My conversion from power drums to power disks has been halted due to defective caliper rebuilds. I bought the calipers from NAPA, as I have done dozens of times over the past 45 years. So far, 6 out of 7 calipers have been no good. The primary problem is they leak where the hose attached to the caliper. Only one has had the concentric circle ridges on the caliper like on the hoses, which are necessary to seal against the copper washers.


It is not NAPA's problem, it is Cardone's problem since they rebuild the calipers for NAPA and just about everyone else. I have been on the phone with their quality control manager and he has been very professional and vows to get to the bottom of the problem and also do whatever is necessary to satisfy me. So far, he has returned all my calls and called me back when he said he would, so I am trying to be patient and allow him time to correct the problem and get me another caliper that works.


Anyone else seen this problem? I just completed a brake job last month that included NAPA calipers on my 72 Chevy pickup, and everything was just fine.

 

Never had that, but I bought one replacement only. The other side I just rebuilt. Only reason I bought the r.s. Caliper is the bleeder seized and broke off in the bore. The quality of the rebuilt one was top notch.

 

I did have a lot of problems with the rear drums they sold though. One was made in Argentina, the other in Mexico. Both were completely different wall thickness and fin patterns. NAPA took them back, but couldn't get me a matched set so I checked my old ones and they were machinable, so problem solved. The problem of sourcing and quality control varies a lot depending on the vendors available in an area.

 

NAPA just buys the rebuilt from Cardone, which I understand is the company that supplies most or all of the rebuilt caliper. Years ago, when rebuilt calipers were hard to find, I would buy the parts and rebuild them myself. But they are available for almost any car now and I have never before had a problem.


Fortunately, I have been called by both NAPA and Cardone today and they are working to correct things...but I am still waiting for a caliper that doesn't leak.

 

Both my calipers leaked when I was bleeding them - same area you're concerned with. Careful look and it turned out the copper washers NAPA sold me were the wrong size! Proper ones in and bazinga! Hope your solution comes through. Looks to me (from your pictures) that someone got glad happy with a sandblaster and really trashed those rings. Did they give you a turnaround time for new replacements?

 

No time yet. They must have someone in the rebuild process that has been blasting a lot of them too much, and there are apparently a lot of them blasted smooth. They are searching for a good one and also fixing the problem.

 

Seems the easier fix would be to build a die to restamp them.

 

I went through 3 sets before I got a good one. Keep bringing them back.

 

I have been taking them back and reordering them. But at some point, someone needs to address the problem at the rebuilders end. Hopefully NAPA and Cardone will not only get me a good caliper, but also fix their problem at the rebuilder.