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Date:         Mon, 8 Jul 2013 20:30:25 -0700
Reply-To:     Tom Carchrae <tom@CARCHRAE.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Tom Carchrae <tom@CARCHRAE.NET>
Subject:      Re: burning smell - brakes or tire?
Comments: To: Scott Ohana <scottdaniel@turbovans.com>
In-Reply-To:  <51DB75DC.80606@turbovans.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1

Thanks Scott. I should have mentioned, it is an 84 - and I think they are the Teves type of caliper. (similar to these http://www.van-cafe.com/home/van/page_739_420/brake_caliper_-_ate_right.html)

I did look at the mechanism and we had a chat. It was not listening, so I gently whacked it and sprayed it with various chemicals. Then I felt bad and went and had dinner...

I will try the piston workout tomorrow. Aside from working it in/out, is there any stuff I should (or should not) spray on it? I gave it a bit of WD40 and then some brake cleaner later on. I would guess that brake fluid is probably good for it - although bad for everything else.

The other general fear I have is that this is not the brake and perhaps the wheel bearings or something else. This is why I wanted to get the pads out and see if the wheel spins. I just need to find the right tool to tap out those pins that hold the pads in.

Would flushing the whole system help? I read this http://www.vanagontravels.com/2012/08/vanagon-repair-brake-master-cylinder.html- but it is not clear what you do with the two pints of rubbing alcohol they recommend. Removing the calliper and soaking it sounds tempting if it does not yield to the workout.

Thanks again,

Tom

On Mon, Jul 8, 2013 at 7:30 PM, Scott Ohana <scottdaniel@turbovans.com>wrote:

> if it's the two piston caliper style.. > the outer pistons on those tend to seize up over many years. > > choices are ... > ( this first one is unorthodox, can be highly effective, and is free .. > but don't anyone try this !! ) > > If you can get the piston to move at all, like pry it back with the pad > or an old pad ...if it'll move at all ... > then use brake pressure to push the piston out a little, let off the > brake ..lever the piston back into the caliper a little ..say 1/8 inch at > a time, back and forth.. > 'exercise' the piston this way ..back and forth, back and forth until it > can travel smoothly up to half an inch say. > > that one is only for the very smart, confident, clever and brave and > resourceful...all others don't even think about it. > > Next ...yup ..rebuild the caliper properly , > or install a new rebuilt one. > > There was a time in the 60's say ..and before that .. > people just looked at a mechanism.. > they could easily tell how it worked quite often.. > then they'd think up some way to adjust it, service it, lube it, tweak it > somehow so it worked again. > > That was then though .. > this is now ..apparently that's a completely lost art , from what I > gather. > > Pre-computer people would just figure stuff out. Wasn't hard either. > People were taught to build things with their hands and brains too, > starting before they were 10 years old often. > Back then. > Before everything was electronic, plastic, and disposable, and became obsolete > in 4 years anyway. > 'fixing stuff' ...what an odd ancient concept. > > > On 7/8/2013 7:08 PM, Tom Carchrae wrote: > > Thanks Mike and Dennis. > > I got a chance to look at it today. The calliper seems a bit stuck on that > side, certainly compared to the other front wheel which spins for much > longer. I loosened the bleeder and it didn't get any easier. A bit of > tapping on the pad made it a little looser. > > I'll try and remove the brake pad on that wheel tomorrow and give it a > clean out. It is all a bit rusty/crusty in there. I guess I may need to > take the calliper off and replace/rebuild. > > Tom > > > > > On Thu, Jul 4, 2013 at 12:11 PM, Mike Riley <mkriley@fuse.net> <mkriley@fuse.net> wrote: > > > the brake pedal going soft was from WATER boiling in the brake fluid and > the sticking cliper also. > CHANGE THE BRAKE FLUID NOW! if your lucky you may have gotten it in time. > mike > > > >


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