Bob Winslade wrote:
> The cause, a leaking caliper that contaminated the brake pad on the left
> front.
Bob:
I'm sure happy that the roadster's brakes aren't prone to that type of dire
consequence of a leak contaminating a brake pad!! If they were I'd have been
in deep 'kim chee' long ago. I have had it happen from time to time - I only
get a mild pull to the other side, initially, until the lubricating effect of
the leaked fluid is 'burned off'. Also, have to keep an eye on, and replenish
the reservoir from time to time. Sort of a mild inconvenience, that prompted
my recent brake work.
Thanks for the information. I've had only 'training by doing' as the roadster
presents new opportunities to me over the years. I was not aware that hones
were available to dress roadster caliper cylinders. My "jig' solution to
'turning' the cylinders using emery, was only an extension and, I thought,
improvement over the manual means I had used in the past before installing new
seals and pads. It has proven pretty successful; I've only purchased 5 new
wheel cylinders in 35 years. (Maybe, I ought to buy some more while (if) new
ones are still available!)
Also, thanks for cautions about the use of oil in the 'machining' of the brake
components. I've only used hydraulic fluid for assembling the parts in the
past. Except, the seal 'kits' come with a package of heavy red lubricant. I'm
not sure where it is supposed to be applied, so I put it on the seals
themselves, lightly on the walls, and on the center pins. Seems to have worked
in the past.
I don't 'think' my emery cloth method, the way I do it, will have much of an
adverse effect on the 'straightness' of the walls. ...And, I don't think
that's a particularly important matter in these cylinders, anyhow, since the
pistons don't really go 'back and forth'. They essentially sit in one
position, only very slowly moving outward as the pads wear.
Again, thanks for the inputs.
Dave
'68 1600
Kailua-Kona
Bob Winslade wrote:
> I wasn't meaning using only new parts, just that people are careful and do
> things correctly. A friend of mine had a front brake failure that when he
> applied the brakes to slow for a left turn, the wheel was whipped out of his
> hand, and next thing he was over the median and into the front of a van. 2
> weeks in hospital, and the loss of his pride and joy. The cause, a leaking
> caliper that contaminated the brake pad on the left front. His dad had
> machined the calipers about 4 months earlier, using oil as a lubricant. The
> new seals were swollen, soft, and deteriorated for being only 4 months old.
>
> When you use a cylinder hone, you get straighter walls. If you use your
> fingers, and work a bit more at a particualr spot, you may create very small
> irregularities in the surface, that are not visible to the human eye, but
> which may cause the piston to bind, or the seal to twist and prematurely
> wear. Besides, a hone will likely cost only about $15.00 to $20.00, and
> storing it carefully so the stones don't get damaged, can lst for years and
> many brake jobs. New stones are available anyways.
>
> When apprenticing as a mechanic, they also teach us to use brake fluid for
> this reason.
>
> Bob
> 1966 1600
> 1970 510 4 door Ice Racer
>
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