Trying to sort my rear calipers and one is leaking from the banjo bolt. Would it be the washers? And would any from the copper set at Halfords be any good??

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductMobileDisplay?catalogId=10151&storeId=10001&productId=256973&categoryId=255228&langId=-1

should be fine--- if your stuck you could anneal ?  the old one    heat to cherry red and quench in cold water clean off scale and reuse (if it's not chewed)

I have just changed my front and rear o/s calipers just got some copper washers from my local car part shop did the job

should be fine--- if your stuck you could anneal ?  the old one    heat to cherry red and quench in cold water clean off scale and reuse (if it's not chewed)

 

Trouble with that plan is, the original seals will have been aluminium and the salt from the roads in winter will have attacked them along with the fact that there is a different metal issue where they are used. Copper should have been used, but seems cost has changed that.

 

I'm surprised that some enterprising company is not selling bespoke replacement seals as the usual fix is to replace the entire pipe assembly!

shows how long since I changed one    wuppps!

Thought i replied yesterday but obviously not. I don't think the washers can come off the bolt on there own, I've read somewhere else aswell about you having to buy the whole lot. So I was going to take it my local indy and get them to sort it. But if copper washers work, would I just put one on with the aluminium one so there's two washers there??

For what it is worth, there are two seals on both sides - ie, banjo bolt>seal>banjo pipejoint>seal>calliper.

 

I'd doubt if you would ever seal it by just adding a copper seal in as well as the aluminium seal, not really good engineering practise!

Edited 8 September, 201312 yr by rum4mo

I have just changed my front and rear o/s calipers just got some copper washers from my local car part shop did the job

Do you know what size they was?

For what it is worth, there are two seals on both sides - ie, banjo bolt>seal>banjo pipejoint>seal>calliper.

I'd doubt if you would ever seal it by just adding a copper seal in as well as the aluminium seal, not really good engineering practise!

Yeah I didn't think it would work, but how have other people managed to change the washers if they're contained in the bolt?

They will just cut the old washers off using something like wire cutters - not a problem. The new washers will be slightly bigger inner diameter, but if they are made for that job they will be okay. I'd never use just any old "looks almost right" ones though.

 

For what it is worth, I fitted a new rear calliper to my old B5 Passat 4MO and the remanufactured Pagid calliper I fitted came with two replacement copper seals which, if I had used them, would have slipped easily over the banjo bolts. I did not replace these seals as they looked okay (pipe was only a few years old), and when retightened there was no leak - maybe not a good idea, but it did work okay in my case, if it had not, I would have just used the new seals and just wasted some time and fluid.

 

BTW the original seals are a very tight fit on the banjo bolts so that is why they tend to stay on unless cut off.

Edited 8 September, 201312 yr by rum4mo

Ok mate sound. Might just get the garage to sort it then. Wasted enough brake fluid on my drive over the past week.

Ok mate sound. Might just get the garage to sort it then. Wasted enough brake fluid on my drive over the past week.

 

All things being equal and all that, if it is time for one side to "go", I'd reckon the other side must be close to being in the same state. I'm guessing that all was well, then a puddle of fluid? My Passat did that to me, only it was the petrol filter - same aluminium banjo seals, put in the garage after work, next morning reversed out, went to close garage door - wet stuff on driveway - oh dear, time for bus!

Edited 8 September, 201312 yr by rum4mo