Doing a brake job on my 66. How can one tell if a caliper has been resleeved? Are the bolts holding the halves together original or not. If these have not been resleeved can they be rebuilt without the resleeving? Plan to maintain the original insulator design. Are any of the pistons or pucks reusable? Do these pistons and pucks look like factory? Thanks.
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Re: 66 brake questions
I can't see much in the pictures, at least on my monitor. The glare from the huge snow banks outside have probably got me permanently snowblind.
Once you've got the caliper split and the pistons removed, take some more shots so the condition can be evaluated. A S/S sleeved caliper will usually have a visible lip at the bottom of the piston bore as a good clue. If they're not already reseeved, and the bores can be honed into a good sealing surface then you're probably good to go. Pistons usually become scuffed on the sides losing the anodize coating. Once that's gone most people toss them.
If by pucks, you mean pads they certainly appear to have lots of meat left and can be reused. -
Re: 66 brake questions
The bolts and the pistons appear to be originals also. This style piston uses a centering part and that part is generally removed if the calipers are sleeved, and the second design pistons are substituted which are self centering. You will have to pull the pistons out and inspect the bores to see if they can be honed and reused. The upside is that they appear to be the original units. Check the housings for casting dates to verify vs the build date of your car. At worst, the original housings can be retained and be converted to the second design pistons if sleeving is required.Bill Clupper #618Comment
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Re: 66 brake questions
Mike and Bill, I know I have to unbolt the halves, but how do I take the pistons out?Comment
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Re: 66 brake questions
Pull!
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Re: 66 brake questions
If you pry out the retainer for the rubber that goes around the pistons, the pistons themselves will pop right out. The rubber seal has a metal retainer at the outer edge that presses into a recess in the casting, pop the metal retainer out of the edge and the piston will (should) come right out. Don't lose the springs!Bill Clupper #618Comment
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Re: 66 brake questions
John-----
I would say there's little doubt these are original. I think you'll find that they have not been previously sleeved. However, I fully expect that you'll find that they will need to be sleeved for continued use. The bores have to be virtually perfect to be re-used without sleeving and I'd say the chances of finding a caliper half here that has two perfect bores is going to be as close to zero as anything can get.
These are first design calipers as Bill described. They can be sleeved and maintained as first design by rebuilders capable of doing this (Lonestar Caliper, Carter's Corvette, and Vette Brakes are among those that can do it). It's more expensive than converting to second design but I recommend you keep them as first design. Once converted, they cannot be converted back. The vast majority of first design calipers have already been lost to second design conversions.In Appreciation of John HinckleyComment
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Re: 66 brake questions
Thanks for all the comments. Will be pulling the pistons and checking them out and most likely sending off for resleeving.Comment
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In Appreciation of John HinckleyComment
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Re: 66 brake questions
John, They were widely used at Pontiac.
Is it the original for this application??? I didn't think it was invented this early...Comment
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Re: 66 brake questions
Another shot of these "place bolts" on right inboard caliper casting # 5465954, off very late '65. Yes, the bleeder is broken off; was like this when I bought the car. First job was to replace all 4 corners, before I'd even drive it.
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