Re: Rear Girling Caliper Troubles

[Brett Dikeman <dikemanb@edison.ma.ultranet.com>]

At 7:08 PM -0400 on 5/9/97, Steinbru@VNET.IBM.COM wrote:

> Brett, good description of the brake "tools".  I have used both methods,
> and when the piston is clean, much prefer the 12mm hex wrench, but
> when it's not...  Improvise!
yup.  I would recommend a variable-speed moto-tool of some kind to
anyone...it's great for everything from cleaning off light rust with a wire
tool to heavy duty stuff(like the piston hole) with an engraving tip, to
polising the chrome trim(very necessary :) ...they're handy little things.

> >...had to replace rear bearings...
>
> I am going to have to do this soon.  I've been trying to find the
> Snap-on tool for this.  So I can look at it and improvise an equivalent.
> It sounds like you've figured out a way to do it without a press.
> Clue me in.  --Gary ('86's: 5ks&5ktq)
Hmm. Well, it was kinda crude, but here's what we did on both rear hubs:
-removed hubs from discs(yup...they had to be REMOVED.  Since we were
throwing away the discs, I just used a chisel to remove enough rust from
inside the disc to get the hub out
-Cleaned out the hub(yuck...very,very messy)
-Since we were replacing all the bearings, I hammered out the bearings.
Takes a good minute or so of pounding(I used a punch and a big hammer with
the hub in one of those workmate benches.)  The trick is to pound evenly at
all three corners, and to angle the tool slightly toward the inside so that
it doesn't pop off.  My hand(and punch) kept slipping into the hub(ouch),
and when I was done, there were some fairly large marks left on the inside
of the hub from the punch tool.  Those races are TOUGH! I could barely see
some marks on them from the punch tool.  We had to de-burr the marks I made
accidentally with the punch to the hub, so be careful.  The hub was fine,
but if you're really concerned, be very careful or get the puller tool.
This is a kludge meathod.

Now, for a neat tip.  You have to get those new races back in, right?
Well, guess what you use!  The old ones!  Flip 'em so that the largest end
is on top, and use that to pound(carefully) the new race in.  Watch out
that the new one doesn't get wedged unevenly...go slow+easy.  Using a
plastic/rubber hammer is an excellent idea here.
KEY:  Grind down the old races and save them.  But, GRIND THEM DOWN!
You'll get yourself into a very icky situation(two races aren't better than
one :)
Keep those old races for when you have to do the bearings in another 130k
miles :-) and add them to your little collection of homebuilt audi tools.

The bearings, when cleaned out, also make neat "desk parts"/fiddle toys.

My dad has a collection of "desk parts" sitting on his desk from his old TR
and his 944...they are:
-Badly bent valve from TR4..."Don't Rush"...parents were moving, dad was
fixing up car from accident, needed to get car drivable before move, didn't
tension the timing belt correctly, boom, crunch crunch.
-Badly bent valve from 944..."Don't Forget"...one very, very, cold night in
a parking lot at logan, in the snow, the timing belt snapped, boom, crunch,
crunch.  He hadn't replaced it at the scheduled interval.
-Piston with (ugh, don't know exact name) a missing portion between two
ring channels.  Note all you turbo fanatics, cause was too much boost(and
possible metal defect in the piston)  The lesson: "Don't exceed your
limits."Apparently, my father got a little too excited with the new
Calloway turbo he had installed("You always want to turn it up juuuuuust a
little more...")

Shameless non-audi type thing:
Dad's rebuilding everything in this 1983 944(Black, rare) with Calloway
turbo system.  Expected completion date is sometime this fall, but not
sure(it's sorta a weekend resorting project.)  Turbo has been rebuilt,
block checked+re-bored, lots of stuff is getting fixed up.  If you know of
anyone who might be interested in buying this car, email me and I'll pass
along the info.

Brett

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Brett Dikeman
dikemanb@edison.ma.ultranet.com	dikemanb@stu.beloit.edu
~)-|
Hostes alienigeni me abduxerunt.  Qui annus est?
Te audire non possum.  Musa sapientum fixa est in aure.
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