hey everyone!

long time no post. my '82 has a frozen enough caliper that i can't push the piston back into the bore with any method - C clamp, caliper spreader etc., big channel locks

- should i try something else to unstick it?

- how bad is rebuilding these calipers on my own? never done it OR
- should I just buy ATE rebuilt calipers and be done with it?

FWIW - I have Bendix calipers which are NLA rebuilt. Money is not really the issue, it's more of wanting to do a good rebuild, and i see the reviews of rebuilt calipers aren't stellar.

thank you!
dd

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'85 300D, 'Lance',250k, ... winter beater (100k on franken-Frybrid 3 Valve Kit)
'82 300D, 'Tex', 228k body / 170k engine ... summer car
'83 300TD Cali Wagon 210k, wife's car

I bought mine at advance auto parts 5 years ago.They work good,starters,and alternator too.Some will say you need expensive parts,but no problems.too

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1999 w140, quit voting to old, and to old to fight, a god damned veteran

The ATE and Bendix are completely interchangable. All functional dimensions are the same.

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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

I have Bendix on mine and when the right front caliper went, I removed it and took it to a rebuilder who had Bendix parts. 75.00 later it was beautifully rebuilt with a one-year warranty

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Strelnik
Invest in America: Buy a Congressman!

1950 170SD
1951 Citroen 11BN
1953 Citroen 11BNF limo
1953 220a project
1959 180D
1960 190D
1960 Borgward Isabella TS 2dr
1983 240D daily driver
1983 380SL
1990 350SDL daily driver alt
3 x Citroen DS21M, down from 5
3 x Citroen 2CV, down from 6

I have ATEs on mine. I took the Caliper halves apart and once it was like that I removed the Heat Shield the Dust Boot.

That exposes the groove ton the Piston hat the Dust Boot went into. I put a blade screwdriver on each side of the groove and pried the piston out.

They do have tools that fit into the stuck pistons and expand inside to pull them out but I don't know if the auto part chain store have them as a free rental.

The Seal Kits can be had but you need to take the pistons out to determine if the innards are too pitted to preclude rebuilding.

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84 300D, 82 Volvo 244Gl Diesel

thanks guys!

the defacto thread on this topic appears to be here: Rear Brake Caliper rebuilding write up.

After looking around a bit and judging the rebuild job, I'm going to just suck it up and get rebuilt. Bah I really didn't want to open up the brake system

edit: FWIW Advance Auto sells Bendix rebuilds. Pelican parts only has ATE, I'll call tomorrow and see if they can get the Bendix (I already have OE pads)

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'85 300D, 'Lance',250k, ... winter beater (100k on franken-Frybrid 3 Valve Kit)
'82 300D, 'Tex', 228k body / 170k engine ... summer car
'83 300TD Cali Wagon 210k, wife's car

Rebuild kits typically consist of the gaskets. You don't have to halve the caliper. In fact, I've been told that you really shouldn't. On that note, rebuilding them with the kit is pretty straight forward however if your piston is seized, there is a good chance that the piston has a lot of surface rust and might have to be replaced. What that means is that you've just spent money on a rebuild kit that you can't use unless you can find some pistons. I vote buy some remanufactured ones. I picked mine up at Napa and i think they have some sort of warranty. And finally, flush your brake fluids every two years so that they don't rust.

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1985 300d Turbo Diesel

The biggest deterent to taking the Caliper halves apart is that most of the rebuild kits at least for ATE don't come with a replacment O-ring that goes between the halves.

Also you need to fudge the Torque as they are some odd torque that does not appear in the typical torque chart.

Please note that the rebuilder is going to take the Caliper completely apart and that is no different then if you do it.

Splitting Brake Calipers?

I split the calipers because it is easier to remove and install the Pistons and also the heat shields.

Attached Thumbnails

 

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84 300D, 82 Volvo 244Gl Diesel