thinking about a rear caliper rebuild

[motogo1]

I found that using a long thin screw driver works really well to pop out
that circlip. Really not that bad of a job.  I used a large clamp and socket
to compress the spring loaded cage. See following write-up from fellow
lister, Steve Crosbie.

Gary Martin
94 UrS4
91 200 TQA

(Referring to previous post about not finding an appropriate circlip
pliers)...  I had the same issue finding a circlip pliers that was long
and skinny enough to remove the circlip holding the piston in the bottom
of the caliper body.  I bought a cheap pair of needle nose pliers with
long and skinny ends and simply filed the ends round to fit the circlip
holes (got a pair that had a spring and about 4" long ends). That
circlip holds a sort of cage that holds a spring under pressure. In the
center of this is the threaded rod that the piston rides on. There is
not a lot of room, but enough to get the skinny pliers in.  Be very
careful since when the circlip is released the spring will shoot the
spring holding cage (spring keeper) and itself into orbit.  The second
one I did I put the caliper in a vice to steady it and held a small 2x2
piece of wood on the top of the spring keeper as the circlip was removed
- much less fun, but safer.  Once the spring, spring keeper and threaded
rod attached to the lower plate are removed, you can get at the inside
of this chamber.  Inside this chamber you see the e brake shaft and a
small jelly bean shaped thing (piece of metal rod rounded of at each
end) that is held between an indent in the e brake shaft and an indent
in the threaded rod shaft.
  At this point you can take out the e brake shaft and clean it up with
some sand paper, coarse to fine grain (the corroded shaft is the reason
the e brake lever does not return).  Also clean up the old grease and
re-grease the cavity with high temp. lithium grease (or marine grease -
may improve the rust corrosion issues with the shaft). The seal where
the e brake shaft goes into the caliper is a simple oil seal.  I got
mine at a bearing supply company.  I found a TCM oil seal part #
16x24x7TC (16mm {shaft opening }X 24mm {outside diameter) X 7mm
{thick}).  Refit the jelly bean and the brake lever shaft and threaded
rod w/ bottom plate.  Now comes the fun - the spring and spring keeper
must be compressed in order for the circlip to seat.  I used an
appropriate socket on the spring keeper that covered the keeper, and
allowed the threaded rod to pass through.  Then took a large C clamp and
clamped the socket down to compress the spring so the circlip could
fasten.  It takes a little trial and error and you have to center the
spring keeper a bit (first thing under the circlip before the threaded
rod plate).  Sounds worse than it is.  Once it is together there now
enough spring tension to reset the e brake lever even before the outside
spring clip is attached. They have been working like brand new calipers
for over 6 weeks - no lock up of the ebrake cable and plenty of holding
power.

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "alan cordeiro" <alancordeiro at comcast.net>
To: <200q20v at audifans.com>
Sent: Monday, September 13, 2004 7:20 PM
Subject: thinking about a rear caliper rebuild


> Any words of wisdom on doing a rear caliper re-build by yourself
> from those brave souls who have done it sucessfully. I understand
> that getting the internal circlip holding the piston to the
> internal e-brake mechanism is a bear.
>
> Alan
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