Re: 105 brake calliper rebuild

["David Khoe" <dkhoe@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Anthony White wrote:
  I have ATE callipers on all four corners of my '73 105 GTV.  Or rather, not
on each corner, but in a box on my bench, having spent anywhere up to the last
12 years in a box in the trunk.  I've as yet had no luck removing the pistons
-- they seem pretty seized.  The visible surface of the pistons -- the part
that contacts the pads -- has some surface rust.
My rear calipers were stuck too, and I tried to split them but couldn't budge
the torx head bolts holding the two halves together.  I didn't want to strip
the heads or shear the bolts themselves, so I gave up on the idea.  OTOH, a
friend of mine was able to split HIS calipers, needing only to renew the
o-rings within.  No ill effects as far as I know.

The solution to my case was to fabricate a custom clamp that circumferentially
holds onto the 'nose' of the piston (much much better than using pliers).
With the clamp tightened I was able to pull one piston out at a time (for one
piston to come out, the other has to be depressed all the way in).  My pistons
may not have been as seized as yours, as they were able to rotate slightly
within their bores.

BTW I also tried injecting air into the calipers (approx. 80-90psi) but that
attempt was unsuccessful.  If you attempt this, you'll have to figure out a
way to inject the air into the brake line inlet fitting without leaks, then
restrain one piston while the other can pop out (don't use your fingers!).

Good luck,
David Khoe
Yorba Linda, California, USA
'69 GTV
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