replacing a caliper

Maintenance advice to keep your Spider in shape.
Post Reply
User avatar
124JOE
Posts: 3141
Joined: Fri Jun 24, 2011 7:11 pm
Your car is a: 1978 124 fiat spider sport 1800
Location: SO. WI

replacing a caliper

Post by 124JOE »

HELLO everyone i replaced my caliper this morning
so this is how she goes

remove pins and push out shims
Image
wrestle up some tools and part/s
Image
remove the line protector
Image
bust the ling loose and quickly put it on the new one
Image
Image
after a while i finaly got the line protector back on
Image
set the caliper back into position be carefull not set it past the spring on the bottom
and push shim into place
Image
then push top shim in be carfull not to push caliper past the spring
Image
Image
loosen the bleeder screw to let air out/gravity feed
Image
then tighten
Image
and push here

Image
when you do everything correct people arent sure youve done anything at all (futurama)
ul1joe@yahoo.com 124joe@gmail.com
CajunMike
Posts: 313
Joined: Sat Dec 27, 2008 12:44 am
Your car is a: 1979 Fiat Spider

Re: replacing a caliper

Post by CajunMike »

Thanks for the refresher. It's been 15+ years since I've removed the caliper. Where did you get the new one from?
User avatar
124JOE
Posts: 3141
Joined: Fri Jun 24, 2011 7:11 pm
Your car is a: 1978 124 fiat spider sport 1800
Location: SO. WI

Re: replacing a caliper

Post by 124JOE »

i had an old one setting aroud so i ordered a kit and rebuilt it
when you do everything correct people arent sure youve done anything at all (futurama)
ul1joe@yahoo.com 124joe@gmail.com
User avatar
engineerted
Posts: 531
Joined: Tue Feb 21, 2006 9:57 pm
Your car is a: 1974 124 spider
Location: Farmington Hills, MI

Re: replacing a caliper

Post by engineerted »

You need too grease those shims before putting them back in, other wise they may bind and pull the car to one side during braking.

Ted
Ted
1978 124 Spider, Complete Restoration
1974 Fiat 124 F Production Race car
User avatar
124JOE
Posts: 3141
Joined: Fri Jun 24, 2011 7:11 pm
Your car is a: 1978 124 fiat spider sport 1800
Location: SO. WI

Re: replacing a caliper

Post by 124JOE »

ho ya i guess i forgot
when you do everything correct people arent sure youve done anything at all (futurama)
ul1joe@yahoo.com 124joe@gmail.com
minimike
Posts: 257
Joined: Sat Apr 10, 2010 7:14 pm
Your car is a: 1979 124 spyder

Re: replacing a caliper

Post by minimike »

It's a good idea also to crack the brake hose line to the caliper while it's in place on the shims. Otherwise you're
fighting to hold the caliper and turn the nut.
User avatar
124JOE
Posts: 3141
Joined: Fri Jun 24, 2011 7:11 pm
Your car is a: 1978 124 fiat spider sport 1800
Location: SO. WI

Re: replacing a caliper

Post by 124JOE »

thats a good point mike

so i greased the front shims today

the regular prosses,bust the nuts free,lift the car remove wheel.
pull the pins and push the shims out


and greaes here on the bracket/i used shims to smear it in place
Image
Image
Image
then i brushed off the caliper on its slider rails
Image
greased it and put it back together AGAIN
Image
with paint
when you do everything correct people arent sure youve done anything at all (futurama)
ul1joe@yahoo.com 124joe@gmail.com
minimike
Posts: 257
Joined: Sat Apr 10, 2010 7:14 pm
Your car is a: 1979 124 spyder

Re: replacing a caliper

Post by minimike »

You didn't paint the calipers? I like to paint most stuff when I take it apart for a rebuild, including a new set of rotors.
Everyone knows rotors get ugly looking and rusty. If you wipe them down with lacquer thinner to degrease them, they
paint up nice. Once installed, a 1/2 hour of driving will have the brake pads cleaning off the fresh paint where they make
contact. The rest of the rotor stays painted. The area where the pad makes contact stays shiney. Use hi heat paint, as
brake rotors get very hot.
User avatar
124JOE
Posts: 3141
Joined: Fri Jun 24, 2011 7:11 pm
Your car is a: 1978 124 fiat spider sport 1800
Location: SO. WI

Re: replacing a caliper

Post by 124JOE »

well ill see what happens to the grey
also i do have black HT,but never over crapy paint so ill have to clean clean clean.
when you do everything correct people arent sure youve done anything at all (futurama)
ul1joe@yahoo.com 124joe@gmail.com
User avatar
manoa matt
Posts: 3442
Joined: Thu Oct 26, 2006 4:28 pm
Your car is a: 1978 Fiat 124 Spider 1800
Location: Honolulu, Hawaii

Re: replacing a caliper

Post by manoa matt »

"Everyone knows rotors get ugly looking and rusty. If you wipe them down with lacquer thinner to degrease them, they
paint up nice. Once installed, a 1/2 hour of driving will have the brake pads cleaning off the fresh paint where they make
contact. The rest of the rotor stays painted. The area where the pad makes contact stays shiney."

I would NOT recommend painting the rotor friction surfaces. You will screw up the pads and rotor, they will never bed in properly and you are more likely to slam into the guy in front of you. With most of the rims available for these cars you can't see the rotor or caliper anyway.

If you do paint the caliper DO NOT PAINT THE SLIDING SURFACES It will prevent the caliper from sliding properly and high temp brake caliper paint is hard to get off.
User avatar
124JOE
Posts: 3141
Joined: Fri Jun 24, 2011 7:11 pm
Your car is a: 1978 124 fiat spider sport 1800
Location: SO. WI

Re: replacing a caliper

Post by 124JOE »

i do agree.when i painted my bracket,i wasvery carfull to NOT spray the slide for the shims by lightly spraying from the back side of the slider and pad seats, even using masking tape. also the bolt holes ARE threaded. so tape off the whole mating surface.as it was said use high temp paint.joe


thank you alll 8)
when you do everything correct people arent sure youve done anything at all (futurama)
ul1joe@yahoo.com 124joe@gmail.com
Post Reply