asking though is whether refurbs are a false economy - The car came with Toyota parts which were good for 6 years before my first failure - A seizure. The refurbs cost just over £300 and looked nice and shiny, and replacing the set of 4 was intended to ward off further brake issues for some time.

This has not been the case, as I have had two leaks and another seizure in 33 months. Both times, seizures caused enough damage before detection that new disks and pads were required before their time - In pairs, to keep them symmetrical across the affected axle - So how much money have I actually saved?

I have never kept the same car for so long (and never planned to!), and can't think of anything I would replace it with, so I am thinking long-term now with the budget.

loadswine · August 10, 2012, 08:30

The Budweg ones from Brakes International seem to work okay, and not too bad price wise. s:)

s:)

Steve Green · August 10, 2012, 09:01

Quote from: "kentsmudger"
Quote from: "frogger"Out of interest, where exactly on the caliper does the fluid seem to be leaking from?
I haven't spotted it yet, but last time it was somewhere near the pivot for the handbrake lever, i.e. at the base of the spring in the pic below - I'm due off on hols this weekend so will get the wheel of and investigate on my return.

in with the new by kentsmudger, on Flickr

Quote from: "Steve Green"
Quote from: "kentsmudger"...and another one started leaking today - Not sure if I should have just bought Toyota genuine parts - They lasted at least 6 years before the first one seized s:( s:(

There is only one fluid path through the caliper from the piston chamber out through the autoadjuster.

That's past the small O ring, around the Spiral adjusting bolt in the pic where I said

• Clean up the autoadjuster components. Note that the small O ring needs replacement.

It sounds to me that someone took a short cut and didnt or that that seal has prematurely faied.

The trouble is that it will be difficult to see any scoring, down that small a hole, 50mm deep into the caliper.

If you do decide to strip it and find any different evidence, I would be interested indeed, certainly if it means changing the How To.

Anonymous · August 10, 2012, 10:24

I had all four corners re-furbed and polymer coated by Big Red just before the Tuscany trip last year and one of mine started leaking from the same area, it turned out to be one of the banjo bolt washers leaking and running down the caliper

Steve Green · August 10, 2012, 10:56

Good point. Many cars use a standard 10mm copper washer either side of the banjo. The MR2 lists a Gasket 47389 - 50020 at £5.98 +vat each as a non reusable part.
Brake quality Copper washers will be around £0.30 each (two needed per caliper)

On another note, Toyota tell me that new rear calipers (Toyota dont supply refurbs but will fit them on customer request) are £276.94 +vat each

frogger · August 10, 2012, 18:55

Quote from: "Les"I had all four corners re-furbed and polymer coated by Big Red just before the Tuscany trip last year and one of mine started leaking from the same area, it turned out to be one of the banjo bolt washers leaking and running down the caliper

Very likely if they have reused old ones. I've tried to reuse in the past (because they don't always come in refurb kits) and can confirm leaks can occur by doing this!

Anonymous · August 10, 2012, 19:46

Quote from: "Les"it turned out to be one of the banjo bolt washers leaking and running down the caliper

Educate me,what is a banjo bolt?

Anonymous · August 10, 2012, 19:49

Quote from: "life of bryan"
Quote from: "Les"it turned out to be one of the banjo bolt washers leaking and running down the caliper

Educate me,what is a banjo bolt?

Google is your friend s:wink: :wink: s:wink: CLICKY

Steve Green · August 10, 2012, 19:50

http://www.cbsonline.co.uk/product/Banjo_Bolt_3%7C8%22_UNF_PSBF11

Wrong size but right part, with washers!

Anonymous · August 10, 2012, 19:53

Great thanks,where on the caliper is that located? Is it where the brake pipe connects?

frogger · August 11, 2012, 09:57

Yes - where the brake pipe connects.
It's the bolt that connects the pipe to the caliper.

Note that it would be very unusual to need to replace the actual bolt; Just the copper washers.

Anonymous · August 24, 2012, 18:59

Well received my remanufactured rear calipers so I'm going to get very familiar with the banjo bolt,on a side note these copper washers are an exact replacement for the ones on the banjo bolt.You can see the old one next to the pack of 10. m http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ws/eBayISAPI. ... 500wt_1203 m