so i've replaced the brake pads on one front side of my '95runner and after i got everything put in place, when i depress the brake pedal fluid pours out of the crack between the two halves of the calipers. the 4 bolts are as tight as they can get but fluid is still leaking out between the halves. anyone else had this happen or know what i can do to stop it?

 

first of all, i dont think the calipers are split calipers. did you tighten down the bleeder valve? the seal around one or more of the pistons could be compromised and the leak is at that point.

you will have to take that wheel off, remove the new pads and clean things up so you can see what is wrong. you can take a look at this link to see if it will give you some more info:

http://personal.utulsa.edu/~nathan-buchanan/93fsm/

lee

 

its definitely split calipers. there are four bolts which hold the two halves together and i don't think there's a gasket or anything in there so i don't really know what i'm gonna do at this point, i may see if i can get it tightened down anymore.

 

Did you take the two halves apart? There should be no reason to.

There are some o rings in between the 2 halves. You probably didn't reinstall those, or they are damaged. I think you can buy a caliper rebuild kit to fix it.

 

On no... yeah, I'll bet he did. yikes.

 

alright, yeah so i started to unbolt those and as soon as i realized fluid was leaking out i tightened them back up. i didn't actually separate the 2 halves but i guess the o-ring is prob. out of place or something. looks like i'll have to completely take it apart now and make sure the o-ring is back where it should be...stupid mistake

 

ok, so i took the caliper totally apart this time and the top o-ring is completely broken in half. So can I easily get this part at napa or something or am i gonna have to go to the dealer?

 

pick up an o-ring box, it should have an assortment of o-rings from small to large. they should come in 100 to 200 pieces sorted by size.

lee

 

where can i get an o-ring box like that? i've gone to multiple different stores and shops and no one has anything remotely close to this o-ring. they're either too big or circular instead of square. and the dealership won't sell me just the o-ring, i'd have to buy the entire caliper which is rediculous.

 

im not certain of places in the states, but you should be able to buy a box of 'o' rings in graduated sizes from auto supply stores or farm supply stores. failing that, look up strap22, he is a member here and works for a dealer. im pretty sure he can get what you require, there are a few other members that work for dealers also but strap22 is the only one i can remember now!

lee

 

wow so much involvement for a simple 30 min. job!

 

Make sure the 0-rings are compatible with brake fluid.

 

Harbor Freight has a bunch of o-ring kits for less than $10


www.harborfreight.com and search for o-ring

 

I'll usually 'shade-tree' just about anything but you shouldn't try to find a close enough fit for this one. NAPA sell an overhaul kit for just over $20. But for about $35-40 you can get a rebuilt one from either NAPA or AutoZone. It's been a while since i've seen inside one of these, but I don't think the seal is a true circular o-ring.
In the area where you are you should fix it right, just get a rebuilt one and leave the runaway lanes for the big rigs.

They allow you to drive that thing in Boulder?? I thought that was Prius and Subaru country.

 

The 'O' rings between the two halves of the caliper are probably lathe cut rings (with square edges), not your typical round 'O' rings. Replacing a lathe cut with a round one probably won't work for long because of the pressures involved. You should be able to get a caliper rebuild kit from Napa or one of the major auto part stores. Also try checking online at some of the foreign parts outlets.

 

time for some 6piston willwood calipers!

 

yeah the rebuild kits at napa don't have this o-ring in it. it only has the gaskets and rings for the pistons. and yes, it is a square cut o-ring and i'm def. not gonna use a circular one to replace it. looks like i'm just gonna get a rebuilt caliper, cause sadly thats gonna be much easier than getting my hands on a 10 cent rubber o-ring. thanks for the posts.