chris walrod

If I wasnt so swamped and in the middle of the racing season (as I write from another darn airport), I would be happy to rebuild them for you or at least dig into them to see what their condition is.

JasonAndreas

Did you have a really difficult time installing/fitting the new pads into the caliper? If so, your problem could be the result of warped spring plates (here some photos to go along with Bill's 2nd suggestion).



they can be a nightmare to replace if you strip the screw head.



With a decent dental pick (see photo below) you can replace a single dust boot and piston seal in a matter of minutes.

A hunk of 2x4 works perfect to lock 3 pistons in place and allow one to come out just far enough that it won't fall onto the ground or remove one of your fingers.

Red rooster

Jason,

With you 100% ! The top/bottom plates being forced closer and jamming the pads has to be the most common Brembo problem area .
I used to use a gas torch and a deflector/protector plate to heat the retaining plate screws . Then they just pop out .
An air line on the hydraulic pressure line tells all about piston siezure .

Very often a caliper clean up and 4 screws will do the whole job !

Buying calipers to fix that simple issue is a very big buck solution !!!

Geoff
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KS400200,the oldest 964 on Rennlist,unless you know differently !

FotoVeloce

Awesome info guys!

I'm scheduled to pick up the car in it's current state I've driven the car for over 10,000 withou this problem unknown to me).

When I put in the new pads I was able to move the pisonts back and they did not seem to be more difficult to push back into the caliper than any others.. I just noted to myself that one pad on the right side was nearly to metal while the other three (speaking of rears) were at less than 50% worn.

I'll order up the rebuild parts. Interesting notes about those plates. I had ONE HELL of a time getting that damn spring (8) into place and I wonder if I might have tweaked those spring plates. I just got it back on the road after the suspension install and taking it back down for x days for the rear brakes really bums me out but.. can't screw around with brakes...

FotoVeloce

I don't recall them being any more difficult to move back than the fronts. I take it these parts are fairly easy to source?

UPDATE: This is interesting.. Schucks shows them for $130.00 each rebuilt ($50 core). For $130 a piece parts are about $50 seems like a no-brainer and 3 days delivery? Lifetime warranty.. Could they possibly screw them up so bad that I'd regret ordering them?

grmnxtc

This document may help (from the rebuilders website) to determine why you have uneven wear...

http://www.cardone.com/english/club/...%2018-0005.pdf

stevedowd911

I'm not a real big fan of Schuck's these days (I do remember when they were locally owned and a much better store), and I'd never get re-built brake calipers from them. I don't even buy oil there anymore (NAPA has better selection and prices).

I'd help you remove them for re-building, but you're a ferry ride away :-)

FotoVeloce

Oh man.. that's rought. I'm almost within a stone's throw of the ferry dock though.. if I agree to pick you up on this side and supply a meal at Anthony's would that tip the tide in my favor? I'd rather do it myself.. I like doing the hands-on stuff.!

JasonAndreas

When I did this job I hadn't yet discovered the joys of MAPP gas and oxygen so I was limited to messing around with propane which was hot enough to release the loctite but not enough to deal with corrosion of the screw. What I need is a little baby induction heater for stuck fasteners.

To DIY you're looking at ~$82USD per caliper (4 StopTech Dust Boots & Pressure seals ($50USD) + 2 Spring Plates ($32USD @ Sunset Imports)). The $130 sounds like a good deal but who knows what they used for seals or where the brake calipers originated from.

FotoVeloce

I hear ya. They say life warranty.

I had a chance to talk to the mechanic when I picked up the car. The big problem they were having is not being able to get any fluid to flow from the rear calipers. I suspect, as I've read elsewehre.. there is a waxy buildup from old fluid in the calipers which could be causing the sticking and prevented them from bleeding the system. Maybe they are worse off or perhaps not as bad as I first thought.

In light of this development would a rebuild still be worth pursuit? I've not removed them to confrm yet. I'll try to make time to R&R them tomorrow night. Maybe I can pull them and use air to blow out any waxy crap plugging the bleeders. They said they remvoed the bleed screws completly but could not push out fluid, even using the pedal. When I did the fronts I had some problems getting fluid flowing as well but was able to use the pedal to get it good enough to drive to the shop (bleeding solo without a pressure bleeder was hardly ideal).

cobalt

Interesting, I restored a 914 that had sat for 10 years without being driven and I was still able to get fluid to flow, rebuild the calipers and have them work like new.

A blockage in the caliper is something I never experienced and to be honest I don't see what could be so blocked that they cannot get something to flow. How did the fluid look that did flow from the front side?

How long did you go between fluid changes? Porsche recommends once every 2 years min.

FotoVeloce

I'd read on a few other forums where people had problems getting fluid flow due to old fluid breakdown and a waxy residue that resulted. Really nasty stuff from what some said.

Unknown. I bought it in October 2006.

There was a PPI and docs but they all might as well been printed on toilet paper as much as they seemed to relate to reality. The 4000 mile old clutch seems like the screwed up the install.. 18 months prior.. but it does seem better now that they bleed the clutch slave.

When I did bleed the fronts it looked like gold fluid (I pushed out blue to the front calipers, which I did remove fully, the rears I just pushed out of the way not opening the system at the rear.

TomF

Maybe I am misunderstanding you, but I sure hope that there are not two kinds of fluid in the system...

I too would be wary of Schucks. They are at best questionable when it comes to parts. On a Camaro maybe, but on a Porsche, no!

On the other hand, check Pep Boys online and see if the caliper rebuilder is the same supplier as Schucks. if so, then why not?

Let us know how this turns out. Best of luck.

Bill Verburg

Another very likely issue is the rubber brakes lines. W/ age they swell internally and cause isues suich as you described.

TomF

Bill, what is a good source for the SS brake lines?