I just checked on a set of F-Body calipers and they are available in steel piston and Phenolic pistons for about $5 more each. Is there an advantage to one over the other?

Rick

I believe the idea behind phenolics is that they conduct less heat and won't corrode, so I think they're worth it. Glad to know they are on the shelves. Are these the same calipers as stock '73-76 Dart discs?

Lou

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Home of Slant6-powered fun machines since 1988

Lou,
I'm not sure if these are the same as the 73-76 A bodies or not? I'll check with them when I go back to pick them up.

Rick

those phenolic pistons came on some factory calipers. I don't believe they were very successful. I 've been told they had a lot of problems with them sticking. They even had a piston change over kit, which they sold at the dealerships.

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'66 Cuda 225/4spd
'66 Dart GT convertible 225/auto
'64 Dart GT 340/4spd

Yep, get the metal or you will probably develop a sticking caliper.

Got the metal ones. $14 at Autozone. Good deal!!

Rick

The f and a body calipers differ in the way the hose bolts on. They will work if you use the hose that goes with the caliper.

Had several phelonic calipers crack and chip in the piston bore...Dave

Whichever you decide to use, DO NOT put a steel on one side and a phenolic on the other or you will build a pull into your front brakes. Yes, Lou, 73 up A bodies use the same rotor as the F-M-J bodies, I was looking that up in a rotor catalog today at work. I wasn't in the caliper page, but if I remember right, they are the same calipers, but one mounts them ahead of the spindle and the other behind, I remember when I bought the remans for my Dip, they had a tag attatched that said to reverse the catalog "left" and "right" depending on caliper mounting position.

Last week, I spent several hours derusting and cleaning up the calipers from our Duster disk brake donor. I used the electrolysis method, about which I will discuss in more depth later, and will post pics. The caliper seal kits are readily available at O'Reilly Auto Parts for $2.29 each, not a bad investment. However, I ruined both piston dust boots trying to install them. It's a son-of-a-gun to get their lip pressed down into the groove around the back side of the piston. The way the caliper is shaped, there's no way to see back there, much less get a tool back there to press the lip in.

So, who knows how to do this properly? The rubber is thin and fragile, so you can't use just any old screwdriver. I resorted to trying a wooden clothes pin on the second one. It broke the end off and sliced a hole in the boot. When they are in such good shape, I hate to spend $14 each to replace the whole caliper, just because I can't install a $2 dust boot.

Any ideas appreciated,
Jerry

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There's a difference between ignorance and stupidity.
Ignorance is not knowing any better.
Stupidity is knowing, yet doing it anyway.

I never touched them with any tools. I lubed them up with this assembly lube, that was like really thick brake fluid. I think it was made by Raybestos. It takes a little work, and several tries, but I've done it several times. I even did my 4-piston calipers. Now that is a job!

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'66 Cuda 225/4spd
'66 Dart GT convertible 225/auto
'64 Dart GT 340/4spd

For the cost of the rebuilt ones it's almost worth it...I recently did a set of Raybestos rebuilds on some calipers. I had to use a popsicle stick to roll the lip in correctly then push to get it to seat, I lined the lip with brake fluid to get it to slide... Make sure to check the bore for any pits, even if you derust it, if you have some small pitting in the bore or if the plungers have scratches down the sides, the rebuild becomes kind of moot at that point.

-D.Idiot

D.I.
What is it about a little minor pitting in the bore that would create a problem, as long as the inner seal is doing its job sealing off against the piston? After derusting the calipers, I bought a hone and cleaned up the bores. They look real good and feel smooth, I was just wondering.

Also, the Haynes repair manual says to install the dust boot onto the piston first, then press the lip of the boot into its groove. Is that how you do it? The parts counter guy said he puts the boot into position first, then pushes the piston through it with a lot of lubrication.

Jerry

_________________
There's a difference between ignorance and stupidity.
Ignorance is not knowing any better.
Stupidity is knowing, yet doing it anyway.

If you honed the bores you should be ok, pitting can cause some friction and if it's scratching the piston it may not work as smoothly (wonder why one brake is slightly lazy...other than hoses and fluid...). I've got a whole pile of these and some aren't in nice shape from age and abuse (dirty brake fluid).

There are two methods for this I've seen:

One says to install the boot, lube, put the piston on and push like an SOB....doing this usually rolls the boot into the piston and more often than not will not seat or tear the boot.

I was told through another source that you can seat the boot, make sure it's anchored in the groove. Lube the inner part of the boot, install piston, use a popsicle stick to work the boot around the piston, once inserted press and seat the piston.... That works for the most part, I personally think it's half of one and less 50% of the other....


I have a set I'm going to use as a core next trade in, they were honed, checked and I installed new boots on them with lube...I installed them and they are now seized(they look good, but the pistons won't move, even under hard brake pedal with the caliper off.....talk about stuck)...

Sounds like you've done things right.

-D.Idiot

D.I.,
After I honed the bore, I took very fine wet-sand paper and polished it some more. They sure feel slick. Guess I'll try the "install boot/install piston" process this time, since the other way wasn't very successful. By the way, a thick paperback book serves as a very good cushion to protect the piston when using compressed air to pop it out.

Thanks for the input,
Jerry

_________________
There's a difference between ignorance and stupidity.
Ignorance is not knowing any better.
Stupidity is knowing, yet doing it anyway.