Caliper Disassembly?

Anyone have any pics of the calipers dissembled for rebuild???

It's just an 0-ring and seal inside.

Some say that if the piston is shot, don't bother trying to sand it clean...others say that's fine(ish).

You need to blow the piston out somehow...with compressed air, or before you remove it from car...remove pads, put some wood in caliper and press the pedal.

Remanned caliper is not expensive, and if piston is rusted, might be the way to go (pistons are expensive(ish))

No pics from me...sorry.

Originally Posted by dmax

It's just an 0-ring and seal inside.

Some say that if the piston is shot, don't bother trying to sand it clean...others say that's fine(ish).

You need to blow the piston out somehow...with compressed air, or before you remove it from car...remove pads, put some wood in caliper and press the pedal.

Remanned caliper is not expensive, and if piston is rusted, might be the way to go (pistons are expensive(ish))

No pics from me...sorry.

Dmax,
Thanks for your input. My calipers are fine. I was going to disassemble them sometime soon to powder coat them. Maybe ill just pick up a cheap set to coat instead of trying to bang it out in an afternoon.

Thanks again.

definitely just buy remans. so cheap and fully rebuilt and ready to paint (if desired)

Yeah I'd recommend buying reman calipers if your mileage is near or above 100k miles. At that point the seals in them will probably need replaces soonish and they will be much easier to prep than old used one that are on your car.

http://forum.e46fanatics.com/showthr...ilt+suspension

Originally Posted by E46Mango

definitely just buy remans. so cheap and fully rebuilt and ready to paint (if desired)

Mango, in order to powder coat the calipers i need to pull the seals to do it correctly. So they will need to be disassembled anyway.

Originally Posted by paraklas

http://forum.e46fanatics.com/showthr...ilt+suspension

Thanks!

Originally Posted by Nerdy46

Mango, in order to powder coat the calipers i need to pull the seals to do it correctly. So they will need to be disassembled anyway.

Just use high temperature grill paint. It will look fine and that way all you have to do is masking tape some parts.

Originally Posted by Nerdy46

Anyone have any pics of the calipers dissembled for rebuild???

I have no pics but I have broken down and repaired calipers in the past without much issue. The rubber boot around the piston tends to fracture, water gets in and can cause rust to form on the exposed piston. If you look at the exploded view for my car the expensive component is the housing. Item 10, REPAIR SET BRAKE CALIPER kit, appears to contain piston, seal and rubber boot for $25, although I would clarify the presence of the piston. The fact that the kit exists is a reasonable indicator that repair is an option to resolving issues. In my case, some years ago, I purchased the seal and the rubber boot. The existing piston was still servicable once the rust on the exposed surface was removed. There was no scoring or pitting on the significant faces. You need to be scrupulously clean when reassembling of course. So I would give the repair a go. Its not that difficult.

http://realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do?...57&hg=34&fg=05

The labor-to-dollar ratio of remans is ridic.

If you do it yourself, it takes a pretty good amount of time and work, and you may even need additional parts.

Remans cost $50, sometimes have new pistons (if needed), and they clean them all up for you. Totally worth the extra $20-30, IMO.

Originally Posted by RayPooley

.... Item 10, REPAIR SET BRAKE CALIPER kit, appears to contain piston, seal and rubber boot for $25, although I would clarify the presence of the piston.

http://realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do?...57&hg=34&fg=05

No piston, according to a picture in BavAuto's Web site. It's a seal and a boot.

Originally Posted by Wolrab

No piston, according to a picture in BavAuto's Web site. It's a seal and a boot.

Yeah, that repair kit is just this:



If your piston is bad, you just have to buy remanufactured calipers. That's the most expensive part anyway. Only a few surfaces have to be machined on calipers and the piston/sleeve is by far the largest.

Originally Posted by Nerdy46

Mango, in order to powder coat the calipers i need to pull the seals to do it correctly. So they will need to be disassembled anyway.

Well 1, I don't recommend painting them. It looks cheap. However, if that's what you want, then I'd still rather pull apart a reman caliper than an old 100k crusty one. your choice!

Originally Posted by Wolrab

No piston, according to a picture in BavAuto's Web site. It's a seal and a boot.

I had my doubts because that's what I bought. The seal and the boot. It was on an E36 316i about 15 years ago.

Originally Posted by WDE46

Just use high temperature grill paint. It will look fine and that way all you have to do is masking tape some parts.

Powder coating is the correct way to achieve a nice finish. I prefer to powdercoat what I can.

Originally Posted by E46Mango

Well 1, I don't recommend painting them. It looks cheap. However, if that's what you want, then I'd still rather pull apart a reman caliper than an old 100k crusty one. your choice!

It looks less cheap than rusty/dirty calipers. Black painted calipers won't show the dirt either.

The OEM rebuilt kit is the cover boot and the o-ring seal. The boot is really thin and can easily get damaged if not inserted properly. Additional rebuilt items for the calipers are the guide pins along with their plastic covers and cap.

The only difficult thing in re-building a caliper is to properly seat the cover boot. Best way is to utilize a tube at the exact diameter with not sharp ends and gently tap it in place.

Originally Posted by WDE46

It looks less cheap than rusty/dirty calipers. Black painted calipers won't show the dirt either.

no no no. i'm talking about remans.

Originally Posted by E46Mango

no no no. i'm talking about remans.

Oh.

I was thinking about cleaning the caliper carrier up real nice and just painting the piston side for a two tone brake look. Think it'll be kinda cool?