Date: Fri, 24 Jun 2011 15:25:17 -0400
Reply-To: Robert Stewart <robertmstewart@MAC.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Robert Stewart <robertmstewart@MAC.COM>
Subject: Re: Problem: While Removing from Disc Brake Pads the top Caliper
Receiving Bolt Wont Slide In & Out of the Carrier - Siezed
In-Reply-To: <4dffb13d.4858dc0a.1132.37bb@mx.google.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; CHARSET=US-ASCII
Thanks for everyones responses.
First thing I did was have a friend come by and help me out.
He brought a plumbers torch to heat it up.
Here's what we did that worked very well to remove the Stubborn bolt.
1. Lubricated a couple of times with PB Blaster
2. Wiped it off and tried to loosen it up with a Vice Grip.
3. Heat up the offending bolt with 5 seconds of heat.
4. Use the Vice Grip on the bolt with the handle pointing upward. Then use a hammer to bang the lower end of the head of the grip to pull out the bolt. Twist it back and forth as well.
5. Pause and re-heat for 5 seconds and repeat vice grip and hammer method.
6. Within 5 minutes it was out.
7. Wipe any grease off
8. Use some medium grit sand paper in several passes to remove all the old dried up hardened stuff.
9. Then use a screw driver to be inserted into the caliper pin slot, rotating it to remove any debris.
10. Use some brake cleaner to squirt into the caliper pin hole a couple of time to remove more debris.
11. Use some medium to fine sand paper rolled up into a long tube to rotate within the sliding caliper pin hole.
12. Re Squirt some more Brake Cleaner into the hole for the final debris removal.
13. Use a cloth or rag that is clean and will not break apart to be inserted into the pin's slot via a screwdriver. Push it all the way in, rotate it in continuos circle and only in one direction, keep rotating it while pulling the cloth out so if there is debris it will stay on the cloth.
14. One last squirt of brake cleaner.
15. Wait a couple of minutes for it to dry
16. Re-insert the lubricated Caliper Pin Rod with High Temp Brake Lubrication and reassemble.
Hope this might help people.
I made a video of my entire process from start to finish that I need to edit so that people like me will no longer be afraid to do their own brakes. It was a great first time experience. My only issue was that when I bled the brakes my passenger side bleeder screw broke off! Regardless the lines have no air in them and they work amazingly well. I am using Mintex pads and they are great. The Permatex High Temp Ceramic Lubrication on the edges of the pads as well as the calipers pin rods has made it so quiet i can't believe it. In all my years of taking to my local mechanic they have never been this quiet from the minute I pulled out of the driveway.
Thanks again to everyone for their help. Especially Ken at Vanagain.com for returning my call and text immediately!
Happy Friday to everyone. Now onto the change the Fuel filter. It has not been changed in 2 years and I am starting to notice a little hesitation that was never there before.
Rob
NY
Bloomingburg
88 Auto.
On Jun 20, 2011, at 4:44 PM, David Beierl wrote:
> At 01:24 PM 6/20/2011, Robert Stewart wrote:
>> Hey Eric,
>>
>> Thanks for the advice. Will I not rip the rubber sleeve if I try and
>> pull it over the bolt?
>>
>> I assume a hand held torch is what is needed here? Homedepot is
>> where I get this? Any idea what these cost?
>
> Robert, if you have transportation to Home Depot then you must have
> transportation to go get a rebuilt caliper frame (or rebuilt caliper
> with frame). From the sound of it you'll be much better off leaving
> that pin to the people who at least in theory have the right gear to
> make sure everything is straight afterwards.
>
> Yours,
> David
