Help - Caliper Doesn't Fit
- Thread starter TriodeLuvr
- Start date
TriodeLuvr
Member
Finally, it's fixed! I stopped at a local motorcycle repair shop on my way home today and picked up a set of thin banjo fittings and shorter banjo screws. There's plenty of clearance now, no other changes will be required.
All the details are posted on the other site where I started the thread:
http://bucketbuilder.bb3host.com/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=791&p=6332#p6332
For reference, I believe this is applicable to Speedway Brake Kit no. 916-31905, and both Speedway kits to install 1974-80 Mustang II/Pinto 9-1/4" rotors and calipers onto machined Chevy 1949-54 car spindles. The latter includes nos. 91031948 (4-3/4 Chevy pattern rotors) and 91031947 (4-1/2 Ford pattern rotors).
Hope this will be helpful to other members.
Jack
All the details are posted on the other site where I started the thread:
http://bucketbuilder.bb3host.com/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=791&p=6332#p6332
For reference, I believe this is applicable to Speedway Brake Kit no. 916-31905, and both Speedway kits to install 1974-80 Mustang II/Pinto 9-1/4" rotors and calipers onto machined Chevy 1949-54 car spindles. The latter includes nos. 91031948 (4-3/4 Chevy pattern rotors) and 91031947 (4-1/2 Ford pattern rotors).
Hope this will be helpful to other members.
Jack
TriodeLuvr
Member
No, that hasn't been necessary. I use a Mityvac to make it a one-person operation, and the brakes feel good when the job is done. Right now, I'm having a problem with the new banjo fitting not sealing on the caliper side. It turns out that the surface of the new caliper is pitted, and the narrower banjo doesn't exert pressure over as wide a surface as the original. I'm working on a way to seal this up so I don't have to exchange the caliper and repaint.
Jack
Try some softer aluminum washers, instead of copper.
Not of the size you need, but they have them with a rubber insert to help seal. Earl's makes them but I'm not sure of the part number...They also have 10mm ones for Harley calipers...
TriodeLuvr
Member
Ron, no one near me sells aluminum crush washers. I was thinking about cutting one from .063 sheet, but all I have is 6061. That's probably not softer than the copper washers. As I write this, I've "skimmed" the pitted surface of the caliper with JB We'd. It's being pressed into the surface with a steel washer covered in teflon tape (not the thin stuff, this is teflon about the thickness of packing tape). If the surface looks better after this process, I'll try bleeding again with a new copper washer. If that doesn't stop the leak, I still have a couple other options before I'll be forced to give up and return the caliper. The only reason I haven't already taken it back is A) they had to order these, and B) I'm hoping not to have to paint yet another caliper (and no guarantee the next rebuild won't have something else wrong with it).
BobS, those are called Stat-O-Seal washers. They're come in both aluminum and steel, and they're available in this size (7/16"). I must have made 20 phone calls yesterday trying to find them in my area. If I can't get the leak fixed some other way by this weekend, I'll order a set.
Jack
BobS, those are called Stat-O-Seal washers. They're come in both aluminum and steel, and they're available in this size (7/16"). I must have made 20 phone calls yesterday trying to find them in my area. If I can't get the leak fixed some other way by this weekend, I'll order a set.
Jack
TriodeLuvr
Member
Our weather forecast is seven days of beautiful, sunny weather. My next step to seal this - if the latest effort doesn't work - will be to mill a .063" aluminum washer tonight and cut an o-ring groove in the underside. That will get this done.
Jack
Jack
TriodeLuvr
Member
Keeper, this is DOT 5 silicone fluid, so it's not volatile like DOT 3 and 4. I don't think it will affect the JB Weld at all. Anyway, it appears that this has worked. When I removed the teflon-coated washer, the caliper surface under it was nice and smooth with just a little of the cast iron grain showing through in a few areas. I bled the brakes again, tightened up the compression fitting a tad, and everything is dry.
One thing I discovered while I had this apart again is that the stem of the smaller banjo fitting is almost hitting the caliper where it crosses over. I had to reuse one of the original thick washers on the bottom of the banjo to solve that. The washer measures 0.076", but even with such a thick washer, there's only about .005" clearance between the stem and caliper. I've searched all over the Web, and I can't seem to find anything that thick in current production. Everything is 1/16" or thinner except a 0.079" washer I found at O'Reilly that's made for smaller 3/8" or 10mm banjos. If I was doing this from scratch - before painting - I would probably grind or file that area of the caliper down so I could use "normal" washers and not worry about this. So much for not wanting to modify "maintenance" items. Oh well, it's an easy modification and doesn't require any actual machine work.
If this is still dry in a couple days, I'll consider it a success.
Jack
One thing I discovered while I had this apart again is that the stem of the smaller banjo fitting is almost hitting the caliper where it crosses over. I had to reuse one of the original thick washers on the bottom of the banjo to solve that. The washer measures 0.076", but even with such a thick washer, there's only about .005" clearance between the stem and caliper. I've searched all over the Web, and I can't seem to find anything that thick in current production. Everything is 1/16" or thinner except a 0.079" washer I found at O'Reilly that's made for smaller 3/8" or 10mm banjos. If I was doing this from scratch - before painting - I would probably grind or file that area of the caliper down so I could use "normal" washers and not worry about this. So much for not wanting to modify "maintenance" items. Oh well, it's an easy modification and doesn't require any actual machine work.
If this is still dry in a couple days, I'll consider it a success.
Jack
Isn't it amazing how such little things can be so stubborn to fix. I run across this all the time...things that just fight you the whole way. Yesterday I spent at least an hour trying to install the upper steering arm. The problem is, as you can see in the photo, the upper grease fitting for the king pin is hiding behind the steering arm so you cannot get to it unless you remove the steering arm, which means the wheel, hub/rotor has to come off. So I had some 90* and 45* fittings that I figured I would install. Problem solved, right? Wrong. No matter what I did, I just could not get those parts to play nice together. Short of grinding on the steering arm or spacing it out a lot (which I do not want to do) this just wasn't happening. So, I gave up. It beat me, lol. It stays as is...
old round fart
Well-Known Member
See if a 45 or 90 degree fitting will clear.
TriodeLuvr
Member
No problem Mike, that's a fine looking front end Bobs66440 is putting together. Wish I had a solution for him, can't think of anything other than a different style steering arm.
Funny story... I read somewhere that Harley used 7/16" banjos on their earlier master cylinders, so I stopped at a local dealer this morning to see how thick the washers are. The parts guy takes me in the back, opens a few bags, and they're all aluminum. "That's OK," I say, "if they're thicker than the washers at the auto parts stores, I'll use 'em." Well, he pulls out the thickest washers they have, and I can clearly see they're a little thinner than what I need. They look like 1/16". Nevertheless, he measures them with his calipers, and waddya know, they're .080"! I can't believe it, so I ask him to position the calipers a couple different ways, just to be sure it's a true reading. He gets the exact same measurement every time - .080". I finally decide it must be an optical illusion. After all, I've only seen the thicker washers in copper. So, I take four of them and head back to the house. When I get home, I go out to the garage and take a measurement. (You know what's coming, right?) They're all .060," about 1/16". Now, the guy was real nice about all this, went out of his way to help me and didn't even charge for the washers. I'm not about to call up and tell him his calipers are off, if only because he might think I'm complaining. Still, I have to wonder how many issues they've had because parts they thought were one size were actually something else.
OK, I'm going to order the .079" copper washers at O'Reilly. If I turn the ID on my hobby lathe to open them up to 7/16", they'll be exactly the same size as the original thick washers. That's a lot easier and cheaper than cutting new washers out of copper sheet. Let's hope they really are .079".
Incidentally, I'll post again if this leaks. Don't want to lead anyone down the wrong path.
Jack
Funny story... I read somewhere that Harley used 7/16" banjos on their earlier master cylinders, so I stopped at a local dealer this morning to see how thick the washers are. The parts guy takes me in the back, opens a few bags, and they're all aluminum. "That's OK," I say, "if they're thicker than the washers at the auto parts stores, I'll use 'em." Well, he pulls out the thickest washers they have, and I can clearly see they're a little thinner than what I need. They look like 1/16". Nevertheless, he measures them with his calipers, and waddya know, they're .080"! I can't believe it, so I ask him to position the calipers a couple different ways, just to be sure it's a true reading. He gets the exact same measurement every time - .080". I finally decide it must be an optical illusion. After all, I've only seen the thicker washers in copper. So, I take four of them and head back to the house. When I get home, I go out to the garage and take a measurement. (You know what's coming, right?) They're all .060," about 1/16". Now, the guy was real nice about all this, went out of his way to help me and didn't even charge for the washers. I'm not about to call up and tell him his calipers are off, if only because he might think I'm complaining. Still, I have to wonder how many issues they've had because parts they thought were one size were actually something else.
OK, I'm going to order the .079" copper washers at O'Reilly. If I turn the ID on my hobby lathe to open them up to 7/16", they'll be exactly the same size as the original thick washers. That's a lot easier and cheaper than cutting new washers out of copper sheet. Let's hope they really are .079".
Incidentally, I'll post again if this leaks. Don't want to lead anyone down the wrong path.
Jack
Yes, I removed the arm and tried all different fittings, ground them down, you name it.
If you have to pull all the stuff down for plating or painting, drill and tap a new hole off to the front or rear. They make little plugs for those holes. Ford used to put a plug in all the grease fitting sights, rather than put a plug in them, or you can leave the fitting in.
Simple and brilliant idea! Thanks!
