Splitting calipers

[Dana Loomis <dloomis@domain.elided>]

I have a set of Brembo front brake calipers from a Milano that I want to
install on an early 105 car with the small Ate brakes.  I've been told the
Brembo calipers will "bolt right on" after removing a solid spacer that was
needed to accomodate the Milano's vented rotors but makes the caliper too
wide for the unvented rotors used on the 105.  While looking for parts to
rebuild the calipers, however, I saw a warning in the IAP catalog to the
effect that one should "never" split the two halves of the caliper apart,
which I would need to do to get the spacers out.

Now, I don't believe everything I read in catalogs, but I've also read on
the Digest that caliper rebuild kits don't include an o-ring that fits
between the halves of the caliper.  I'm wondering, then, if this is why IAP
warns against disassembling calipers and how likely they are to leak if I
take them apart and put them back together again without a new o-ring.  If
someone has found a generic substitute for the o-ring, I'd be interested
and less inclined to worry. 

Thanks,
Dana
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