Seized Rear Brake callipers

[daveo]

Please help !!

My precious Rev 1 has failed its MOT on poor rear brakes, sticking handbrake cable and corroded front exhaust manifold (that bolts directly onto the engine).

The garage has just advised me to scrap the car as an MOT failure because the repair bills for replacement parts will cost me about £1000 !! Items needing repairs are:-

(a) Seized rear offside brake calliper- £275
(b) New rear pads and discs-£200
(c)corroded exhaust manifold-contact Mr T for prices
(d) exhaust pipe and rear box -about £225
(e) Labour (extra)

My MOT and tax expires soon

While I can source pads and discs from Brakes International, I am not sure where to get a brake calliper and the front exhaust manifold from!! Can anyone help or offer ideas?

My engine is a UK 3S-FE (DOHC) not 3S-GE.

I cannot afford to write off this great fun car but I cant justify spending a grand either. I am prepared to get my hand dirty to save this car from the scrap heap (so to say)...

[cantfindausername]

Firstly, I'd slap the sh!t out of the guy who told you to scrap your car. Then I'd slap him again and again until my hand was a nice red colour, then I'd get on the blower to Rogue systems for the exhaust and possibly brake caliper, then I'd call BI (Brakes Int) for the pads, and possibly the replacement caliper (worth checking both places). Save yourself the labour by getting your hands dirty. All sorted. Then I'd take the car to another garage for the MOT, which it'll pass with flying colours, then drive back to the other garage and slap that guy aroound a bit more just for shear pleasure of it.

Alternatively to trying these places, you could also get on the phone to breakers yards for potential savings.

hope you get it sorted.
Ant ...abit slap happy today....

[daveo]

Thanks- I will call Rogue systems right away.

Of course I'm taking on this garage with full force as it is one of these so-called Nationwide Autocentres...

[cantfindausername]

Oh... yeah I know the ones... the ones where they employ any spanner monkey that convinces the "Guvnor" that they know about cars.... when in reality they know sweet FA!!

They're the reason I started doing my own work.

[Lee @ 3S Service Centre]

(a) Seized rear offside brake calliper- £275

well you can save £200 there.

brakes international sell calipers for £75.

get the exhaust stuff 2nd hand. you can pick them up for coppers.

lee

[twistywizard]

Brake Caliper, pads and discs get from BI as stated above.

No labour to fit yourself. Exhuast and Manifold from a scrappy. Maybe labour to fit that.

[JohnA]

There's a rear caliper on ebay at the moment £25 'buy it now' or if you check the for-sale forum there is a rev-1 breaking for spares, I just got a fron caliper Tom who is breaking it.

The manifold is a big job, but depending on where the hole is you might be able to weld it up. That would get you through an MOT 'til you have a biot more cash.

[daveo]

Thanks for the info- I have checked ebay. Unfortunately both are passenger side calipers and mine's the offside one. I will possibly buy one from Brakes International.

Is it OK to replace just one brake caliper?

[Dragon]

You could also try 3S, they may be able to help you. Think its run by Fonzy and Skywalker, and they're members on here.

[paul_h]

to be fair there is probably nothing wrong with the caliper.

nothing a rebuild kit from brakes int cant fix.

it will be just the pistons stuck in the seal.

Just remove the caliper pop out the piston.

get a new seal kit from brakes int, replace the seals, clean up the piston and screw it back in.

This will more than likely fix your problem for about £10 and a couple of hrs work.

that reminds me ive got to do mine some time this week :s.

lee

[daveo]

Thanks for the advice, speed tech.

I took off the caliper but the piston wont move- so I gave up because time is important (the retest is tomorrow). So I,ve settled for a reconditioned one from camskill (at £99 + £50 surcharge until I return the knackered one).

Now the big task of fitting it-taking all the advice about rotating the piston 180 degrees to reset the handbrake . Cheers

[daveo]

Postcript- my thanks for all who offered advice and help. my MR2 has passed the MOT (at last. After spending £500.00 ..oouch!!

Advise for those who think they have a problem with seized rear brake calipers-I discovered that it was the handbrake cable and handle that need replacing and adjusting -NOT the caliper. The garage in question had not bothered to find out! after the new caliper was fitted (and setting the piston by 180 degrees as mentioned in (THAT LONG POST from Paul Woods and others), the handbrake mechanism was still jammed

(At least i now have a new caliper!)

If buying a new caliper, DONT FORGET THAT THERE IS A £50 SURCHARGE UNTIL YOU SEND knackered caliper to Camskill or brakes international or Rogue systems

The exhaust only needed a new manifold gasket from Mr T.

After all is said and done, car's back on the road again.

Now I can sell and buy a Turbo perhaps...

[Bender Unit]

How easy is it to refub the calipers? I am told my rears are siezed and will be checking them out shortly just dont know if its worth doing a refurb or just replacing the job lot?

Cheers

James

[JohnnyC]

How easy is it to refub the calipers?

The rears look a lot more involved than the fronts...
http://www.padandwheels.com/mr2/caliper ... rears.html

[ldavies83]

As speed-tech said, it's usually the piston seal that needs replacing. The link above is a FULL caliper rebuild kit. I replaced piston seal, found it quite easy. It took about 1.5 hrs allowing time for cleaning the caliper down and being meticulous in cleaning the crud out of the "chamber" (for want of a better word)

Basically you go up to step 8 as per previous link for removal, clean clean and clean some more and in true Haynes stylie installation is the reverse of removal (Just a lot of swearing in between )