Hello,

 I have a spare set of Fabia mk2 vrs calipers and am going to refurbish them, the mechanicals are straightforward and no challenge but I want the paint finish to be as good as possible and long lasting, I know I could send them away to get fully refurbished but don't have £500 knocking around spare.

 Preference would be a two pack epoxy but can't source G2 over here 9USA) and unable to  find a UK alternative, plenty of foliatech and E-Tech etc about but wonder about their longevity, realise that its all about the prep and not afraid to do the work (have access to full garage equipment and sand blaster)

 Any personal experiences / recommendations welcomed 🙂

Edited 17 March, 20233 yr by Crucian

Hmm,

 On initial strip for cleaning one of the rear calipers does not extend with either the lever or rotating it and the one I have stripped shows pitting and scoring on the bore. Is it worth proceeding to refurbish these ?

@CrucianI'm potentially taking my calipers off my octavia in the next few days for repainting.

Keep what you're doing posted on here. 

@StoreyR will do

Front calipers seem fine, (rears I'm ordering some refurbished ones as I think it will cost more to salvage the existing ones)

Starting to clean and strip / sand blast, will probably opt for Foliatec professional 2 pack red lacquer

Update,

Managed to dismantle the rear caliper where the piston wasn't unscrewing to find serious rust corrosion, both rears scrapped

I spent 11 hours starting to prep front calipers and all carriers, then gave up (probably another 11 hours required) and I'm sending out for refurb and repaint

photos to follow

3 hours ago, Crucian said:

Update,

Managed to dismantle the rear caliper where the piston wasn't unscrewing to find serious rust corrosion, both rears scrapped

I spent 11 hours starting to prep front calipers and all carriers, then gave up (probably another 11 hours required) and I'm sending out for refurb and repaint

photos to follow

 Yeah that sounds like you're in a job with those! Lol. I've only just got my vehicle up on 4 axle stands with wheels off and checking over current discs and brakes exterior. I accidentally ordered the wrong size discs from EBC. They're going back tomorrow and got to resubmit the order for the right ones. 

It's worth getting the manuals, I only just got a copy for £7 off skoda online electronic repair registers. 

If you want those I'm happy to post them...

The brakes system is 222 pages!

1 minute ago, StoreyR said:

 Yeah that sounds like you're in a job with those! Lol. I've only just got my vehicle up on 4 axle stands with wheels off and checking over current discs and brakes exterior. I accidentally ordered the wrong size discs from EBC. They're going back tomorrow and got to resubmit the order for the right ones. 

 

It it were me, Id buy something else.  I've got Brembos on the Yeti and the Karoq at the moment with Brembo HP pads.  I used EBC discs and Greenstuff pads for years on Mk4 and Mk5 Golf..  However, I wore out the last set on the Yeti in 2k miles.  I think having XDS set to Hard probably didn't help but I'm less than impressed with EBC stuff these days.  In fact, I think I've been less than impressed for several years but I didn't want to admit to myself I'd bought the wrong brakes.  

1 minute ago, Schtum said:

 

It it were me, Id buy something else.  I've got Brembos on the Yeti and the Karoq at the moment with Brembo HP pads.  I used EBC discs and Greenstuff pads for years on Mk4 and Mk5 Golf..  However, I wore out the last set on the Yeti in 2k miles.  I think having XDS set to Hard probably didn't help but I'm less than impressed with EBC stuff these days.  In fact, I think I've been less than impressed for several years but I didn't want to admit to myself I'd bought the wrong brakes.  

I read a lot about green stuff just being better similar to OEM. 

Is the blue or yellow stuff not any good then?

 

 

5 minutes ago, Schtum said:

 

It it were me, Id buy something else.  I've got Brembos on the Yeti and the Karoq at the moment with Brembo HP pads.  I used EBC discs and Greenstuff pads for years on Mk4 and Mk5 Golf..  However, I wore out the last set on the Yeti in 2k miles.  I think having XDS set to Hard probably didn't help but I'm less than impressed with EBC stuff these days.  In fact, I think I've been less than impressed for several years but I didn't want to admit to myself I'd bought the wrong brakes.  

 

They apparently do upto 15% restocking fees. So they'd pocket 60 pounds off me just for ordering the wrong ones. A bit of a punishment that is. 

46 minutes ago, StoreyR said:

I read a lot about green stuff just being better similar to OEM. 

Is the blue or yellow stuff not any good then?

 

Pass.  EBC have always maintained that for road use on cars up to 200 bhp, Greenstuff pads were the correct fitment.   My Mk5 Golf was just over that and my Yeti c. 185 bhp.  

 

I also used their pads on bikes for years with good results but my recent experience with Brembo has been more positive. 

 

Edited 23 March, 20233 yr by Schtum

Update,

 Finally got my calipers refurbished to my requirements, Just a final application of C5 wheels armour required prior to fitting.

 I've probably got 50 hours in these and Circa £200 in components

Still have caliper mounting bolts to source then repeat for the ones I remove

Edited 29 March, 20233 yr by Crucian
Spellung

On 29/03/2023 at 17:52, Crucian said:

Update,

 Finally got my calipers refurbished to my requirements, Just a final application of C5 wheels armour required prior to fitting.

 I've probably got 50 hours in these and Circa £200 in components

Still have caliper mounting bolts to source then repeat for the ones I remove

These look really good. 

With buying wrong sized discs. I've waited longer to get calipers off.

And upon removal..  Seen the condition of mine.. 😕

 

Can anyone say that this looks like a healthy piston. To me it looks shot. 

 

It's rusty in a place that doesn't matter, what's under the rubber dust seal is what matters.

Thanks for the response. I'll give them a good look over. It doesn't seem to depress at all, do you need to open master cylinder cap to allow pressure release? 

Doesn't actually say in the manual either but does state to check depressions slightly. 

Brakes I assume are tight enough..? 

 

Ben. 

 

You need to use a piston windback tool to push the piston in all the way.