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Brake Caliper Restoration
http://forums.ctzcc.com/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=8347		 Page 1 of 2
Author:  Filipe [ Mon Jul 07, 2014 12:58 pm ]
Post subject:  Brake Caliper Restoration
I got some cheaappppppp Z32 calipers. The trade off is that they are in dirty, rusty-ish condition. I want to bring these back to their natural iron finish. What do you guys recommend I do to bring them back to their glory days?

Thanks,

Filipe
Author:  Frank T [ Mon Jul 07, 2014 5:36 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Brake Caliper Restoration
Since you're going to rebuild them anyway, I would take them to any engine shop and have them boil them a few hours (maybe overnight) in their acid bath parts cleaner. All the seals inside would be destroyed, but what do you care? You're rebuilding them.

Should be cheap.
Author:  Filipe [ Mon Jul 07, 2014 7:37 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Brake Caliper Restoration
^^Sounds better than sitting there for a few hours scrubbing them till I get bloody fingerZ...
Author:  Frank T [ Tue Jul 08, 2014 12:30 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Brake Caliper Restoration
Back in the Chrome Age, every corner gas station was also a repair garage, and they each had one of these parts cleaners. They usually put kerosene in the vat and turned on the heater. Then they added a tad bit of acid and the parts got really clean.

EPA/OHSA/DEP got all upset about everybody breathing vats of bubbling acid and started worrying about how these backyard mechanics disposed of the acid/kero mixture when it was too dirty to use any more. Further, some guys just left the heater on full all night and caused fires and boil-overs and total evaporations and the like. The bottom line was that they went after everyone who owned one of these cleaners (or any of those great little kerosene-fired engine steam-cleaner pressure washers) and told them to cease and desist for the sake of all humanity. Now you can't get anything clean anymore. Stupid.

Ask around. Engine shops and some garages still have these heated parts cleaners and if they haven't blown themselves up or destroyed their lungs by breathing boiling acid inside a closed garage all winter, they can clean your brake calipers really well.

Attachments:
kerosene fired engine steam cleaner.jpg
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Parts Cleaner.jpg
Parts Cleaner.jpg [ 327.57 KiB | Viewed 11523 times ]
Author:  Filipe [ Tue Jul 08, 2014 12:34 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Brake Caliper Restoration
Sounds like you old timers messed it up for us young guns. :twisted:

I'm only kidding, of course. :thumbs_up:

I'll start hunting around tomorrow I guess.
Author:  Frank T [ Tue Jul 08, 2014 12:36 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Brake Caliper Restoration
Oh, for sure. We destroyed our half of the planet.

But MAN, we had some clean cars!
Author:  Filipe [ Tue Jul 08, 2014 12:50 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Brake Caliper Restoration
The jealousy continues....wouldn't want to trade for the war times though...although the time "we" spent/will spend in the Middle East has given our generation enough to talk about for a few decades.

a whole nother story for another day.
Author:  Filipe [ Tue Jul 08, 2014 8:35 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Brake Caliper Restoration
Frank, do you think that there is anything to worry about in terms of acid getting into the lines that would normally carry other fluids?
Author:  Frank T [ Tue Jul 08, 2014 8:57 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Brake Caliper Restoration
Well, you'll remove all attached lines before they let it go into the cleaner, anyway.

The internal seals will be dissolved, but the cup and piston will come out spotless. All the external paint and grime on the caliper will come off. You'll get back an 'in the white' unit(s), ready for rebuild and repaint.
Author:  Filipe [ Tue Jul 08, 2014 9:06 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Brake Caliper Restoration
Ok, I was just worried about the brake fluid moving through the spaces that were cleaned by acid.
Author:  Frank T [ Tue Jul 08, 2014 9:16 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Brake Caliper Restoration
The mixture is principally kerosene. Only some garages use acid (all mine did). It dries away with an air hose. No worry.
Author:  Filipe [ Tue Jul 08, 2014 2:08 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Brake Caliper Restoration
Awesome, thanks!
Author:  Gregmatic [ Mon Jul 14, 2014 10:24 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Brake Caliper Restoration
I Usually media blast mine. Be sure to block the the brake line hole with a (non-banjo) bolt.
Author:  Filipe [ Tue Jul 15, 2014 5:51 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Brake Caliper Restoration
Where do you get it done?
Author:  Gregmatic [ Tue Jul 15, 2014 7:48 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Brake Caliper Restoration
I work occasionally at a machine shop, i have access to the a large blasting cabinet. Any local machine shop can do that for you.
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