BRDM Driver Posted July 19, 2013 Share Posted July 19, 2013 I have a slight leak on one of my Scorpions main brake calipers. Are these easy to get out and put new seals in? Any tips on this? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BRDM Driver Posted July 19, 2013 Author Share Posted July 19, 2013 So I found the caliper bolts - two of the final drive housing bolts. Interestingly the caliper without the leak had one bolt finger tight and the other bolt not even attached! It was just sitting there hanging about an inch out of its hole...:shocked::shocked::shocked: The caliper was actually wobbling about loose... Got to love pre-owned vehicles! So basically take the two caliper bolts out, disconnect the brake pipe, take pads out, disconnect handbrake cable and hey presto spend the next hour wiggling the caliper out... sound right? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timbo Posted July 20, 2013 Share Posted July 20, 2013 Sounds about right mate, the left hand one wiggles out a lot easier than the right hand one. It took me literally hours to get that one back in !!! Also they should go in without any need to resort to rubber hammer if you get the angles right! Richard Banister does seals for these calipers should you feel the urge while you have it out... Timbo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BRDM Driver Posted July 20, 2013 Author Share Posted July 20, 2013 Got it out eventually (righthand side not drivers side). Reminded me of the definition of a gynecologist: someone who can paint the hall from outside the house, through the letterbox! It certainly will need new seals. Will also need new pads as they are soaked in hydraulic oil! anyone know where to get pads? Will post photos of the process once I have it all back together. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timbo Posted July 20, 2013 Share Posted July 20, 2013 LOL I know that position well, the trick is to get yourself into the one 'sweet spot' where you can hold it for more than 10 seconds at a time whilst wiggling the caliper furiously.. Main brake pads are around but they are a lot more expensive than steering ones, circa £100. Try the usual places first, banisters, marcus glenn, xmod, or ebay. If the seals are mushy it could be that brake fluid was used by mistake, which will also destroy your mc seals, so test the fluid that comes out by smearing it on some paint to see if it removes it! As the Haynes manual says installation is the reverse of removal but I guarantee you it will take twice as long to get it in right... Good luck Timbo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BRDM Driver Posted July 20, 2013 Author Share Posted July 20, 2013 They're on xmod for 82 quid a pair delivered. I assume they are made by Ferodo as mine are marked FERxxxx. The seals were just worn. Pistons look ok. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BRDM Driver Posted July 25, 2013 Author Share Posted July 25, 2013 Actually there are one or two tiny spots where the chrome plate has come off the pistons so maybe they need renewing too? Surprised they aren't stainless! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sirhc Posted July 25, 2013 Share Posted July 25, 2013 I saw this and thought of you! I have tried various places to get replacement main brake pads but they can never match them up with anything commercially available. Best to buy them when you see them and keep a spare set. Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timbo Posted July 25, 2013 Share Posted July 25, 2013 Actually there are one or two tiny spots where the chrome plate has come off the pistons so maybe they need renewing too? Surprised they aren't stainless! Got my new pistons from Richard Banister too... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BRDM Driver Posted July 26, 2013 Author Share Posted July 26, 2013 Banisters and Xmod have pads. Pastparts have pistons. Will be getting it all back together next week, in time for the Purbeck Auto Jumble and Rally (hopefully!) Thanks for that magazine scan Chris... I'm not alone then! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BRDM Driver Posted July 29, 2013 Author Share Posted July 29, 2013 (edited) Some pics of the procedure. Doesn't look too bad, but see the lake of hydraulic fluid under the brake caliper! I used a wood clamp to compress the handbrake band, allowing me to get the split pin out of the end of the handbrake cable and remove the cable. Take the retaining plate off and the pads come out. I needed to apply a bit of leverage to get the pistons in a bit. Notice the fluid contamination on the pads... I couldn't get the flexible brake pipe undone without twisting it up, so I undid the mounting bracket and undid the other end, allowing me to rotate the pipe and unscrew it from the caliper. The caliper is bolted to the hull from the outside with two of the final drive bolts. Tricky to get at. The bolts on the other caliper were just about ready to drop out onto the road...:shocked: There's the caliper! Covered in gunge. the trick to getting it out is to ease the top out over the handbrake bands, then let it drop down onto the floor, then slide it out under the gearbox, twist 90 degrees and lift out upwards. It's a tight fit but comes out easy. Yuk!... All cleaned up with new seals and pistons. The old pistons were just beginning to lose the chrome plate. Slip the caliper down to the bottom of the hull sideways, near the bulkhead, rotate 90, the along under the gearbox, bottom first. Bring the top of the caliper up, feed the brake bands through and it pops in easy. You need two hands to do this so lay down on the top armour on something soft and get your head and shoulders down the gap! Bolting the caliper back is tricky if you are doing this single handed. I wedged it into place with... a wedge! Then align the caliper so the bolt holes line up. You can just see them by looking through the front sprocket. Replace the brake pads and retaining plate. Replace the handbrake band springs, clamp the bands together so you can get the handbrake cable back in, replace the handbrake cable split pin, re-connect the brake hose, check all the bolts and bleed the brakes. DONE! Edited July 29, 2013 by BRDM Driver Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PDonovan Posted July 29, 2013 Share Posted July 29, 2013 Brilliant !! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duffy Posted July 30, 2013 Share Posted July 30, 2013 Very nice step by step description with excellent pics. When pads become "contaminated" can they be cleaned properly and reused or should they be replaced? Alan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timbo Posted July 30, 2013 Share Posted July 30, 2013 The correct answer is they should be replaced, however I have heard tell of people getting the worst off with brake cleaner, then putting them in the dishwasher on a hot wash. Do this while the missus is out though! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grasshopper Posted July 30, 2013 Share Posted July 30, 2013 We had a set of steering brake pads become contaminated at a show a few years ago, some brake cleaner and an evening in the brazier seemed to do the trick! (We did replace them for new ones when we got home). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BRDM Driver Posted July 30, 2013 Author Share Posted July 30, 2013 We had a set of steering brake pads become contaminated at a show a few years ago, some brake cleaner and an evening in the brazier seemed to do the trick! (We did replace them for new ones when we got home). you can't beat an evening in someones brassiere... I found that after I soaked them in cleaner and left them somewhere hot for a while, the oil leached out again, so I repeated until no more oil came to the surface. It took a good half dozen goes. I will replace them at some point anyway, probably when I service the other caliper, but it seemed a shame to bin them as they had loads of ware left on them. A set of 4 is £154 too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
martinwcox Posted September 23, 2013 Share Posted September 23, 2013 Having just come back from a parade and had an unusual clicking noise and a clunk associated with the main brake and 2 bolts backed out of the drivers side final drive I can only conclude that the bolts in question probably are the caliper mounting bolts! That said can some one confirm which bolts on the final drive are the ones that hold the caliper? I will pull the front deck plate this week and see what the damage is (hopefully nothing major.) Regards, Martin. FV101 04 FD 62 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BRDM Driver Posted September 23, 2013 Author Share Posted September 23, 2013 Having just come back from a parade and had an unusual clicking noise and a clunk associated with the main brake and 2 bolts backed out of the drivers side final drive I can only conclude that the bolts in question probably are the caliper mounting bolts! That said can some one confirm which bolts on the final drive are the ones that hold the caliper? I will pull the front deck plate this week and see what the damage is (hopefully nothing major.) Regards, Martin. FV101 04 FD 62 It's the two bolts in the picture above. One has the socket handle on, the other is the one where there is no bolt in the hole. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
martinwcox Posted September 23, 2013 Share Posted September 23, 2013 Completely missed the obvious there! Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BRDM Driver Posted September 23, 2013 Author Share Posted September 23, 2013 Completely missed the obvious there! Thanks. no worries mate! I spent the last 2 days looking for something in my Abbot, only to spot it immediately this morning when I opened the door....:nut: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
martinwcox Posted September 24, 2013 Share Posted September 24, 2013 All fixed, thanks for the info in this thread, perfect! Cheers, Martin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.