Will calipers installed in a reverse position, that is, rear mounted calipers placed on a front mount vehicle, work correctly?

My concern is that the bleed and brake fluid intake connections are in the wrong place. Will I be able to fill the system with fluid if the bleed is on the top of the caliper?

I've never tried it. Do the mounting holes and offset work? I mean does the caliper physically fit and does it position the pads correctly on the rotors? If so, I do not see why it would not work. Unless I totally misunderstand, I thought the bleeders are SUPPOSED to be on top--air being lighter than brake fluid--that would enable the air to escape. In fact its the only way it will work.

Physically, the calipers fit fine with a 1mm spacer. The pad and rotor contact is splendid.

I do not recall if the bleed is at the top or bottom, as I am not near my car. However, it is certainly in the opposite vertical position than it was intended ...

Any ideas?

" Will I be able to fill the system with fluid if the bleed is on the top of the caliper?"

Well I found out what would happen if you switch the rear callipers (bleed fitting on the bottom) the brakes bleed as usuall but the pedel goes to the floor no matter how many times there bleed. I dont know if the rear callipers will fit on the front, someone will know that one.

__________________


1985 Euro 240D 5 spd 140K
1979 240D 5 spd, 40K on engine rebuild
1994 Dodge/Cummins, 5 spd, 121K
1964 Allice Chalmers D15 tractor
2014 Kubota L3800 tractor
1964 VW bug

"Lifes too short to drive a boring car"

Thanks for the sad news...

But to clarify, these are not rear calipers. They are calipers from the front of a W123 300D which I want to mount on the front of my 220D. They were connected to the rotor so they contacted the rear portion. Sort of like this:

Diagram of 300D:

front of vehicle ( o{)} rear of vehicle

Where parenthesis signify rotor ends, brackets are caliper, and "o" is the hub.

Now, they are mounted on my 220D like this:

front of vehicle {(}o ) rear of vehicle

As you can see, the caliper is now upside down. They bolt up fine, and the casting appears to be designed vertically symetricaly, but the bleed and hose connections are now upside down as well.

Have you tried reversing the calipers side to side to get the bleed hole at the top? If the bleed hole is atthe bottom, you won'r get the air out of the caliper unless you turn it over which I read that a lot of junior mechanics do. LOL

P E H

Nope, they can't be switched. The bleed is on the bottom and thats where it has to be. Since the casting is symetrical, I could remove the bleed and brake hose connections and re-drill them on the top of the caliper, install the fittings, and close up the old openings.

More than likely I will go the "Junior Mechanic" approach and simply bleed the system with a wood block between the pads, with the caliper hanging upside down of its new position. Then I will flip it over, slide it onto the rotor, knock out the block, and bolt it down!

Thats my plan guys, thanks for the help.

I think bleeding is the easy part. If the calipers fit, this should be easy.
I use a pump type oiler that is ONLY used for brake fluid. I use a small rubber hose to connect the end of the pump oiler to the bleed nipple. Open the bleeder, pump brake fluid to fill the master cylinder. The fluid should carry all the air out the top of the caliper, thru the hoses and out the master cylinder.
Good luck!

MS Fowler,

I think the problem is that there is now an air pocket above the bleeder since it's upside down now (if I'm understanding this right). I'm not sure if I understand your method but I don't think it will work either (won't the air pocket remain in this case?)..... the bleeder has to be at the top to get the air out so the "wood block/junior mechanic method" is about the only thing that I can see working.

__________________
1985 300D Turbo ~225k
2000 F350 (Powerstroke) 4X4, SWB, CC, SRW, 6spd ~148k
1999 International 4900, DT466e (250hp/660 ft/lbs), Allison MD3060 ~73k

Cazzzidy,

The wood block method should work. I once used the paper clip method for drum brakes that had a rusted and broken off bleed screw.

Paper clip method: place the end of a paper clip between the rubber seal and the brake cylinder to let the air out. May be crude but it worked. This method not applicable to disk brakes.

P E H

OK, I just had a thought ( it happens).

I assumed the brake hose connection was now at the top. If that is the case, the air will be pushed out as fresh fluid is pumped in through the bleeder. However, if the brake hose is not at the top, and you have a pocket of trapped air above the hose connection, then it will not work.

Yes, that is the exact perdicament I am faced with.

I have had multiple mechanics tell me that I wont have any problems bleeding the system. However, I dont believe them.

I think the junior mechanic trick, bleed the system with the calipers disconnected so that I can hold it in a position where I wont get an airpocket, is the only way...