seized brake caliper - help !

[smitch]

My Freda failed it's MoT today due to a binding front brake (front offside). Investigated it tonight (in the rain) and the top caliper piston is seized. The dust bellows has had a big chunk torn out of it by some careless PO (the torn out bit was inside the hollow piston), water's got in. etc etc.

Is it possible to get a replacement seal set to rebuild the calipers?
Or am I facing having to replace the caliper ?

Any advice or suggestions for potential sources of parts gratefully received.

[lizard]

Hi

Well if it's too rusty and pitted, I reckon it's a new caliper.

Try this

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? ... 0212717254

[bigdaddycain]

Hi Smitch,how much of the seal was left intact? It may be worth taking what's left of it down to your local friendly motor factors to see if they can match one up.

First of all, remove the brake fluid cap under bonnet, remove the bottom slider bolt, spray top slider with WD40 and work back and forth, and up and down with a few VERY gentle taps with a hammer.
Leave to soak for a while, then work the caliper back and forth a few times,the caliper should now come off. The caliper is still attached to the bongo at this point,soak the caliper in WD40 again,concentrating on the piston.

Remove the brake pad on the piston side, refit caliper and insert a heavy flat screwdriver into the hole in the caliper and rest in between the disc and piston, now get a helper to press the brake pedal until the piston is firm on screw driver (piston should be wedging the screw driver against disc at this point ).

Take the screwdriver out, and remove caliper again and spray WD40 around the piston. Put the caliper back on the slider and lever it back as far as it will go, then get your helper to press the brake pedal again till it presses the screw driver against piston once more,
Now continue levering the piston back & pressing the brake, you should notice the piston going further and further back.

Once the piston goes all the way back, bring it back out to the screwdriver against the disc point again, remove caliper and soak in WD40 again and repeat the process, it should be running free again at this stage.

Then give the whole caliper a good clean with brake cleaner, and refit, including the brake pad you removed. That should get you back on the road, but bear in mind your piston will need a new dust seal, hopefully your motor local motor factors can assist you there...

[Veg_Ian]

Nice thought BDC but Factors only tend to carry caliper overhaul kits for 'common' models such as Fords these days and I can't see them being up for opening hundreds of boxes to compare sizes of seals and rubbers - assuming that Smitch can get it off in one piece that is.

I would have thought your best bet would be to try such as Bongobits to see if they can source an overhaul kit.

[bigdaddycain]

Yep, good point Ian,i probably was being a little over enthusiastic there. I'm quite suprised that the bongo uses "bespoke" calipers...This isn't usual for a vehicle with an anticipated "niche market" The Mazda MPV probably uses the same calipers, (i'm guessing here), but is there really not another vehicle in the mazda range (a more common model)that incorporates the same calipers?

[Veg_Ian]

Not over enthusuastic BDC just showing your age There was a time when you could walk into a decent factor holding a part in one hand, a ten bob note in the other and say "can you match me that please?" Alas with modern packaging, impatience etc it's not so easy these days.

As for Mazda overhaul kits it's a dealer job. I had to get one for the wife's 323 last year - about 60 quid!!! as you know a dealer will only match on part numbers. I've not looked on Lush but if there is a part number for an overhaul kit then you are in with a chance if it cross references to another vehicle.

[Nibs]

Hi, discovered that I had a front wheel binding, my brother checked the caliper and found that it a piston had seized, got a seal and boot set from Vospers of Exeter for £54.86, he cleaned the piston put everything back together and all is well, that was two years ago, so you may be lucky enough to do the same. Vospers are at http://www.vospers.com
Good luck Nibs

[Veg_Ian]

Thanks Nibs. That answers my question. Overhaul kits do exist. Price sounds about right for Mazda as well

[cheffy34]

Hi, discovered that I had a front wheel binding, my brother checked the caliper and found that it a piston had seized, got a seal and boot set from Vospers of Exeter for £54.86, he cleaned the piston put everything back together and all is well, that was two years ago, so you may be lucky enough to do the same. Vospers are at http://www.vospers.com
Good luck Nibs

I'm glad vospers of exeter got it rite for you , I live just around the corner from them and they have been as much use as a chocolate firegaurd on one item that is mazda supply only for me 6 months still waiting, rubbish customer services Its always ££££££££££££££££ signs and gulps when i asked em to get something for my v6 then they say a lead time of anywhere between 3 weeks and 3 months and they always laugh at it, i now use a local factors that is used mainly by the trade always has it on the shelf or next day delivery ask your local garage who they use for parts

[bigdaddycain]

Aye!...Main dealers...don't ya just luv em?

[cheffy34]

Aye!...Main dealers...don't ya just luv em?

very much so BDC i don't usually bad mouth peeps BUT they make me feel as if i'm wasting there time

[Veg_Ian]

I think that's a little unfair. There are dealers and dealers. Some are helpful and some not. It's worth putting the word around on here if you find a good 'un. In the Townace community we found a very helpful Toyota dealer on the Isle of Wight. While other main dealers were doing the "sorry mate we don't touch grey import parts" thing, this one was shipping stuff to Canada and Oz for punters on the forum.

Sadly I can't recommend my Mazda dealer in a similar way - grasping, jobsworth &&^$£%$&^!!!

[smitch]

thanks for all the helpful input guys. I got a replacement caliper on e-bay from Bells Hill garage in the end and fitted it with no problems. I decided to fit new pads as well then found an identical torn seal on the NSF caliper also . Whoever fitted the last set of pads needs to be shot. . This one wasn't seized yet so WD 40 and leverage - packed with grease and hope for the best has got it back together again. In the long term though I'll have to either rebuild it with new seals or replace it. So does anyone know of a better (cheeper) source of caliper seals than £50 odd from a Mazda dealer. As has been said before I cannot believe this brake caliper is unique to bongo.

[smitch]

Hello again, got through the MOT retest with a minor caution that the NSF brake was dragging a bit, this is the one I bodged with grease, so ho hum, I'll have to do the job properly sooner rather than later. Any info from anyone on replacement seals availability or other applications that use the same front calipers ???

New question on this - both front brakes now squeel quite badly just before reaching a dead stop, they don't do it at any higher speed above a couple of mph but it's very anoying when crawling along in a traffic jam (always, everywhere in Bristol).

I did put the shims back in, I believe correctly and the new pads were from bongobits so I'm not expecting duff parts, any suggestions anyone ?

[Veg_Ian]

Could be the new pads bedding in. A smear of coppaslip on the back of the pads and shims can also help. Otherwise it's down to the quality of the material in the pad. I bought some for mine on ebay and they squeal a bit whereas they didn't before.