Brake caliper ? during powder coating

[mlc]

Hey All,

I am going to have my brake calipers powder coated this winter some time. I dont want to have the brake lines "open" for a long amount of time....a week or more.

My question is...can I put a fitting or bolt of some kind in the end of the brake line? Is it a banjo type bolt??

I have bled 4 S2K brakes with no issues and I am sure I can bleed the brakes when I am done. But obviously the less air that is let into the system the better.

Is there a "trick" or a process for keeping air out of the lines??

Thanks.


Kevin

[dfws2k]

in for the answer, i don't think you have anything to worry about leaving it open, though

[GrandMasterKhan]

Well i'd throw a rubber cap on it while its not in the oven.

[repiv]

Suspend the end of the brake line as high as you can to avoid the loss of too much fluid. It will dribble. It's banjo bolt, so it'll be difficult to completely plug it. You could find a rubber bung of the right size and shove it in there. Exposure to air = exposure to water = rust. You could also wrap a brake fluid soaked cloth around the end, put it into a plastic bag and rubber band it, hang it high in the wheel well.
Any way you look at it, by the time you are ready to re-assemble, bleeding all the air out of the calipers will be trying. Before you put the caliper onto the caliper bracket, hook up the brake line, hold the caliper as low as you can while keeping the bleeder screw on top, open the bleeder screw and do a gravity bleed till you see no more air. You may have to manipulate the caliper around to work all the air out. Pumping the pedal at this time would be dangerous as you don't have anything between the piston and other side to prevent the piston from flying out of there. There have been several reports of a tough time getting all the air out after the caliper has been worked on off the car. Doing the usual "on car" pedal pumping doesn't seem to get all the air out. The preceding procedure seems to make it happen far better.

[mlc]

Thanks Dave, makes me reconsider doing the powder coating. Obviously stopping is high on my list of things to do and messing with that is not. Maybe I should look into the paint systems they have. Remove the caliber but don't disconnect it from the brake line and remove the caliber bracket (holder) and spray paint them.

Kevin

[repiv]

Thanks Dave, makes me reconsider doing the powder coating. Obviously stopping is high on my list of things to do and messing with that is not. Maybe I should look into the paint systems they have. Remove the caliber but don't disconnect it from the brake line and remove the caliber bracket (holder) and spray paint them.

Kevin
That's pretty much how I did it. I changed the rotors and pads and painted the calipers without removing the brake line. I've had mine painted since early April this year. They still look fresh. Modern day caliper paints are pretty tough. Although powder coating ends up with a very nice job, it is somewhat inconvenient and there are complicantions that need to be addressed.
Here's my thread with the whole job, including painting the calipers:

http://forums.s2kca.com/showthread.php?t=29731&highlight=brake+job

[VIC06S2K]

Well i'd throw a rubber cap on it while its not in the oven.
I would certainly look for something to seal the lines with. Brake fluid is a moisture magnet, and open lines for any period of time is courting trouble, unless it is silicone based. This from Wiki:

Most automotive professionals agree that glycol based brake fluid, (DOT 3, DOT 4, DOT 5.1) should be flushed, or changed, every 1-2 years.[1] (http://forums.s2kca.com/#cite_note-Bosch-0) Many manufacturers also require periodic fluid changes to ensure reliability and safety. Once installed, moisture diffuses into the fluid through brake hoses and rubber seals and eventually the fluid will have to be replaced when the water content becomes too high. Electronic testers and test strips are commercially available to measure moisture content. The corrosion inhibitors also degrade over time. New fluid should always be stored in a sealed container to avoid moisture intrusion.

The 06 S2K manual recommends DOT 3, so...:think:

[desmo4]

Why not just change the brake fluid when the calipers come back..

jonathan

[VIC06S2K]

Shure...

Go for the EASY answer. jeez!

Bob

[desmo4]

I am Mr Spoc immersed in logic.

jonathan

[XLevel]

If you paint, use VHT caliper paint. It's self priming and is tough as nails. Do several coats and it will stand up like powder coat and look similar or even identical depending on how good a job you do. When I had some part sandblasted after being painted with VHT several years earlier, the sandblaster guy insisted they were powder coated because it was so difficult to get it off. It took me several times telling him it was paint for him to finally believe me. :laugh:

If you decide to powder coat, check these out. http://www.eastwood.com/hotcoat-powder-coating/accessories/high-temp-silicone-caps-and-plugs-kit-110-pc.html They have smaller packs and other products that can help seal things up for powder coating too.