Front Brake Calipers

After getting an MOT advisory earlier this year for a corroded rear brake pipe , I started out on what I hoped would be a fairly straight forward job of replacing the section..... Unfortunately this now seems is rapidly escalating into quite a job!!

As I'd got the rear pipes disconnected I decided to take the opportunity to replace the rear flexi pipes with a set of braided hoses - I've also has some issues with the rear brakes binding and looking at the state of the rear calipers decided 'in for a penny' and have fitted a new rear set.
This is my first dabble into brakes but this part seemed to go remarkably well (which is unusual for me!!)

However!! as the braided hoses came as a full set I then made the decision to replace the fronts... and this is where things have taken a turn for the worst!
Firstly there was no way on earth the brake pipes wanted to part company with the flexi hoses - after completely destroying the nuts I made the decision to cut the pipes and replace - I don't have the kit to make new sections so will need to visit my local garage again in the new year (the rear section they made for me was spot on!)
Now.. whilst the front pipes are disconnected I thought it would be a good idea to remove the calipers and give everything a good clean (my car is the 160 so has the AP twin pot calipers)... and this is where my troubles begin! ..
I was unable to remove the lower pins on both calipers (the top one's came out reasonably easily).. in my various efforts to get them out (which I've finally done) I've managed to break the a caliper wear slide..
So.. from what I've found online it would seem that removing the retaining screw for the sliders is not that easy - so before I try and then round off the head what would you recommend are my best options? ..... Thanks.

Hi, The seized pins on the AP's is a common problem Mike Satur can supply a set of stainless steel pins and R clips to secure them as well as stainless anti rattle shims. If you go to BIGREDD they will refurbish the AP callipers for you , but their charges are not cheap.

You say that your callipers are 2 pots ( one piston each side) if they are, yours is the first TF that i have come across with 2 pots factory fitted, they were another cost saving and were apparently fitted to the MY2005 (Feb 2005) cars , then MGR went bust two months later !!! i have not found a car with them fitted .

Good luck with your brake pipes.

The rear seized callipers is another common problem , these callipers started life on the Rover 800 in 1984 so the part was quite old when it was taken ''from the parts bin'' i refurbished a pair of rear callipers which lasted for 7 years before seizing again, I now have new rear callipers and these have started to seize again with lack of use during Lockdown and thats with the handbrake off. If the car is going to be left for long periods ie months, then leave the handbrake 'off'.

Don't worry - my Alfa has the same design calipers, fine on 3 of them but the pins on the 4th took me 3 hours to remove.

Another 2 hours this morning and the final pin is out!
Two wear plates are broken and the rest don't look too good - I think now they're off a refurb is on the cards.. kerrching!!

You cannot beat a proper full refurb, be careful undoing the wear plate screws, they are usually super tight with oxidization, and the four cap screws which bolt the two halves together can also be pigs to undo, a big breaker bar or impact wrench should shift them. Replace all screws with new, suggest stainless bolts for the wear plates. Also worth buying new link pipes and bleed nipples. You can get them online. The wear plates normally lift up with a build up of crud and corrosion under them, so clean this off and re-tap the holes for the screws for the wear plates before repainting.
I usually strip, clean and re-grease with anti seize every year which stops things from corroding up.
If you have trouble finding new bolts for the caliper halves, I have a few sets spare at minimal cost.

Sundance

I think I read somewhere that the best tool to undo the slider plates is an impact driver, not air or electric but the old skool type you belt with a hammer, the theory being the turning moment happens at the same time as the bit is being hammered into the screw and stops slippage. Makes sense to me but never used one, I think you can pick one up on ebay or facebook marketplace for under £20, cheaper/easier than inventing new swear words.

deepfat wrote:

cheaper/easier than inventing new swear words.

But where is the creativity in that?
I myself, over many years working on cars, boats and machinery, have amassed quite a back catalog in , obscenities, profanities, blasphemies, damnations, taunts, oaths, curses, insults, threats and abuses.
All used in to varying effect on recalcitrant components, in fact about the only things I haven't tried in motivating stubborn parts is expose by bumhole at 'em or waggle my willie in their direction.............Hmmmmmmn! There's a thought, I wonder if that"ll work! :bust:

An impact driver does help considerably, if the middle of the bolt rounds off, you can sometimes get them to shift using a hammer and sharp chisel to tap the bolt head undone, or I have used a large pair of nail pliers (end pincers) which had good sharp jaws to clamp onto the bolt and turn it.

Sundance

An impact driver does help considerably, if the middle of the bolt rounds off, you can sometimes get them to shift using a hammer and sharp chisel to tap the bolt head undone, or I have used a large pair of nail pliers (end pincers) which had good sharp jaws to clamp onto the bolt and turn it.

Sundance