Just to document some stuff im up to while the car is asleep for a while..

I got a set of used calipers from our buddy RED SHARK 1990 a # of months ago.

Took em down to the shop, and started firing up the glass media blaster.

Photo1: Closeup of a glass media finish. Safe on rubber as well.
Photo2: Starting to get the old red paint and OEM black off:
Photo3: Alodine coated and ready for POR-15 Red in a few weeks when I get more time.

 

Interesting - I blasted mine after removing the seals/pistons and capping the bores with a couple of layers of race tape (very sticky cloth adhesive tape). After blasting, I cleaned the crap out of them to make sure no glass beads were anywhere inside them.

Are you replacing the seals? I'm curious how you're going to deal with the beads stuck around the edges of the seals? If there's a shortcut, I'll be pleased, as I need to do this job to my '87 at some point

Also - i *highly* recommend you remove the stainless plates at each end of the caliper, to blast and paint over (arrest) the pitting/corrosion that's behind them. To get them off, you need to heat the socket-cap M6 screws *really* hot before trying to turn them. If you don't, the corrosion will over time push the plates out and cause noise as well as issues fitting new pads. You can tell you got them hot enough as they turn out pretty easily - if its hard to turn, stop and heat more. If they round out, use a hammer/punch at an angle to start the head turning.

edit: Its kinda hard to see as black doesn't photo well, and I didn't take specific pics of the corrosion, but you can just see the pitting behind where the plate was/is in the pic below - just below the screw hole. Also - use an M6 bolt to make a thread-chaser before using new screws to reattach the plates with red loctite.

edit2: In case anyone wants to know, I used VHT's BLack caliper paint, then lightly sanded it off the raised "Porsche" lettering, before applying a coat of VHT high-temp clear. Definitely use some kind of adhesion promoter before painting - alodine or high temp primer

 

Good for you...

 

Ya..I pulled the plates, they are back in as you see there.

I left the seals/etc in place to keep it all clean, they will be replaced later. Seemed the best method to keeping that whole area clean..was to leave the old seals in place.

 

Uhh....ok??

 

I did mine, and was not too pleased with the results, so I plan on doing the again.
Which high heat paint do you guys recommend?

 

properly painting brake calipers sounds easy......but it far from it (not that I need to tell Jeff)

Back in my pre-racing days I was a PCA Concour guy.....I was BLESSED that my brake calipers that didn't need painting...

 

Most people don't have ready access to alodine or have any clue as to where they can get it. Fortunately DuPont makes a 2 step product that is basically alodine for use in body shops. The first product is 225S Aluminum Metal Cleaner, and that is followed up with 226S Aluminum Conversion Coating.

 

..yup, and super easy to use.

The cleaner does NOT like Magnesium in any concentration. Bad things happen.

 

Send them to Ben:
http://legendgarage.com/

 

Did an easy large test area of POR 15 red today.

Meh..its "red"...but doesnt scream "RED" out in the sunlight.

Will probably go PC route.

 

Is PC still effective after the metal has been treated with alodine?

 

You betcha! Works great.

 

Thanks Tony,
Yours look great, mine not so much.

I'll check him out.
Ps. I picked up those k28's today and well... I'll just leave at that.