Have I done something silly ?????

jamieandthemagi · #1 (**permalink**) 11-17-2003, 07:53 AM

Over the weekend I took the calipers of the now garaged for the winter spider & found that a couple of pistons were seized, so I took them of & tried to free them up using a G clamp but to no avail.

so I split the calipers & sprayed the insides of the pistons (where the brake fluid goes) with WD40 (a penetrating rust freerer & lubricant), I left them to soak for a few days.
Got the pistons to free up after that. & washed out the WD40 with brake fluid & re-assembled the calipers.

Have I done something silly in putting WD40 in the calipers ?

164QV · #2 (**permalink**) 11-17-2003, 08:09 AM

Hmmm, no, cant see why. It worked out in freeing up the pistons and you washed it out afterwards. Cant see no problem there.
Thank god for WD40!

**ossodiseppia** · #3 (**permalink**) 11-17-2003, 08:19 AM

No, you haven't. But putting them back together without new seals is silly. It could actually cause serious problems like you wrecking your car. DON'T DRIVE YOUR CAR.

You should replace all of the seals. Seal kits only come with the dust seals and the piston seals. They do not come with the small O rings that go between the to halves of the caliper. So, if these seals fail, you'll lose the brakes. It could be a diasaster. Since you have cracked the two halves open, you'll need to find replacement O rings for the two halves. A buddy of mine used the Viton O rings from cylinder head gasket set in his calipers. They seem to be working fine. You should also buy a rebuild kit for the caliper.

What is the condition of the pistons and the piston bores? They may be so rusty that a rebuild may not work.

Brakes and steering are the two most important parts of your car. Never cut corners on either of those. This is only my personal opinion and should not be taken as gospel.

164QV · #4 (**permalink**) 11-17-2003, 08:23 AM

Ditto. I was taking it for granted that all seals were renewed - were they?

jamieandthemagi · #5 (**permalink**) 11-17-2003, 11:35 AM

I must admit, no I hadnt re-newed the seals.

I'll get online & order a set, before I go any further.

How do I check the pistons for pitting ? Do I take the rubber seal off the piston outer & just look at them ?

**ossodiseppia** · #6 (**permalink**) 11-17-2003, 01:06 PM

Yes, take them all the way apart and inspect all surfaces. If need be, take them to someone that has experience with brake rebuilding. Don't forget to track down those O rings.