Front brake calliper problems...

[PaulColeman]

I've now finished off dismantling my front suspension and my final job was to disassemble the brake callipers. There is a pin in the middle of the inside of the calliper and on mine 3 of the 4 pins are quite badly bent. What are my options here? It looks virtually impossible to straighten them as you can't get at them.

I'd like to keep it original if I can so I don't want to replace them if I can avoid it...

Cheers, Paul.

[andrewh]

You must be referring to the locating pin for the pads. They are of course critical. I have never looked at these in detail so cannot advise if they are removable but would imagine they are. Try Past Parts in Bury St Edmunds they should know for sure and refurbished my caliber s exceptionally well. Although I have not tried them yet they looked superb!

[PaulColeman]

It's the pin which goes inside the piston. I've sent Past Parts an e-mail and will see what they say...

Cheers, Paul.

[PaulColeman]

Wow, nearly ?800 to refurbish the 4 fronts and 4 rear callipers :(

Paul.

[PaulColeman]

I posted for help with my bent pins on the Jag Lovers forum and some said the pins can be disposed of without any adverse effects. So yesterday I decided to remove them. I pushed one of them over to the side to the point where the pin levered itself out of the housing. I then straightened it and decided to have a go at refitting it. I pushed it back in the way it came out and then using a screwdriver and a hammer I hammered the housing back into shape and it seems to be fine?

I got a quote to re-sleeve the callipers in stainless steel but the quote was ?800 for the 8. I intended to have them re-plated in nickel but initially I was planning on masking up the insides of the callipers. I'm now wondering if I could have them plated on the inside as
well and then have them honed back out to size. Would that work?

I also planned on having the pistons re-plated as well. Would that be okay if I masked up the hole in the centre?

Thanks, Paul.

[christopher storey]

If the inside bores of the cylinders are in good condition then I should leave them, and the same goes for the pistons which IIRC are made from bright mild steel and are unplated . Just clean everything up with 1200 wet and dry lubricated with brake fluid . I think the calipers were unplated originally as well , although they may have had that gold passivate which was common in that era . Speaking personally, I think you get just as good, if not better, results with a can of very high temperature paint

[PaulColeman]

The bores do have some pitting and the pistons look shabby but are sound.

[johnney]

The caliper bodies and piston units were cad plated, If I was you I would replace them rather than butcher them by removing the piston retractor pins. You could buy all eight new and peace of mind, for around 700 or less.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/JAGUAR-Mk2-E- ... 20d37402ff

[PeterCrespin]

The bores do have some pitting and the pistons look shabby but are sound.

If the bores are pitted, then unlike a modern caliper you have no option but to fix the problem. On normal calipers the seal is static in the bore and you just need an un-pitted piston circumference for the seal to wipe over. In the case of Dunlops, the seal is fixed to the piston and wipes the bore.

If the bores are pitted you have the choice of repair or replacement. You don't have the choice to use them as-is.

[PaulColeman]

Agreed I need to do something but I just wondered if there was a cheaper alternative to the ?800+ to have them re-sleeved.

Paul.

[Heuer]

Give Angus a call/PM and ask for his brother-in-law's contact details. He did my S1 front callipers at ?40 per piston. Stainless steel, re-plated bodies and a superb job done to aerospace standards. All you will need are new seals.

[Heuer]

Ooops - my bad. Should have said ?70 per piston - my memory is not what it was! Was thinking about four pistons and it went downhill from there Still a bargain though! http://www.mossjaguar.com/shop.html