Help, Brakes appear ceased!!!

[tvradict]

Can't put this anywhere else, it's a vauxhall!

Right, last sunday, as in, a week back on sunday, my nearside front caliper locked on, and after a good 7 mile thrash, the disc was glowing nicely! So after a coke in the pub, I drove home slowly, monday I freed the caliper, took all day.
Today, I drove the same 7 miles, this time the Offside Caliper locked on, which makes me think there is a problem with either A) The calipers B) THe brake fluid feed (pipes) ien ot enough fluid getting through or too much or it is surging! or C) A + B!!!!
Anyone got any ideas???
Will be replacing pads soon, is it worth replacing the calipers at the same time, after the events of the last week, will prob need discs!
Is it better to recon my current calipers (Looking a bit sorry for themselves) or getting a couple out of a scrappy???
Not going to pay for new calipers! My pockets are a tad shallow just now!!!

Cheers
Stuart!

[zippy500]

My Honda CRX used to do this on both sides at the front. The cure was to remove both pistons clean them free of rust and sh1t and replace the seals. It took a couple of hours and wasnt that difficult to do. Hope this helps.

[ZZR600]

i had a similar problem with my old astra the discs glowed so hot they melted the wheel trims .
You can do 2 things , 1)strip them right down and rebuild them or
2) Get some secondhand ones from a scrappy this will proberbly be your best bet, just check and make sure they work ok and give them a good clean before fitting .
cheers
Denny

[Dave_H]

Hmmmmm... not sure that replacing any part of the braking system with secondhand bits is a good idea.

Each is to there own and all that , but in my book I'd only get ones from a scrap yard if you intended to properly rebuild and recondition them whilst your car is still on the road - that's if it's still driveable?

The prefered remedy would be to replace the units with new ones.

I'd never skimp on brakes, even if it were in a shopping car, let alone one with any sort of performance.



>> Edited by Dave_H on Thursday 14th February 20:27

[McNab]

Agree with Dave, Stuart. Money matters, but your life really matters.

There must be a non-posh small-time operator in your neck of the woods who could diagnose?

[apache]

you have my sympathy...I tried to keep an old Saab 900 going on the dole. I had the same prob and bought a rebuild kit for the brakes, dead cheap from an accessory shop

[tvradict]

Right, just been out for a drive (Pub, it's valentines day!) Car was really struggling against the brake. On Closer inspection when leaving the pub, the offside disc now has some seriously deep groves! 2mm or more!!! When I got home, disc was once again glowing, thankfully, only the offside is being a bugger!! Looks like will have to get inside braking system tomorrow afternoon.
Anyone got any advice on removing calipers and cleaning them???
What about stopping the fluid dribbling out of the brake pipe?? (I assume this has to be removed!!)
Whats the best thing to use to clean them???
I know i'm asking alot of questions but I'll only have a couple of hours tomorrow to do them both!!!!

Cheers
Stuart!

[kevinday]

If you still have rubber brake hoses you can buy a couple of brake hose clamp tools. These squeeze the pipe so the fluid cannot leak out. Probably obtainable in Halfords etc. I recommend the seal kit as well. Remove the calipers, strip and clean, being careful not to score the pistons otherwise you will get leaks. When refitting you will also need to change the brake fluid. If your disks were red-hot the chances are the fluid has boiled. If strip, clean and re-assemble does not do the job then I would replace with new ones, I second the idea that life is worth more than a few quid.

[mel]

money saving tip clean them with parrifin it's about 50p /lt from a hardware shop does a top job but leaves no "oily" residue like other spirits do and is cheap enough that you won't scrimp on it. Brake cleaner is probably 10 times the cost.

[tvradict]

Cheers Guys. Will give it a shot later on!!!
I remembered what was up with the other side. The return guides were only allowing the caliper to go one way, on. The guide was rusted. A vat of WD40 and a hammer got it freed ok.
The car was underwater recently, not completely but high enough to cover the brakes. (During the bad weather at the wend of Jan. Long story) It was salt water, could that have caused the rust. The piston inside the caliper is moving freely, (Which I would have thought would remove the need to strip the caliper down.)
Would I be right in thinking the same process would be necessary on this side??
Anyone got any tips on hjow to stop it rusting again??
Is it worth replacing the whole system? (Pads, Calipers, Discs!)
Questions Questions!!

Cheers
Stuart!

[GBGaffer]

Oh dear Stuart - underwater (salt) is the beginning of a world of woes!

My other half drove her Fiat Uno thro 6" of Salt water, and the costs of that action over time have been huge.

New Brakes and Discs - had to cut and smash the disc's off.

Gear linkage b*ggered - bushing and slides shot

Brake pipes corroded - MOT failure - replace.

Exhaust corroded - MOT failure - replaced

Rear subframe corroded - MOT failure - welded.

Bell housing bolts seized so clutch replacement is going to be a bit of a bugger.

Hope thats not too depressing

Cheers

Graham

[tvradict]

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!

Car wasn't driven through. It was stuck in a flood!!! Sat for aound 7 hours. Underwater for about 4!!! Bugger!
Now that you mention it the exhaust is not sounding like it used to, and ever since that fateful day the brakes have felt 'soggy', like i'm pressing my foot on a sponge.
MOT not due til August so I have a bit of time to have a look at all these things!! I was considering uprating the brakes anyway, and the engine is pathetic. Hmmmmmm. Maybe not such a fateful day after all!!!!

>> Edited by tvradict on Friday 15th February 11:23

[Paul V]

When you re assemble the slides you could try using copper grease, I had this problem with my first car and that sorted it. If your disc’s are worn they will need replacing, if this is all it is the calliper should need a rebuild.

[tvradict]

Cheers. I'm thinking New Pads and Discs. Have a looksy at the calipers, see what the score is. I might get them checked over by my friendly local garage. If need be, buy two that have come out of a car breakers! I may change the hoses, looked at them yesterday when I had a quick look at the caliper and they've had better days. I looked at the limited history that cam with the car, it seems these hoses and calipers are the originals that were on the car in 1990!!

Time to get the spanners out!!

Cheers
Stuart!

[mel]

Sell it and quickly.

If it was in salt water a month ago and hasn't had any attention it will PDQ be buggered. It's a bit late now but immediately afterwards it should have been up on a ramp and pressure washed underneath at least, even then the odds would not be good. The difference between being in a flood and normal road spray even on gritted roads is huge. That car is going to start costing money very shortly. Sorry to say it

[tvradict]

Problem is, it ain't worth nothing!!
I know it'll get me through the winter, til spring at least and then I'll give a good going over, front to back job, obviously not fixing everything, but I think you know what I mean. If by then it is going to start costing money, i'll sort out the cosmetic stuff and punt it! Get the window seal sorted, rust etc, then get rid of it! If all that gets done it's be worth a bit more, engine runs ok, gearbox feels good, done a relatively low mileage for it's age etc!!!

[McNab]

Stuart, mel's right surely...if you can get the brakes working again and give it a clean-up, sell it. You're half a year away from the next MOT, and the closer you get to it the more difficult it will be to sell.

When you say salt water flood do you mean sea-water, or road salt in a monster puddle? And how deep was it?

[tvradict]

This is a bloody long story, right, the car was sitting on the A78, I had been rescued by plod as the road began to flood, the car sat for about 7 hours, battery went dead, hazard lights left on. The car was getting battered from above by monster waves hitting the sea wall, the road flooded but didn't get too deep aparently, just about touching the sills according to plod, not even half way up the wheels. but enough to get into the calipers by the looks of it!! The inside was a tad wet but thats down to the drivers window seal not being there!!!!
I probably could just about sell it but that would leave me car less, not surprisingly, and that isn't a good thing just now!!! Plus, it's only worth about £250!!!

>> Edited by tvradict on Friday 15th February 17:37