Brake Overhaul.

[snotrag]

Mazda is now no longer in daily use so its time to throw some TLC at it.

Step one - Brake overhaul.

1.8 so already got the big rotors.

I'm thinking...

Remove calipers and flexi-hoses.

Strip calipers, clean up in parts washer, re paint. Clean piston, sliders etc etc.

New seal kit on each corner.

Rebuild.

Braided hoses - I found a cheap source for Goodridge hoses the other week but cant for the life of me remember where or how much, just 'ooh there cheap'.

Seal kits come to 70ish quid on MX5 parts.

Any guesses/suggestions for hoses/fittings? They dont sell them there.

Rebuild it all and flush through/bleed with fresh 5.1 fluid.

Pads and discs will be treated as consumables - basically once there off I'll make a judegement then.

If I replace - std/pattern discs from MXparts, plus what pads?

Stock on rear, what for the front?

I feel the balance is a little front heavy already, so maybe better to use same pads front and rear, whether thats stock or upgraded?


Anything I've missed? Suggestions?

[skinny]

if you want braided hoses check out the HEL group buy on nutz (or if not,they are quite cheap anyway). i have goodrich i think they cost about £55 quick google should bring up suppliers easy enough.

pads and discs i'd go genuine mazda.

also, beware that fitting a new piston seal is a pita. having done it twice, i never want to do it again, and would rather buy refurbed now. check out the likes bigg red

[snotrag]

skinny said:

also, beware that fitting a new piston seal is a pita.

How much of a pain in the ass?

I've done them before on cars/bikes and its 'awkward', but do you mean on another level of swearing?

I presume these refurb jobs are on an exchange basis?

[skinny]

you have to fit the inner lip of the seal into the caliper before you push the piston in through it. there are two ways of doing it.

either you take the piston completely out the way, put the caliper end lip in the caliper first (which is quite easy as you can push it in place from teh inside of the seal), and hope it holds in place there as you stretch the other end of the seal over the piston (which it won't) and then push the piston into the caliper through this seal that you've positioned without knocking it out (which is a PITA)

or

you can put the seal around the back end of the piston to start off with, hold the piston with one hand close to the hole in the caliper, and try and get the caliper end lip of the seal to go in place in the caliper with the other hand (without access to the inside of the seal to push it in place becase the piston is there). there always seems to be one part of the seal that is a bit awkward, and it normally lines up with the bridge bit of the caliper so you and can't get your fingers there or even see it (even if the bit that pops out isn't there, by the time you've poopped in the bit you can see, it will have popped out somewhere else, normally there). then again you have to push the piston through without popping any of the seal out but it's much easier if the piston is already inside the seal.

i found the second way had more success but each time it probably took literally 30 attempts of chasing the seal all the way round several times to stop bits popping out when you popped bits in, and then pushing the piston in to find that the seal had popped out again somewhere.

they are exchange in that you buy the units first, fit them, and then send yours back afterwards for a kind of refund.

[snotrag]

I just checked. It will be around 3 to 4 times more expensive to get a refurbed set.

I will do it myself. 70 quid on seals, plus a few tins of brake cleaner, a new wire brush and some smoothrite.

This is where you say ' dont say I didnt warn you'

[OnlyMX5ives]

Unless they are leaking / sticking I doubt a seal kit will aid anything.

On fronts 50% of the time its the piston at fault, 50% rusty slider

On rears 60% sliders, 10% piston, 30% seized handbrake mech.

I've never seen a leaking MX5 caliper.