Caliper seal issues/questions.

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Caliper seal issues/questions.

Postby Rickard0 » Wed Mar 15, 2023 7:22 pm

77 Buick Skyhawk: Need some help here. Driver's front caliper is sticking bad. Will not go back in with out tons of pressure. Then immediately sticks again. I got the piston out and it has a little pitting right near where the seal sits. I will get a replacement just in case, but my issue is with the caliper. The replacement seal has a hard outer ring, not flexible (purple arrow). I ripped the existing seal, so had to remove it. It felt like it was glued in. I was able to remove all of it, it sat in the groove of the Blue arrow. Now it looks like I can remove the top metal piece where the red arrow is, but looks to be rusted to the caliper itself. Can I pop that out? If so, how does the new seal stay in there then. Final question, Yellow arrow, I need to clean it up but is it too far gone, or should it be ok to use?

Image
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Re: Caliper seal issues/questions.

Postby chevyart » Wed Mar 15, 2023 11:15 pm

rick look on you tube. there are a bunch of clips on how to rebuild calipers. maybe you can get some info from there let us know you make out ' art in NY
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Re: Caliper seal issues/questions.

Postby sirrick4 » Thu Mar 16, 2023 12:07 am

Jeez, what a mess. Not surprised it was sticking. First of all, check the circumference of the new dust cover seal and then check the circumference where your red arrow is. If they are the same then try to get that old bit of metal out of there. The seal is an interference fit. It is meant to be hard to get in or out. When you replace that seal, try and find a press to do it properly. Failing that, you will need a socket just slightly smaller than the seal and a hammer. The hard bit is driving the seal in straight. The next thing I would be doing is to attack the entire caliper with a small circular wire brush and clean all the rust off it. You should probably finish cleaning where the piston sits with some fine steel wool. That damage doesn't look too bad from what I can see. How bad is the piston itself, is it worn? You may need to buy a new one. If you think you can get away with using it, then it will need to be cleaned up as well. The piston seal will need to be removed. It looks stuffed. You will need a fine bladed screwdriver to prise it out. Don't forget to clean out the groove that it sits in. You should also remove the bleeder nipple and clean the bleed hole. A new bleeder nipple should come with the kit. Once you have finished cleaning and degreasing it all, you can paint the caliper if you want. Use a good quality etch primer first or a good quality zinc paint. Don't paint the piston or the cylinder. When you are ready to assemble, do it on a clean dirt-free bench. Use brake fluid (nothing else) sparingly to lubricate the parts prior to assembly. Once you get your piston back in, check to see that it is a tight fit. You should be able to move the piston by hand. As a rule you should do both calipers at the same time. the other caliper will probably look very similar.
I hope you can understand my waffling there. Good luck with it.
Rick ......1975 Monza 2+2
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Re: Caliper seal issues/questions.

Postby Rickard0 » Mon Mar 20, 2023 4:20 pm

sirrick4 wrote:Jeez, what a mess. Good luck with it.



Sorry, was out of town. Thanks for all the info. I think the piston should be fine, there is a little pitting near where the seal slides into, but I should be able to get a new piston easy enough. The metal ring is going to be hard to get out. I also posted this on FB and got a response that the new seal should come with a new metal ring. Looks like the seal I bought does not have the metal ring. I will be ordering one that does have a metal ring. I will follow up and let you know how this turns out.
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Re: Caliper seal issues/questions.

Postby Rickard0 » Sun Apr 02, 2023 5:49 pm

I ordered the second one mentioned. I was able to remove the old steel ring, and put this one in. I put it back together as a test fit and every thing was fine. I do not think I pressed this seal in all the way as it is not flush, I will be taking it back apart as it was only a test fitting.
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Re: Caliper seal issues/questions.

Postby sirrick4 » Thu Apr 06, 2023 9:09 pm

I have my fingers crossed for you.
Rick ......1975 Monza 2+2
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