S1 rear Girling caliper seal for handbrake mechanism part.

[omegaman]

I recently bought a seal kit from SJ to rebuild my rear calipers, unfortunately it didnt come with the square profile seal that goes in the handbrake mech between the body of the caliper and the bit that bolts on. 1 of mine was fine but the other was shot. 

 

Does anyone know who can supply these ?

[Paul Coleman]

45 minutes ago, omegaman said:

I recently bought a seal kit from SJ to rebuild my rear calipers, unfortunately it didnt come with the square profile seal that goes in the handbrake mech between the body of the caliper and the bit that bolts on. 1 of mine was fine but the other was shot. 

 

Does anyone know who can supply these ?

I think people just use round ones.

[omegaman]

56 minutes ago, Paul Coleman said:

I think people just use round ones.

Ok thanks, I'll look for some brake fluid proof seals that diameter. 

[Paul Coleman]

21 hours ago, omegaman said:

Ok thanks, I'll look for some brake fluid proof seals that diameter. 

There shouldn't be any brake fluid in the handbrake mechanism bit should there? I can't remember.

Edited October 17, 2021 by Paul Coleman

[omegaman]

1 hour ago, Paul Coleman said:

There shouldn't be any brake fluid in the handbrake mechanism bit should there? I can't remember.

yes its behind the piston so there must be. Not in the lever section though. There are 2 seals.....1 small one where lever shaft exits (no fluid there) and a large one between the main caliper body and the part that bolts on the back. 

 

in the joint where I have marked red in the photo. 

sits in that recess. 

[omegaman]

https://www.fluidairfittings.co.uk/products/epdm-seals?variant=37568837025988

 

I'll give 1 of these ago, the correct EPDM material and 50mm should fit. 

[Paul Coleman]

Ah sorry, I thought you were referring to the small on on the handbrake arm. Ignore anything I previously said and I'll go back to sleep...

[viz139]

The fluid seal between the piston chamber and handbrake lever is under the automatic adjuster, the seal under the lever is more of a dust cover. The kit I got from SJ contained the wrong size seal for this and I haven't been able to source one yet.

[omegaman]

Back to this. I bled the brakes on my car a few days ago. I've fitted new MC, brake lines, front calipers, discs and handbrake cables. The rear calipers I refurbished. The hydraulics work fine but the handbrake doesn't work. I can pull the lever up and down and nothing happens. Is there another cause for this other than the rear pistons not being aligned with the splines on the mech?

[910Esprit]

I once had a caliper fail as the 'splines' had stripped off.    Would also check that the handbrake lever is articulating through its full movement - ie check that the cable is not pre-loading the operating lever.

From memory, there is a 'lump' on the back of the pad to hold the piston in the correct alignment with the handbrake mech?

[omegaman]

Thanks I'll check. I have the inside sill cover off so that I could fit new brake cables and clean the old links etc. I'm pretty certain I would have aligned the pistons with the pads, stranger things have happened though.

 

I'm hoping that little pill shaped thing that goes between the lever and piston inside the caliper didn't fall out when I put them back together, I can't see that would have happened on both sides though. 

[viz139]

The automatic adjustment is done by pressing the brake pedel very hard several times. If the pistons are fully retracted this may take several pushes.

[omegaman]

Oh I see, I haven't really touched the pedal, only by hand when rolling it in the workshop. I thought the mechanical handbrake part of the caliper was the self adjusting part. 

[omegaman]

Update on this. I have tried pushing the brake pedal down hard but the handbrake mech still wont bite. I'm wondering if the new pads are just too thick to allow the piston to move enough for the mech to bite. I had to have the front pads ground down as they wouldn't fit in the calipers ( SJ pads) 

 

I guess I could take the pads out, push the pistons out a little, then try the handbrake. 

[omegaman]

Solved this, the new pads were too thick and the piston wasn't out far enough for the mechanism to start biting. I pulled the pads out and pressed on the brake pedal to just move the piston out a tad, then tried the handbrake and it worked fine. I'll get the pads ground down 5mm.