Advice needed re Alcon calipers ruined
09-01-2017, 01:44 PM
#16
Pro
Thread Starter
it all started when I was going to paint them on the car then decided to remove them to see state of brake pads and then discovered the state of rusty pistons. The odd thing was the car was still stopping and brakes where working fine even in the horrendous condition they where in .
09-03-2017, 09:43 AM
#18
Pro
Thread Starter
ok I have drafted a response to the brake specialist quite long winded but will see what they say. We have litigation and matter can be dealt with by a court if needed.
Thank you for the updates in how you are planning to resolve the issue with damaged caliper. I am some what unhappy that I was not consulted in what you planned to do with the damaged caliper. I am and always have been schooled to the understanding that a damaged core should be replaced with a alternative core and everything transplanted across to replacement core. You simply do not attempt to repair damaged cores.
This idea of grinding down the remaining Aluminium raised circular cast collar ring surface and using some sort of super glue to adhere a manufactured washer of sorts down to cover the damage cast, does not sit well with me. The fact after all this meddling has occurred then the caliper is painted to hide mask the works that have been carried out further warrants a situation where I feel uncomfortable with the end product.
The questions that are coming to my mind are sustainability issues will the pistons be easily removable by passing compressed air through the caliper and will the repair except an OEM dust seal or has the dust seal been super glued as well? The material used in creating this replica circular washer is it Aluminium or some other metal? what is the durability of the hybrid repair with the heat cycles the caliper will endure in use ? will the bond glue last the test of heat cycles and time what are the expansion contraction qualities of the new added circular piece?
I do not think Alcon the manufactures would approve of this fix as originally these calipers are made from a single block of Aluminium and are one piece and not a caliper that has been designed with two pieces bolted or glued together for that matter. It feels to me the repair is a band aid to temporarily resolve the issue but it will be problematic in the future.
I did suggest a the start of this issue I wanted a replacement core new or used and everything swapped over it is evident this has not occurred and instead a hybrid creation has occurred which can not really be tested to the same laboratory standards as an original product which undergoes vigorous testing in its manufacture process. The car it will eventually be fitted to is valuable to me and is ultimately a sports car and hence the caliper will be put through its paces and reliability and safety are paramount. I could have easily carried out the repair that has been carried out myself but I was not prepared to do this as this is not how the manufactures of these calipers intended their use. When these calipers where manufactured the dust seal ring was made as one cast using CNC and CAD drawings the whole caliper assembly is originally one piece this is done for a reason.
I have been trying to digest what you have done to may calipers and feel this attempted repair feels more like a quick fix then a proper repair, Ideally you would have used a replacement undamaged core. Alcon have informed me they have a bin where calipers that do not make the quality control process end up and these binned calipers are recycled for the Aluminium in short they do not attempt quick fixes to the core.
Regards
Zakariah
Thank you for the updates in how you are planning to resolve the issue with damaged caliper. I am some what unhappy that I was not consulted in what you planned to do with the damaged caliper. I am and always have been schooled to the understanding that a damaged core should be replaced with a alternative core and everything transplanted across to replacement core. You simply do not attempt to repair damaged cores.
This idea of grinding down the remaining Aluminium raised circular cast collar ring surface and using some sort of super glue to adhere a manufactured washer of sorts down to cover the damage cast, does not sit well with me. The fact after all this meddling has occurred then the caliper is painted to hide mask the works that have been carried out further warrants a situation where I feel uncomfortable with the end product.
The questions that are coming to my mind are sustainability issues will the pistons be easily removable by passing compressed air through the caliper and will the repair except an OEM dust seal or has the dust seal been super glued as well? The material used in creating this replica circular washer is it Aluminium or some other metal? what is the durability of the hybrid repair with the heat cycles the caliper will endure in use ? will the bond glue last the test of heat cycles and time what are the expansion contraction qualities of the new added circular piece?
I do not think Alcon the manufactures would approve of this fix as originally these calipers are made from a single block of Aluminium and are one piece and not a caliper that has been designed with two pieces bolted or glued together for that matter. It feels to me the repair is a band aid to temporarily resolve the issue but it will be problematic in the future.
I did suggest a the start of this issue I wanted a replacement core new or used and everything swapped over it is evident this has not occurred and instead a hybrid creation has occurred which can not really be tested to the same laboratory standards as an original product which undergoes vigorous testing in its manufacture process. The car it will eventually be fitted to is valuable to me and is ultimately a sports car and hence the caliper will be put through its paces and reliability and safety are paramount. I could have easily carried out the repair that has been carried out myself but I was not prepared to do this as this is not how the manufactures of these calipers intended their use. When these calipers where manufactured the dust seal ring was made as one cast using CNC and CAD drawings the whole caliper assembly is originally one piece this is done for a reason.
I have been trying to digest what you have done to may calipers and feel this attempted repair feels more like a quick fix then a proper repair, Ideally you would have used a replacement undamaged core. Alcon have informed me they have a bin where calipers that do not make the quality control process end up and these binned calipers are recycled for the Aluminium in short they do not attempt quick fixes to the core.
Regards
Zakariah