Brake Calipers

[David Large]

Following my disaster on the Scottish tour last year with my new brake caliper - it has done it again!!!!!!!!!!
Went to the car this morning and all of the brake fluid is on the floor again.

I will have to speak to Mr Bigg Red - again.

David

[Roger King]

Very strange - leaking whilst not under pressure.
Are you absolutely sure you have the correct threaded unions on the flexible hose and the bleed nipple?
Can't remember - is it a Princess caliper? I've had real fun trying to find the right bleed nipple. The first ones I tried 'rocked' very slightly when loose - they shouldn't do this.
I'd be very surprised if it's the piston seals. Do you still have a 'pedal'?

[Karl]

David, as Roger said, this is a very unusual problem. If you take the wheel off you should be able to see (or feel) where the fluid is coming from:
Bleeder valve, brake line, piston seal, caliper housing (from between the two halves) .
If you can post a picture up here we can try to help!
Regards Karl

[David Large]

Well I have not taken the wheel off yet to look at the caliper but the last time it was the seals.
The leak is on the rear calipers which are Ford Sierra calipers I believe.

David

[Karl]

Are you using the calipers which have also the handbrake mecanism attached? This part also has a seal.

[David Large]

Yes I am, the handbrake was not applied.
I bought these calipers from Bigg Red, their whole business is as experts in calipers. I do not understand what is going on.

David

[Karl]

Try to have a good look at the calipers and find out if the fluid is coming from the main piston (only one) or the handbrake connection. This turnable pin has a bush, which can wear and also the pin itself can develop some pitting. Then you have (I think) two seals on that pin. A leak on the caliper is most likely to be on the handbrake mechanism
Regards, Karl

[David Large]

I took the caliper back to Bigg Red on Friday. Before doing that we examined it closely on the car. There was no evidence at all of leaking from the bleed nipple or the pipe connection. As last time the leak was out of the handbrake spindle. We tried to "get a pedal" and could not.
At Bigg Red the lady I saw was very nice (she actually assembles the calipers), she acknowledged the problem and they are going to replace the caliper and contact me in the middle of this week.

David

[David Large]

Well I have the caliper back and it was the handbrake spindle seal again, they have fixed it.

BUT...........

When my mate Dennis refitted it and was bleeding the set up the other rear caliper started leaking......................this is no longer funny!


David

[David Large]

I really do not know what to do about the brakes on my car. I have now had 3 failures spread across the two rear callipers in less than 4,000 miles. They leak when the car is parked and they leak around the handbrake spindle. I and a number of other people have seen the fluid coming out of the callipers, but when the guy at Bigg Red tests them he says they do not leak.

I contacted MIRA to see if they would test the last calliper that failed and they sort of declined but did acknowledge that callipers do leak when there is no pressure, but then if you test them on a high pressure rig then they do not leak.

Is there another calliper that will fit and provide the handbrake facility that is on this Sierra calliper?


David