Have a SDi Fabia 2003, Front O/s brake caliper has seized in outer position and refuses to go all the way back down into the caliper.

 

It will move partly back with brute force and a big pry bar when the caliper is off the car and disconnected from the brake hose. It is the FS111 caliper.

 

Unfortunately the car is due an MOT on Tuesday and I have a feeling it may fail on the O/s front brake (possibly other things).

 

The other day the Brake disk was that hot it glowed red on a short journey.

 

On removing the caliper today, I got the top guide pin out no problem, but the bottom one was a complete nightmare to get out, at first I thought it may have been crossthreaded, but it turned out that somewhere along the line someone has completely bodged up the hole where the pin goes into what I assume is the hub. The hole is too big for the threaded end of the pin and someone has somehow put a spring into the hole and tightened the pin into it.

 

The bottom guide pin is now not tightened onto anything................

 

Short of buying what I assume to be a new hub, is there anything I can sleeve the hole out with and then use a tap and die to create new threads?

 

On a slightly different note, is it worth getting a new caliper, or trying to rebuild the original one, If so it best to pop the piston out with brake pressure, clean up and replace the seals etc? (never having repaired a caliper before)

 

Many thanks

Google 'helicoil'. It's what has been done, and probably what you need to re-do to repair the bearing carrier.

Caliper sounds shagged TBH, I'd just replace that.

Edited 5 March, 201610 yr by Wino

Thanks for the quick reply.

 

What confused me was there was no tang at the end of the "spring" and even when compressed was about twice as long as the thread / hole.......

 

Just realised the "tang" gets knocked off..... Ignore part of the previous comment of mine

Edited 5 March, 201610 yr by OkeSDi

Sounds like a DIY repair by someone without a lot of talent or care.

You can probably find a secondhand bearing carrier pretty cheap on ebay, but time isn't on your side if you need it fixed by Tues. Any scrapyards open on a Sunday near you? Grab a whole strut including bearing carrier, bearing, shock, spring, disc, caliper...

Regarding the damaged thread- I've had it on mine. From machine shop that fitted a helicoil I gather that it's a common problem on VAG ,especially if it's a fitter rather than a mechanic that changes the pads.

Yeah I've had two heli-coiled on mine it seems that the material the hub is made from is not very strong.

I have had to fix one on my dad's car after it had been butchered previously. The pin was a goner too.

You can either heli-coil it or there is a specific kit that comes with a guide bar that uses a serrated bush to recover the thread.

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Brake-Caliper-Guide-Thread-Repair-Kit-VAG-VW-VAUXHALL-FORD-Seat-Tool-Kit-/391176226987?hash=item5b13eb88ab:g:qX8AAOSwHnFVgm9K

 

I have an older version of this kit that only has one bar in it.

Thank you for all the replies, car failed on 13 things, including leak from caliper, leak from rear shock and front ball joint excessive play.

All the rest were to do with headlamps being cloudy and out of line, tyres (just on limit) and couple of small jobs.

Question is the car has fs111 calipers on the front, is there just one size of these?

Thank you for all the replies, car failed on 13 things, including leak from caliper, leak from rear shock and front ball joint excessive play.

All the rest were to do with headlamps being cloudy and out of line, tyres (just on limit) and couple of small jobs.

Question is the car has fs111 calipers on the front, is there just one size of these?

 

Yes, any similar caliper from any VAG car will work just fine.

If you need to replace a caliper I would personally do both sides to avoid any brake imbalance problems caused by the fact the older one would tend to bind up.

You can try http://www.biggred.co.uk to get you existing calipers reconditioned or to order seal kits.

When you do  you rear shocks the bump stops will have degraded causing the dust shield to drop down, so budget on a pair of those too.

If you need to replace a caliper I would personally do both sides to avoid any brake imbalance problems caused by the fact the older one would tend to bind up.

You can try http://www.biggred.co.uk to get you existing calipers reconditioned or to order seal kits.

When you do  you rear shocks the bump stops will have degraded causing the dust shield to drop down, so budget on a pair of those too.

 

You don't have to do that, the shock boots will fit back over the torn bump stop just fine.

ok, if you are short on meney you can just tape them in position with insulation tape

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Edited 8 March, 201610 yr by garethw

ok, if you are short on meney you can just tape them in position with insulation t

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ok, if you are short on meney you can just tape them in position with insulation t

Sent from my SM-T530NU using Tapatalk

 

sepulchrave means that you can actually push the damper covers onto the remaining part of the old bump stop. No need for any tape.

Edited 8 March, 201610 yr by TMB

Certainly I replaced the bump stops because they were cracking/tearing/torn, I suppose the bump stops remained the same length but the shortened top section would hold the "pipe tube" higher and the torn off lower section would rest on top of the shocker - not as VAG intended so might annoy an MOT person - all for the price of a couple of bump stops.

 

One thing to bear in mind is, if there is still enough "meat" around that guide pillar hole, and so far only a cross-wire insert has been fitted, it should still be possible to fit one of these threaded inserts linked to in an earlier posting.

Yes the boot sits higher but it still covers the damper rod, I removed the torn section when I changed the shocks obviously, so the OP can do the same, it looks totally OE so MOT man will be more than happy.

Fair point, on that car it had spent a lot of time carrying heavy loads so the bump stops were pretty mashed. I cut the broken section off before eventually replacing the bump stops.

Well, caliper ordered (used one from a local vag specialist ) shocks on order and ball joint being picked up.

That's Sunday sorted then

Edited 9 March, 201610 yr by OkeSDi

Another question on the brake caliper........

 

Where the flexible pipe attaches to the caliper it is with a bolt and 2 washers. This is where the leak of fluid that caused one of the failures has come from.

 

According to the specialist I got the caliper from, the washers come as part of the hose. Would a couple of new washers hopefully stem the leak of fluid? or is it a new brake hose job?

Just check the brake hose is OK where the faces sit against the copper washers, and that the hose is not damaged otherwise. If it's OK fit two new copper washers and maybe a new banjo bolt. Tightening torque is 35 Nm.

Edited 10 March, 201610 yr by TMB

Oh, I just looked at the parts catalogue and it looks like you can only get the copper washers and banjo bolt as a job lot with a new hose? I'm sure you could get them somewhere though. I know Halfords sell those copper washers in different sizes.

 

You can buy banjo bolts and washers on ebay too but I don't know the size required http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2141725.m570.l1313.TR11.TRC1.A0.H0.XBanjo+bolt+and+washers.TRS0&_nkw=Banjo+bolt+and+washers&_sacat=0

Edited 10 March, 201610 yr by TMB

Go to your local pirtex with your original banjo bolt and will pattern it for you.

Go to your local pirtex with your original banjo bolt and will pattern it for you.

 

You mean Pirtek, the hose people.

It says M10 x 1.5mm here :- http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NEW-BORG-BECK-FRONT-BRAKE-HOSE-BBH6851-/351605875685?fits=Model%3AFabia&hash=item51dd57e3e5:g:Lw8AAOSwk1JWcRnQ

 

So some 10mm copper washers would be a good place to start.

You mean Pirtek, the hose people.

They would be the kiddies