spinedoc

both front calipers on my 80 are leaking at piston seals. any recommendations on replacement. I was looking at the vette brakes o-ringed calipers, but wondered what else others have done. I would like a little something more than stock replacement as i drive hard and take it to the strip and autocross at times. any advice is appreciated. eric

MN-Brent

You could take your existing calipers apart to check to see if they are Stainless Steel sleeved (there is a good chance that they already are). You could then buy the conversion kit from VBP for $28 per caliper and rebuild them.

You could do all 4 brakes for $130. One of the best moves for reliability that you can make + you can clean them up and paint.

Brent...

Eddie 70

I agree with what Brent has suggested. It cost nothing to take your existing calipers apart to see if they are sleeved already. If they are sleeved already, you are ahead of the game and can save quite a bit of money by just buying the o-ring kit from VB. This is what I did and am very pleased. A lot of difference in price from the o-ring kit to a set of calipers. :cheers:

geezer

:iagree:
Now for the "might as wells". Take a look at your fluid in the master cylinder. If its dark and full of sediment on the bottom, so is the bore and all the parts inside your master. More than likely if that's so then the bore of the master is also coroded up. Just replace it!
Also, now would be a good time to replace the brake hoses (all 4) with SS braided type. You won't believed how much firmer your brake pedal will be!!
Just remember, going fast is cool but stopping fast is life saving!

spinedoc

thanks guys, i like that idea. is it obvious if my bores have been sleeved? do the pistons pull out easily. i have never tried this, so i don't know what to expect. My car already had the ss brake lines on it when i got it, so maybe the previous owner sleeved them too!

JRD77VET

The pistons will come out easily. The pistons come out after the seals are carefully removed . Be careful prying, you don't want to scratch the bores.

When you look at the bores, if it has a sleeve pressed in, it will be obvious. The calipers are cast and the sleeve is stainless steel.

:seeya Jeff

spinedoc

in the resets feom the previous owner, i found a pamphlet from Zero Tolerance Industries, regarding their O ring caliper pistons. I will check to see if they have been done, possibly a warranty or something. However I can't fing hte comapny anywhere. the number listed is incorrect and can't locate any info. Has anyone heard of them??

eric

GDaina

It sure is, the cast cylinder bores will be pitted, that's what caused the leaking...damaged the seals.


If the calipers have ss inserts the pistons will come out easy, if they are cast, they might be snug and you will have to use a screw driver to get them started...don't worry about damaging the pistons, you will be replacing them as they will also be corroded.

GDaina

I will be in Erie, this weekend, I can give you a hand if you need help.

spinedoc

I sent you an IM. I would appreciate the help!

MN-Brent

This is the info I have on ZTI:

Zero Tolerance 1369 Home Ave Fortuna, CA 95540
(707) 725-6090 -- Information
(800) 725-5141 -- Sales/Technical Support http://www.zerotoleranceind.com/index.htm
Piston set is @$275.

Brent...

spinedoc

thanks brent, i will contact them, just curious to see if they have record of what was done to my calipers if anything.

Solid LT1

QUESTION: if those O ring seals are SO GOOD! why are they leaking? I have had my SSBC calipers on my LT-1 for over 7 years and they are in great shape after years of hard use at Autocrosses, Drags, high speed street driving and sitting over the Winter every year for next Spring (Arrived several weeks ago!) I would buy the stock type seal caliper and have a quality Vette shop (or yourself if you are capable) insure the rotors are at minumum run-out before installing the new parts. The ZTI web site is very biased towards there product, GM spent a lot of money designing their calipers and there were O rings around in the 1960's when they designed them but, they chose NOT to use them. THINK ABOUT IT!

redvetracr

I "thought" the Zero Tolerance billet pistons were the greatest thing since sliced bread after talking with Mike (who convinced me to run them as-is and NOT to modify them with a J-56 insulator) and they were right up until the time I pressed the brake pedal going into a corner..two pumps at EVERY corner, the fluid turned black (burned) and there was aluminum flecks floating around in my master cylinder.. after rebuilding my calipers (at the race track) with my trusty J-56 FACTORY lip seal pistons, replacing the master and a quart or so of $55 a liter fluid I am no longer pro Zero Tolerance.. after the race (where I finished third out of almost 50 cars) I wrote ZTI an e-mail and NEVER heard back.. that was last July..Maybe for a street car, although I would deal with frank from Precision in FL or VBP but on a race car forget it!!
...redvetracr

spinedoc

I contacted ZTI. They just moved to Virginia. They said they would look to see what records they have for me.

redvetracr

BTW the ZTI o-ring/dust boot kit (for 4 calipers) was $45 vs. $24 for the lip seal kits from Lonestar. ...redvetracr

spinedoc

yeah, they seemed kind of pricey at ZTI, glad i went with VB. I pulled apart my calipers last night, and they have been sleeved. Alot of sludge back behind the pistons though. So tonight i'll scrub em down good.

GDaina

Go to Auto Zone get a brake hone kit, will do a better job than hand scrubbing, and use a solvent when u hone, like wd-40

I'm thinking, you sure you want to go with the O pistons/seals? Nothing wrong with the stock pistons/seals and can get them at Bairs in Linesville, Pa., about 45 minute drive from Erie. A whole lot less $$$$$. When I rebuilt my suspension/brakes, stock stuff for me...I've had no problems using factory items.

Still planning to be in Erie Friday night...


[Modified by GDaina, 9:58 AM 3/17/2004]

spinedoc

I already ordered the pistons and stuff from VB, hopefully here tomorrow. It was 28 bucks a side, not too bad.