New caliper or rebuild

[phantomracer]

The rear caliper started leaking pretty bad on our 2000 DII. The brake pads have been gone for a while...backing plates eating into the rotor (have new rotors and pads to install)

Now the pedal goes to the floor and there is a puddle of brake fluid by the right rear wheel (offending brake).

I have not got it apart yet. Just wondering, from experience, is it worth rebuilding the caliper, or just go new? Since I will be paying my mechanic to do it, it might end up being a wash $-wise.

opinion? rebuild or replace?

Paul

 

[RoverChic]

Paul~ Have you looked into AutoZone. They had them for very cheap re-man with a lifetime warranty. If not, then I might go used check with Will Tillery or Look on RoversNorth for new (Proline I believe). Whatever you do get it fixed fast! That is not safe, a member of this board wrecked his 1996 D1 due to faulty calipers. Good luck and be safe!

 

[mensley]

Autozone's lifetime warranty has been a lifesaver, they have replaced my caliper 5 times in the last year (my master cylinder was bad... ruined the calipers)

the british motorwork ltd rebuilds are crap, dont go down that road with a one year warranty

my $.02

 

[syoung]

I kinda dig OEM ones... rebuilds are sometimes hit or miss.

 

[RoverChic]

I kinda dig OEM ones... rebuilds are sometimes hit or miss.

Steve has a good point. I had to use the Lifetime Warranty several times, and although it was great to have changing calipers was a bit of a chore. I did actually end up getting a caliper that was bent, and I had to use a tap and die set to fix the hole that the hard brake line screws into. It was a pain but they still honored the warranty!

 

[phantomracer]

Just checked...

Autozone does not have Disco II rear calipers. I did not see the rebuild kit there either.

Knowing my mechanic, he probably wouldnt want to use a reman, he generally likes to rebuild them himself, or buy new...

Paul

 

[Chris-St Louis]

Lifetime warranty from the zone...... Let me repost this.


Tommy: Let's think about this for a sec, Ted, why would somebody put a guarantee on a box? Hmmm, very interesting.

Ted Nelson, Customer: Go on, I'm listening.

Tommy: Here's the way I see it, Ted. guy puts a fancy guarantee on a box 'cause he wants you to fell all warm and toasty inside.

Ted Nelson, Customer: Yeah, makes a man feel good.

Tommy: 'Course it does. Why shouldn't it? Ya figure you put that little box under your pillow at night, the Guarantee Fairy might come by and leave a quarter, am I right, Ted?

Ted Nelson, Customer: What's your point?

Tommy: The point is, how do you know the fairy isn't a crazy glue sniffer? "Building model airplanes" says the little fairy, well, we're not buying it. He sneaks into your house once, that's all it takes. The next thing you know, there's money missing off the dresser and your daughter's knocked up, I seen it a hundred times.

Ted Nelson, Customer: But why do they put a guarantee on the box?

Tommy: Because they know all they solda ya was a guaranteed piece of shit. That's all it is, isn't it? Hey, if you want me to take a dump in a box and mark it guaranteed, I will. I got spare time. But for now, for your customer's sake, for your daughter's sake, ya might wanna think about buying a quality product from me.

Ted Nelson, Customer: [pause] Okay, I'll buy from you.

Tommy: Well, that's... What?

 

[peter sherman]

AH yes a family classic!

 

[apg]

I just rebuilt a (dual) front caliper that had leaky seals. The purpose was to save some coin. But if you are having the work done, it doesn't seem to make much sense to rebuild. Indeed, the best foreign car shop here in town (and owned by a good friend) doesn't rebuild any calipers, they just swap 'em out.

Caliper rebuild kits (at least for the D1) come in two flavors. A minor rebuild kit that is just the seals, or a major kit than includes the pistons, too. But a 'genuine' major kit is more than the cost of some re-manned, after-market calipers. Trouble is, you won't know what you need 'til the piston is out.

I have done lotsa brake work in 35 years of Rover ownership, but never fooled with calipers. One of the biggest hassles was getting all of the pistons to pop out at the same time when using the compressed air. I didn't want to just grab and twist with the vise grips, in case I wanted to re-use 'em. 'Invented' a nifty tool for replacing the seals. All in all, it was way more work/time than I wanted, but a good learning experience.

Brakes work fine, BTW....

Cheers

 

[Morpheus]

If You have an Acme Auto in your town try them......I got D1 fronts for 67$ with a 5 year waranty

 

[phantomracer]

For autoparts...I dont look at warranty...I look at quality...

A crappy part with a good warranty is still a crappy part.

I am just amazed at some of the quality of parts out there now-a-days. The few rover parts I have bought were very good quality..

I ended up ordering a caliper from Rovers North. SHould be here in a day or 2.

Paul