Rusted & corroded rear brake calliper piston.
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Obtaining spares should not be an issue when the time for a rebuild arrives. This particular type of twin-piston rear brake caliper (With handbrake mechanism) was employed on a certain model Fiat, and also the Dino Ferrari, so it probably made a lot of sense to Colin Chapman to adopt same for the Lotus elan. But if the machined groove recess designed to retain the piston seal in each caliper body is corroded, then a very careful inspection will be required to ascertain its serviceability.īUT, if there is sign of pitting and wear on the outer surface of the pistons, then they should be replaced with new stainless steel items, it is essential to have a perfectly smooth unblemished surface for the seal to do its job on the piston.
The bores of the calipers can have slight corrosion without any detrimental effect on their performance. The internal bores of the calipers can, and will rust, unfortunately, the cast iron caliper bodies are rust prone, and another good reason to renew the brake fluid on a regular basis (Brake fluid absorbs moisture). Rebuild kits can be purchased through most brake service centres, the author lives out in the bush, and the local brake centre spares guy never seems to have any trouble supplying the parts. The pistons and bores are protected with flexible outer rubber seals which help to keep moisture and dust out of the piston/caliper assembly. They will eventually wear out, but will give an excellent service life. The other two seals are those that seal each piston inside of the caliper body. Maybe that was the reason for the warning about not splitting the caliper bodies, just in case an absent minded DIY person did the unthinkable?īut please bear in mind, that the caliper bodies are matched pairs and should not be mixed with other split caliper pairs. The caliper body is basically nothing more than a simple hydraulic press held together with four high tensile bolts, and between the machined faces of the caliper bodies a special flat faced O ring seal resides in a machined recess in each caliper half, if the special O ring is NOT replaced, your brakes will FAIL. You will read in the lotus workshop manual, and I quote “Under no circumstances should the calipers be split in two”.
REAR CALIPER PROFESSIONAL
If your mechanical knowledge is not up to scratch, and you don’t have the workshop facilities, then it might be best to take the calipers to a professional service rebuild centre.īut on the other hand, if you know your way around the workshop with the right mechanical skills, and the proper tools, then this can be a very rewarding rebuild project. No one wants a pair of grungy brake calipers (Front or rear) on their elan… So lets see what can do done to DIY rebuild and refurbish the calipers in your own workshop.īut first things first, a word of warning.
Through neglect and exposure over time to the elements, the rear brake calipers on the elan can take a beating, and often look to be in a very sad state of repair, in reality they should be serviced at regular intervals, but like many things automotive, they seem to fall under the banner of… if it ain’t broke, … don’t fix it.
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