to rebuild them... what can i use to temporarly plug off the brake line till im finished rebuilding them?

any tips/tricks?

theyre 4piston calipers if thats makes a difference

 

It's probably a good idea to let the fluid run into a container when working on the caliper rebuild, as this way the "old" fluid is being replaced. Then when bleeding the sytem, keep the rear bleeders opened to flush the old fluid out.

Never tried this, but you can put a piece of plastic between the master cyl cap and reservoir to stop the flow, or push the brake pedal down and keep it there with a piece of wood, as this will also not allow air to enter the lines and allow the fluid to flow. You can also insert plastic/rubber vacuum caps into the end of the hose.

Good luck on the lower pistons as they are probably stuck, or will be the most difficult to remove because condensation is at the bottom of the caliper.

 

Or you can just get one of those brake line squeezer tools an put on on the rubber line. Thats how I did mine. I bet a pair of small vice grips would work, too; just dont make those to tight.

 

just stick a silicone vac cap over the fitting.

That is, if you intend on keeping the system full of the 20 year old, boiled multiple times brake fluid.

If you decide to do the smart thin and flush the system, let it run out.

 

your local autoparts store also sells brake line plugs too. They're little red plasic things that look like thimbles that you push right into the banjo bolt of the brake hose. But you'll still want to bleed your system with fresh fluid after you do your calipers.

 

thats what im worried about... the brakes were draging on this car when i bought it... so that probably wasnt a good sign

 

You can get Reman front calipers pretty cheap from auto parts stores. Advance, NAPA, O'Reillys, etc.

Around $85ish for both.

 

you think it would just be easier just to get remans? considering ive never really rebuilt a caliper...

 

I rebuilt 3 of my calipers, and had to get a reman for one because if a ceased piston. If you're not on a super tight budget, I would just get the remans. Rebuilding them is not hard, but it can be a pain.

One thing that I have noticed though is that reman calipers are kinda beat up cosmetically. So if you want to have pretty calipers, rebuild them instead.

 

The only problem with rebuilding the calipers is that its hard to tell if they are going to last.

If there is a score or a rust mark, or anything in the bore were the pistons slide, and its honed too far, or not honed enough etc. they can fail prematurely. Considering its brakes - I would just get re-mans.

But thats just me

 

Well mine that I rebuilt have stood up to as much abuse as I can dish out. I have gotten brake fade after a few back-to-back Deals Gap runs. The calipers are still holding up fine.

 

Goto Autozone or whatever is nearest to you and get remans. They aren't that expensive especially after the core refund. Autozone overnights them from their distributor when you buy them so you will have them next day. I think its well worth it to have fresh calipers on all corners. Were talking about your brakes here, don't skimp and try to DIY. Even though it could be a good learning experience, I'd still just pickup remans.