The Porsche rebuild kits include new pistons, you can buy the seals & boots individually from someone like Zeckhausen for a LOT less money.

Loctite 270 was used during installation of the bolts so you have to heat them up to remove them.

 

"Perhaps I have been spoiled with japanese cars and now Im paying for all those years of trouble free motoring."
Can you say triumph , fiat or lotus ?

 

I have worked on a 15-year-old Japanese car. A 964 is a gem by caparison.

Your description of corrosion, oil leaks and engine mechanical failure makes me think perhaps you have a neglected and possibly abused example. Mine has given no significant operating problems in the three years I have driven it.

Repair and maintenance is challenging in some cases. Compared to the exotics of similar performance, a 964 is reliable and a joy to fix when that is needed.

 

Springer how do you neglect or abuse a speedo face?
Im pretty sure my car is not the only one that has leaked or the only one that has had these plates corrode.

 

Touche !

 

Well I've never had even the tiniest problem with mine.

 

Phil,
Spooky coincidence - I was in Unit Eleven today, I've got a pair of 993(?) turbo calipers (huge and silver) that have been given to me - same problem, corrosion between the spring plates and the caliper. All eight of the screws attaching the plates to the caliper have snapped off, it's nearly impossible (and not advisable anyway) to split the calipers to drill out the screws so here's Mr.Johnny Hollands cure:-
Take 8 nuts with internal diameter close to the external diameter of the spring plate retaining screws (M8 I think). Using a pillar drill with a 7/16 drill bit, drill the centre out of the nut until there's just a thin 'wall' left at the bottom of the nut. With the caliper in a vice, drop the nut over the protruding piece of the screw. Crank up your MIG welder, and weld the nut onto the thread. Wait until the nut stops glowing red, attach socket and undo - works a treat. I think the heat generated by the welding vaporises the thread lock on the screws, which is what makes them such a bu**er to remove. Clean up caliper (I'm taking mine for a quote for powder coating in the morning), re-fit spring plates using stainless dome head Allen bolts with some copper grease between the plates and the caliper. I've orderd some adaptors and will be fitting these to my C4 when I get it back from the bodyshop - a sort of poor mans version of big reds!
Barry
PS I forgot to take my camera with me, it would have made a cracking 'how to'!

 

Mine were knackered too, even the lovely ones from Christer had corrosion behind the plates, I just stripped them, clean huge chunks of oxidation from them, hammerited them (is that a word?), painted them yellow, polished the plates up again and bought some stainless steel buttonheads to replace the rusty screws..

Took about 3 days all in....

Kevin.

 

I've had 4 964's and they are very well built - on par with the 65 911 that I had for so many years. It's interesting how some 964's are much better/worse than others. I think garage storage is a crucial element to a 964 staying in good condition overall - any old car, for that matter!

Howard - the worst part of the ML320 is the wheels weigh about 100lbs each!!! Uggh!

 

Kinda off-topic, but Barry it sounds like you've got 993 C4 calipers - not "big" ones but S4 sized

 

Barry I saw those calipers. funnily enough when John was telling me not to bother doing brakes myself

 

Like Jason says the kits from Porsche come complete with pistons, Jason's link seems to be the route to follow otherwise the kits were about 220 USD for the two front calipers. I also renewed the bleeding valves as they were heavily corroded, expensive too. Although the springplates were also corroded I managed to get them back in good shape with some sanding paper, the screw did come out without any problem. I would wait and see how well you could restore the plates before ordering new ones.

 

Garrett, I think you're right. Premature senility setting in....

 

Phil,
The replacement calipers were £400 each apparently. I think you have to offset labour costs against the new part price - plus there was no guarantee the screws would come out cleanly. I should have a spare pair of standard front calipers available shortly.....
Barry

 

Porsche specs a better grade of instruments from VDO than Mercedes Benz. ATE provides the brakes to both Mercedes and Porsche, and Porsche gets better brakes. Why blame Porsche?

UV exposure, heat and humidity degrade most anything with time. Corrosion? Where do you drive? Mine has none from driving in Atlanta - not pristine, but better than industrial or sea coast locations. Garrett has already made the comment that dry garage storage is the only way any car can survive 15 years and still be in good shape.

I did not intend to offend, but I don't understand the Porsche bashing. I thought this was an enthusiasts' forum. Face it, there are pristine 964s, and ratty ones. The difference is due to neglect, abuse and exposure to the elements. Nothing lasts forever, but a 964 is an exceptional car and holds up much better than most.