Shop installed WRONG pins in front brakes...damage?
 

Hey all,
So i am restoring an 85' 300D but decided to let the local shop handle the brakes since i was too busy to get through it in a timely manner.
Seemed to go well. They showed me that i had some mildly worn rotors but only one of them truly needed to be replaced, so i had them do that plus replace all four brake pads. I also had them bleed out the oil and put new brake oil in. He also told me i had to replace the front two pins, so he ordered them and installed them.
Everything felt mostly great after. But i noticed a subtle rubbing sound in the front left wheel, when turning right and not while braking. This was not the wheel that needed a new rotor. And this rubbing had not been there previously. So i stopped by the shop and told them, and the shop owner said it he wasn't sure what it was but that sometimes brakes can seem strange as they brake in...
But it didn't go away and then eventually the brake indicator light came on. So i brought it right in.
He got back to me and told me that it turns out that their source for pins had delivered them the wrong ones and that they had installed them without realizing this. He said this was likely causing the rubbing sound.
He also mentioned that he suspected that a sensor wire had maybe gotten pinched during the whole initial brake pad install and had caused the brake light to come on. But he hadn't checked this yet.
I'm due to pick up the vehcile later today...
Is there anything i should be concerned with regarding any possible damage that may have been caused by using the wrong pins? What to the pins do and what would them being the wrong size cause to happen?
I want to be sure i am going to not have some other related damage crop up many months from now because of this incident. I drove probably 200 miles with the wrong pins.

thanks

The pins don't move and are not in a location (as far as I recall) where they would easily hit anything so I'm skeptical that wrong pins would cause a rubbing sound. I'm not even sure how pins could be wrong and still be used. They're roughly like a nail.

Given that the rubbing/rumbling sound only occurs while turning to the right, what would that physically mean it could be? If it wasn't happening prior to the brake install i mean. What could have changed and cause that? Some kind of imperfect placement of pads?

Both ATE and Bendix calipers have an anti-rattle spring set under the pins. Wonder if he forgot to replace the spring on the left side?

The ate pin has a larger end which is driven into the hole in the caliper. It must be driven out with a drift or a large nail to change the pads. The other calipers have loose pins secured by a small hairpin through the end.

I don't think they would easily be interchanged so perhaps one came loose and rubbed against something.

Without looking at the brakes, saying that the pins are causing the problem is a guess.

The car needs to be jacked up and wheels spun / removed to determine what is going on.

Typically, if there is a noise after changing brakes it is a misplaced anti rattle spring or bent- rusted - out of place sheet metal backing plate / dust shield.

Exactly.

Looks like the shop needs to do their work again unless you think they are incompetent in which case, you'll be doing the work and asking for a refund. These brakes are just like every other system that has solidly mounted calipers.

New wear sensors are readily available as are hoses. Not having wear sensors is not really a problem if you are attentive to maintenance. We were able to change brake pads for many years before the electronics began to allow sensors on every little thing.

I don't get the pins...they either fit or they don't. If he had the wrong pins, it shouldn't have left the shop to begin with. The wear sensors are just wires that ground out when the pads are worn. If they're shorting out then they weren't installed correctly. You mechanic seems to be suspect.

Usually a grinding sound on the left when you turn right indicates a bearing problem. But I suppose a poorly supported brake pad could do it too.

Without looking it could be any pin, or even a bolt .Could be the retaining pin to hold the pads in place .If its to long it will rub the alloy wheel .They fit 2 types of brake systems to the w124 .

3 types of calipers (ATE, Bendix, and Girling) fit the W123, but none should leave the shop without correct pins. That's dangerous. The pins hold the springs which keep your pads in place. I think you need to find out some more information about what brand calipers you have, and what type of pins they were trying to install. At this point, I would also ask how they preloaded the bearings on the wheel they replaced the rotor on. And did they clean and repack them, or just tighten them back up? An avoidable bearing job is another expense nobody needs.

You need a mechanic instead of a parts changer who makes minimum wage.

Surely changing a rotor on a W123 involves removing and refitting the wheel bearing. These cars have quite tight tolerances on that. Are you sure they didn't leave it too loose or tight?

I see once again i am stuck .The poster 300D said just this 85 300D Now we all know that the W124 started out in 1985 And W123 stoped. So information is poor for anyone to check this out .. In the future,, if i see no make or model , or year i wont bother stopping by to help You can search for ages to help members only to find like this one your looking at one model to find its another .

W124 300D launched in 1986.