WTF with l series RH calliper?

Venom · Post by **Venom** » Fri Oct 28, 2011 8:05 am

So i've got 2 L series both with siezed RH hand brakes. In the shed is another spare L series RH calliper with, you guessed it, a siezed hand brake.

Walking into Mr Brakes in Ballarat the guy behind the counter had my callipers scoped out when I was still 30m from the doors. -Subaru... front handbrake... shit to do... $200 per calliper for rebuild. Apparently they don't even do the handbrake, they have to send it away to a specialist? I thought Mr Brake would be a brake f-n specialist.

L series at the local wreckers... siezed RH hand brake.

Where's the rage smiley on this forum? Really need it right now.

Has anyone succesfully fixed the handbrake mechanism? Or had it fixed for a reasonable price?

Post by **TOONGA** » Fri Oct 28, 2011 11:50 am

Venom I remembered a while ago a member had a similar dillema with brake people

http://ausubaru.com/forum/showthread.php?t=14960

he was originally quoted 1000 dollars

TOONGA

Loyale 2.7 Turbo · Post by **Loyale 2.7 Turbo** » Fri Oct 28, 2011 12:51 pm

Well... My Subaru "Bumble Beast" always had a Weak Hand Brake, in part due to the Front e-Brake config; but after 25 Years of Runnin' it on my Crazy country, the e-Brake gave me many Problems, like Yours...

I Fixed the Problem Forever, info here:

http://ultimatesubaru.org/forum/showthr ... 883&page=7

Reading that Thread you'll Understand How and Why.

Kind Regards.

Venom · Post by **Venom** » Fri Oct 28, 2011 2:31 pm

Thanks Jeszek,

Great solution, and i like the idea of the 200SX rear handbrake. Where's the fun in a front hand brake?

The thing is I'm really aiming to keep the car completely original, and deleting the front e-brake doesn't really fit with what i have planned for it.

It does bother me though that you went with a full rebuild kit and still had problems...

Anyway its off at another brake place at the moment who quoted me $80 labor per calliper plus parts. They're tearing them down as i speak for a more accurate quote, hopefuly that doesn't balloon out to something ridiculous. If that doesn't work out i'll search further for a good second hand set. If that doesn't work.. well i'll look out for some 1980's 200SXs' then i guess.

Venom · Post by **Venom** » Fri Oct 28, 2011 3:00 pm

Actually i know of a car with a set of freshly rebuilt brake callipers that look almost new. I just need to sneak up to Mt Hotham to get them while no one is looking.

Update: full set of remanufactured calipers coming my way. Posted to Aus for under $400, including pads.

NachaLuva · Post by **NachaLuva** » Sat Oct 29, 2011 12:32 am

Crikey! What a hassle! Hope you get it sorted for good with the remanufactured setup...

Brumby Kid · Post by **Brumby Kid** » Sat Oct 29, 2011 1:59 pm

Where are they coming from? Fuji heavy? (Subaru Japan)

RSR 555 · Post by **RSR 555** » Sat Oct 29, 2011 2:54 pm

Sounds like it would be cheaper to go 5 stud.

YouTube · Post by **El_Freddo** » Mon Oct 31, 2011 12:12 am

Venom wrote:Actually i know of a car with a set of freshly rebuilt brake callipers that look almost new. I just need to sneak up to Mt Hotham to get them while no one is looking.

I remember a certain someone giving me a blank look when I told them that I would be cleaning out and re-sealing a set of front callipers in a camp ground the night before we were heading out 4wd'n.

Oh, and Ruby Scoo's currently somewhere in Benders, hopefully in the same place I left her with all her bits where they should be.

I don't think I've got a spare set either, other than the old units I pull off RScoo, but it sounds like you don't need them.

Cheers

Bennie

Venom · Post by **Venom** » Mon Oct 31, 2011 7:55 am

Hmm spellcheck is telling me caliper, not calliper

Brumby Kid wrote:Where are they coming from? Fuji heavy? (Subaru Japan)

Rockauto.com, they've got a wholesaler runout on calipers. Although more than half the cost is in the postage. These are remanufactured by the way, not new genuine calipers.

RSR 555 wrote:Sounds like it would be cheaper to go 5 stud.

Yes and no. Calipers cheaper yes. Conversion kit no, engineering to keep it legal no, extra insurance for a modified car no. Plus new rims and tyres for the 5 stud...

Venom wrote: The thing is I'm really aiming to keep the car completely original...

That includes (from my own words to others) the crappy brakes, crap suspension and the much maligned EA82

El_Freddo wrote:I remember a certain someone giving me a blank look when I told them that I would be cleaning out and re-sealing a set of front callipers in a camp ground the night before we were heading out 4wd'n.

Oh, and Ruby Scoo's currently somewhere in Benders, hopefully in the same place I left her with all her bits where they should be.

I don't think I've got a spare set either, other than the old units I pull off RScoo, but it sounds like you don't need them.

Cheers

Bennie

HAHA i thought you were joking in Walhalla, hence the blank look. Plus i didn't think it would be as easy as it was in the end. You had a good set to fix up too, no problems with the handbrake. I thought they were near new!

Sounds like the handbrake is a serial offender, so i'm happy outlaying a bit more to get a set of near new calipers. The costs is comparable to having them rebuilt by a shop, if anything it will work out cheaper.

Cheers,

Rhys

YouTube · Post by **El_Freddo** » Mon Oct 31, 2011 3:40 pm

Venom wrote:Hmm spellcheck is telling me caliper, not calliper

Yeah, my way of spelling it is caliper, but the spell check tells me otherwise. Think i'll stick to my own way of spelling it

Venom wrote:Sounds like the handbrake is a serial offender

It's not the handbrake cables is it? I've noticed that my RHS has a kink or something in the cable housing, something I should swap out when I get the time...

Those calipers I rebuilt were in awesome condition and should remain that way with those new seals in them - funny though, it came off the subi that I got the lift and everything out of. I'm not sure how much 4wd'n it had done though.

Cheers

Bennie

Loyale 2.7 Turbo · Post by **Loyale 2.7 Turbo** » Tue Nov 08, 2011 1:57 am

So, did you Receive already the Remanufactured Calipers?

Venom wrote:...That includes (from my own words to others) the crappy brakes, crap suspension and the much maligned EA82 ...

Could I Kindly ask you if your EA82 is Carbureted or Fuel injected? ... Because if is Carbureted the Weber Carb. Swap gives to the EA82 a Great improvement and simplicity over the Stock Craptachi Carb; but you want to Keep it Stock, isn't it?

Kind Regards.

Venom · Post by **Venom** » Tue Nov 08, 2011 7:04 am

Still waiting for the calipers, keen to see what they're like. The car is a turbo. I agree the webers are nice and do make a big difference to simplifying and improving the car. If i were to re-carb another car though i would look at - http://www.aeroconversions.com/products ... index.html - two on an EA81 would be awesome, especially if you're lucky enough to have the dual-port heads.

Venom · Post by **Venom** » Wed Nov 16, 2011 11:44 am

Brake calipers finally arrived today. Everything that could be replaced is new, and most importantly the handbrake mechanism is nice and smooth with full movement. The brake rebuilders couldn't gaurantee the handbrake would be repaired on my old ones, so this seems like a good way to go for comparable cost.

YouTube · Post by **El_Freddo** » Wed Nov 16, 2011 8:59 pm

Oooh... New rears as well!

Paint going on them Guyph style?

Will you be getting a new master cylinder, braided lines and new solid lines as well???

Ok, so the solid lines might be overkill but I would like a new master cylinder and some longer braided lines for Ruby Scoo - it's on the to get/do list...

Cheers

Bennie

Venom · Post by **Venom** » Thu Nov 17, 2011 4:20 pm

Yea the rears were probably overkill, but i think they only worked out to about 1/3 of the total cost. $380 for all 4 posted to Aus with the pads. I got quoted $400 to rebuild just the fronts and $250 at another place. Both quotes didn't include pistons, and obviously they don't replace all the slide bolts and bleed nipples which are new with these calipers.

If everything else is in servicable condition then it can stay as is, in some sort of attempt to control cost...

YouTube · Post by **El_Freddo** » Thu Nov 17, 2011 10:34 pm

Should be good with the rears new as well.

Cost control... Best of luck!

Cheers

Bennie