Cockney Wideboy

iTrader: (2)

Hi guys,

Got a major issue with the brakes on my car. I went to replace the disc’s today and did the NSF ok, the bolts holding the caliper on were incredibly tight but once moving everything was fine.

So onto the OSF, got both Caliper bolts out, the lower on was the same as the other side i.e. bloody stiff to start but once moving no issue but the top bolt was stiff all the way through and as a result it has taken a good amount of the thread out of the calliper.
I’m not really sure what caused the thread to come away as for the most part the bolt looks ok and doesn’t appear to be cross threaded which was my first thoughts when removing it.

As you can imagine, I’m now not a happy bunny as I have got no brakes on my car, and could be looking the wrong end of a big bill. Do you think it will be possible to get the calliper machined out and what sort of cost would I be looking at for that? Really don’t want to be buying a new calliper unless necessary.

Also how does the brake line disconnect from the caliper? If I can just send the calliper away rather than trailer the entire car that would make it a bit easier for me.

If it can’t be fixed what the cost of a new caliper be? Guessing not much change from £500

Godspeed Brakes

iTrader: (259)

Hi
If you send the caliper to me , I can fix it for £35 plus £15 P&P back to you , or if your close , bring the caliper to me and I can do it while you wait.
I have had a few Brembo calipers I have remove do it , usually the rear ones as they have a smaller diameter thread than the fronts.

There is a banjo bolt holding the hose onto the caliper , remove this bolt and the hose comes off the caliper , you would be advised to clamp the hose so you dont loose the brake fluid , it will be easier to bleed the brakes with the system still full.

Cheers Ian

Cockney Wideboy

iTrader: (2)

Many thanks for the super quick reply,
So you reckon its definitely fixable then?
Where abouts are you based?

Is this quite a common thing with the Brembo's then? What material are they made of?

Godspeed Brakes

iTrader: (259)

Hi
Yes it is fixable , will have to machine it out and fit a helicoil , the calipers are alluminium , I am in Bridgend in South Wales
Cheers Ian

tathan

You could do it yourself for a few quid less, but at that price I wouldn't risk it - good deal I say

Cockney Wideboy

iTrader: (2)

Cheers guys, Unfortunately Wales is not that local to me so I going to see if I can find a local company to do it early next week as I need the car back ASAP and the postage is going to be almost as much as the work, if I’m struggling I’ll give you shout.

For future reference was this always going to happen or could I have done anything to prevent it? Its the first time ever I have torn a thread out on any car that I have ever worked on as I’m pretty careful (or just lucky). Although I must say that the caliper bolts were also the tightest I have ever had to remove.

At first I thought there was a bit crap in the thread so I worked it back and forth slightly to try and work it out but it made no odds so then I persevered to remove it carefully so as not to snap the bolt in the thread. But I don’t think there was anything in the thread causing an issue, could the bolt have been done up to tight at the factory? As far as I can tell this is the first time the calipers have been off as I was replacing the original disc’s and I did the pads when I first got the car leaving the disc in situ, again replacing original parts.

Ray T

did you manage to get any wd40 into the bolt?

to limit your brake fluid loss put some clingfilm over the master cylinder, also in the past i have used a finger off a rubber glove cabletied over the pipe end removed from the caliper.

Cockney Wideboy

iTrader: (2)

Any I used nearly a full big can. As the pad's were safely aware from the area and the disc's being binned I was very very generous with the stuff.

Cheers for the advice

Aztec Performance Ltd

iTrader: (234)

Yes, it would be easier, cheaper and more convenient to have it done locally. Not a hard job.

I have a set of rear Brembos waiting to go on the car with the same thing.

Subaru will take the shims back, so long as they weren't special order.

Fangoria

iTrader: (1)

Its common
It happened on my AP Calipers.. and then I have also sheared Brake nipples twice..
I drove mine without the thread for a while - afterall the brakes were not just going to fall out..

Got it helicoiled at Power Engineering, west London - cost about £20.... and all fixed

D1CCY

Not uncommon. I had it happen to one of my front Brembos. There seems to be some issues with dud bolts, on mine there was a blob on the end of the bolt that ripped the thread, must have been forced in on manufacture and waiting to trap the unwary (me). You couldn't have done anything to prevent it. Make sure you replace the offending bolt or you will do the same again. Some extensive posts about this on NAIOC if you care to do a search.

Cockney Wideboy

iTrader: (2)

Many thanks for your reply, I did later inspect the bolt to find a very similar blob/flat spot on the flat spot at the end of the thread. I will be replacing both bolts as a matter of course

I have found a local machine shop that have come highly recommended that are doing it for me first thing tomorrow morning for the same price as Ian has quote.

Thanks again for the offer Ian, hopefully you appreciate that I need to get the car back on the road ASAP and the postage would have delayed things slightly and virtually double the cost.

Cockney Wideboy

iTrader: (2)

All sorted,

Got the caliper back this afternoon all fixed, no marks so that’s me a happy bunny, just need to get it fitted tomorrow and we are back in business. Thanks again for the advice guys

DannyBoy007

iTrader: (7)

I had the same on a set of Brembo's, they were only a year old when I tried to take them off, stripped three threads, Cost me about £150 to have them helicoiled two years ago.

Now that I know Ian does it, I'll bear that in mind for the future

Cockney Wideboy

iTrader: (2)

Still got issues guys, these brakes are really trying my patience at the moment,

The caliper is on, new bolts all sorted, pads in etc...All good so far.

So then came the time to bleed the caliper off, and here we have problem number two.

The outer bleed nut is perfectly fine. The inner nut is as round as a pound. It looks like someone has a serious go at in the past. I had a couple of goes with the mole grips but TBH it was just making it worse. The socket and ring end spanner just spin on it.
I have bled as much as I can via the outer side but after a quick drive round the block the brake are still super spongy so I really need to bled it from the inner side too.
Anything that can be done to get it off? Thinking off just stripping it all down again and getting it back to the engineering firm or taking it to the garage and letting it become their issue.


I should have checked the condition before fitting but hind sight is a beautiful thing. I have now spent more time ****ing about with these Brembo's than it took me to replace the cambelt and water pump on my previous car

MikeCardiff

iTrader: (2)

Easiest way if mole grips arent working and you dont have any specialist tools to hand - get a file and file two new flats onto the nut, so you are basically making it smaller so your next size down spanner will fit it.

If you have something like a dremel with grinding discs it is a lot quicker, but you can also do it with a rough hand file.

Then give it plenty of WD40, leave to soak overnight and you should be able to get the bolt off and replace with a new one.

The only thing you need to be careful of is getting the two sides of the nut very straight so the spanner doesnt just round it off again.

Have used this method a few times on different nuts and after a bit of hard work and swearing it never fails.

Cockney Wideboy

iTrader: (2)

Cheers for the reply, I decided against trying it myself as I would have ended up causing more damage, so I stripped the car down and took it down to the engineering firm again and they sorted it straight away.

The other option presented to me was to bleed it through the brake line but I would much rather do things correctly rather than cut corners, especially with brakes. So now everything it looking good with brand new caliper bolts and brand new bleed nipples just need to find the time to refit it all now as i'm away next week.

Cheers again for all your help.