CALIPER PAINTING / BRAKE & ROTOR REPLACEMENT (no pictures)

For painting I used a special high temp. paint made in Germany for just this purpose. Folia Tec {Aprox. $50 Ultra Per. In Tucson, Az.-one can will do it all) } It states for calipers only. However, I have for the past three cars also painted the rotor hat and the outside edge. This is the part that always looks like hell due to the rust. I have never had a problem with this paint coming off due to heat. I might not advise it for racing or driving school where excessive heat build up is certainly an issue.

NEEDED TOOLS:
Torque wrench 7 mm allen socket anti-seize compound
Breaker bar 17 mm socket disc brake caliper lube
1/2 ratchet +exts 16 mm socket steel wool & wire brush
Rubber mallet 13 mm socket emery sandpaper
T-50 Torx socket brake cleaning spray-2 cans
Special tool —for pushing in and turning at the same time the rear caliper pistons. I used and adapted a steering wheel puller type tool along with a bicycle bottom bracket adjuster tool. You need to adapt something more then the standard but also needed tool to push the ft. pistons into the calipers.
TORQUE VALUES:
Wheels-8O ft.-lbs. ft.-caliper bolts:70-80 ft-.lbs. rear caliper bolts:45-50 ft.-lbs., caliper pivot pins (ft.& rear): 18-22 ft.-lbs.

· Jack up car from side with floor jack and block of wood about 1 ft. forward of the mid-point between the front and rear wheel. Place floor stands under pods of car and proceed to the other side and do the same being careful that as car is lifted it is still firmly and squarely on stands of other side. NOTE: Before jacking up-loosen lug nuts with 17mm wrench and just snug up so wheels don’t shift when jacking up car.
· Remove wheels---mark inside so they can be replaced at the same location. Also good time to clean inside as well as outside and put good coat of wax on. Much easier to clean brake dust off with waxed wheels.
· Use brake cleaner spray with wire brush to remove brake dust from calipers and rotors. Several cleanings are necessary. Air hose if available but don’t breathe.
· Have someone sit in car with foot on brake while the T-50 torx bolt that holds the rotor on hub is loosened. Easy if car is still new. Could be a problem if all rusted in. Might need some penetrating oil over night.
· Carefully pry off pad spring retainer clip on caliper.
· Go behind caliper and pry off the two rubber caps protecting caliper pivot pins. Use the 7 mm allen socket to remove the two caliper pivot pins. As the second pin is removed support the caliper at the same time you move it forward so as to be able to pull out the pads. Note that the inner pad snaps into the piston. {rear inter pad has clip that slides over lip of piston-don’t pull out as in front but slide and lift up etc.) Don’t leave the caliper hang on the brake line. Use a coat hanger or bungee cords to support (hang) against the spring etc.


· In the front use a 16 mm socket to brake loose the two caliper bracket bolts from the hub/strut assembly. A breaker bar is probably needed here. This must be removed in order to remove/replace the rotor.
· In the rear a 13 mm socket is used to remove the caliper bracket. Also the emergency brake cable should be released from the caliper housing.
· DON’T TURN DOWN THE ROTORS—JUST REPLACE THE ROTORS WHENEVER THE PADS NEED TO BE REPLACED.
· After the T-50 Torx bolt is removed from the rotor use a rubber hammer to break it loose. If removing for painting the edge and hat as I did be sure to mark inside which side of car that it is to be returned to.
· Now clean and I mean clean all the parts with the brake cleaner and wire brush before painting. Now is also a good time to push the pistons into the calipers so that the brake pads will go back in easy when sliding the caliper back in place against the rotor when reinstalling later.
· The rear takes some special doing which cost me a lot of time searching for a tool that would push and at the same time turn the rear piston back into the caliper. It must be turned clockwise and have pressure against it at the same time. Hardest part of the entire job. I was not able to get the correct tool to do the job but finally managed by adapting a steering wheel/wheel bearing puller along with a bicycle bottom bracket adjusting tool. An extra person is needed here to turn the steering wheel puller against the piston while the other person turns the piston with the bicycle tool (clock wise) at the same time until the piston is all the way back in. All this is necessary because the emergency brake self adjusting mechanism is built into the rear caliper/piston.
· If painting put the caliper bracket and caliper back together loosely just for painting without the rotor or pads. The rotors can easily be cleaned and painted off the vehicle. I work slow —the painting itself took me 5 hrs. to do calipers and brackets on the car. And the rotors (hat & edge) off the car. All with two coats with the second application being done within 15 minutes /instructions with the Folia Tec paint.
· After 24 hrs. everything can be pretty much put back together in reverse order. I used disc brake caliper lube on the caliper pivot pins and between any metal pivot parts on the brake pads. MUST BE CAREFULL NOT TO GET ANY ON THE PADS THEMSELVES ,NATURALLY.
· Anti-seize was also used on all bolts and hub facing that contacts rotors so as to make removing at a later time much easier. Especially around the T-50 torx bolt that holds the rotor onto the hub. See above for all torque settings used.

NOTE: Probably a good idea to have an extra Torx hub bolt or two around when doing job the second time around and also at least one rear and one front pad retaining spring clip. Check caliper pivot bolt for wear also.

 

Great post.. thanks for the info... sounds like WAY too much work for me... that's one mod that i was intrested in that i'll be passing up on...

Rocketboy_X

 

mmmmm. sorry to be so stupid here, but what is the benefit of doing this mod and would it work on both the Cooper and the S?

tanx

 

>>mmmmm. sorry to be so stupid here, but what is the benefit of doing this mod and would it work on both the Cooper and the S?
>>

Good question... I really think the only benefit is so you can have that aftermarket fat break look, without putting down all the cash that fat breaks cost... (they ain't cheap)...

Rocketboy_X