Lady72nRob71

Has anyone done this and is it worth the time and trouble?

I know wheel cylinders range from 4 to 10 bucks on rockauto but calipers are a bit more and need a core returned.

I still have the original wheel cylinders from my 86 Cutlass and Pinto and I thought it would be nice to eventually reinstall the factory pieces, just because they are the originals.

The wheel cyls have quite a bit of surface rust on the inside and out after 20+ years of garage storage.
Harbor freight has a cheap $6 hone that I would be happy with if it just lasted to do these four parts.
I assume that as long as there are no deep pits, that they will be good candidates.

Also both my Olds' have the factory calipers and they will leak soon enough. Would like to keep original parts if possible.

Please share your experience, successes and blunders if you did this before...
My concern would be the honing. The last time I used a hone was when I was 15 and honed the cylinder of my 5hp minibike engine. What a disaster that was...

If you rebuilt master cylinders, you may talk about that as well! My 86 still has the original. Caddy has all factory hydraulics that will fail soon enough, too...

Fun71

I rebuilt my calipers - once. It wasn't difficult, other than getting that danged boot into the bore. I bent the metal ring onteh first one and had to get another kit. Flash forward ~20 years and the calipers needed work again and I discovered that rebuilt calipers were the same price as the seal kit and piston, so I just replaced them. If you don't think you need new pistons, the the kit is cheap enough to give it a try and not be at a loss if it doesn't work out.

I don't think the calipers are anything special numbers-wise as GM used the same calipers for a number of years. If you want to keep the originals, just pay the core charge.

As for wheel cylinders, as you said they are cheap. Rebuilding them is simple but as you said, the outcome will depend upon how deep the rust pits are.

Octania

wheel cylinders tend to be deeply pitted with rust inside.
Unless it's a 1 of 1 prototype car, just get new ones.

oldcutlass

I agree with the others, it's not worth the hassle unless you just want to say you did it.

Allan R

??? Kind of confused here Dark Lord. You rebuilt the calipers on Lady didn't you? That was inspiring and lead me to rebuild the calipers on the Silver Surfer. I did have to bite the bullet on one caliper when the bleeder broke off in the caliper. It would have cost more to drill out and replace than the cost of a remanufactured (OEM GM part BTW) one. The wheel cylinders weren't a big issue since I just bought new ones. Not worth the effort to restore when the cost of new ones is cheap and doesn't require core. Sometimes you just have to acknowledge the value of throwaway parts. Not like the Pinto will ever be a show car...

You know the drill about calipers. It's going to be the caliper seal that will leak and the caliper bolts will need to be cleaned and relubed/new seals installed. One day, just take a few hours to remove and rebuild them. I'd just replace them (BTW I went through this on my 1995 Regency Elite and working with NEW parts is MUCH easier than old crusty stuff). While you're at it you MAW replace the brake hoses too. If the seals on the calipers are old enough to leak, it's time to replace the hoses, RIGHT??? I'm not sure why you're hung up on the caliper core charge or replacing the caliper at all. I get that shipping to/from RA is pricey and not worth it, but what about NAPA and Advance? Easy peasy.

JPMDaddy

these came from NAPA


DSC_4236_zps1918e7b8.jpg

Allan R

So did this one; you can also see the NAPA logo on the brake pads

rjohnson442

Get a new one, they are 5 bucks with a core. Me and the guy at autozone thought we were reading the screen wrong at first. He almost had to pay me lol

66400

joe_padavano

Well, my 62 isn't exactly a 1-of-1 prototype, but parts aren't that easy to come by. Yeah, Kanter sells new wheel and master cylinders, but at a price. NAPA had the rebuild kits in stock. Yes, there was some pitting, and I had to hone for a while to clean them up, but they've been working fine for 4 years now.

Lady72nRob71

Thanks to all for the comments....

I figured this would be the gating item - need to take them apart to see what they look like.
What causes the rust and pits if kept dry or full of brake fluid? Because brake fluid is hydroscopic?

Which is kinda the case here....

Nope. Just cleaned, masked and painted. Seals were in perfect shape and no signs of leaks, so did not want to fix something not busted. I get into trouble this way...

With three counts of frame damage in past wrecks, it never could be. However a great survivor it is! Still lots of original parts on it.

I will probably at least try at first just because I already have the rebuild kits.

It has nothing to do with cost, but this **** feeling I have about keeping more original parts on the car if I can. Yes, its a sad condition...

This is what I am looking for - what is the success in the rebuild providing they hone out cleanly and I know WHEN to stop honing...

I guess I will just give it a try with the parts I have laying around in my spare time.

Octania

Of course Chris almost everything in your neighborhood is rusty! In Texas not quite so much.
======================
No, the INSIDE, the crucial seal surface. Let's not get into the off bolts, the twisted off lines all the way back to the master cylinder...

Even in TX you must get SOME moisture in your brake fluid, no?

Michigan is a swamp surrounded by huge lakes, so maybe it is a lot different.

If you can easily hone it out and save a ton of money, go for it.

rustyroger

For rust to occur both water and oxygen has to be present.
Wheel cylinders pit where the piston is left exposed after the cylinder has closed after the brake is released. Same with the calliper.
You can get a grease specifically for preventing this, but it needs to be applied regularly as it breaks down in a hot (and often damp if you drive on wet roads) environment.


New cylinders are very cheap, new one cost a fraction of what rebuilding your originals would cost, unless you have an irreplaceable classic.
Rebuilding callipers is cheap and easy, and you know the quality of the rebuild if you do it yourself. Particularly for American cars it's always cheaper for me to buy a kit rather than a new calliper over here.
Plus you can be sure your rebuilt calliper isn't a Chinesium pos.


Roger.
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