Caliper Installation

Maintenance advice to keep your Spider in shape.
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aj81spider
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Your car is a: 1974 Fiat 124 Spider
Location: Chelmsford, MA

Caliper Installation

Postby aj81spider » Thu Oct 06, 2011 8:41 pm

I'm replacing most of my brake assembly (lines, rotors, calipers) and have gotten to the point where I am installing everything. I installed one of the rear calipers tonight and am worried about how it went together. I installed the bottom caliper locking block first, as the manual directs. To get the top locking block in required a fair amount of pushing on the caliper and some friendly persuasion on the block (i.e. hammer). It is all together - caliper blocks lubricated with caliper grease, but very tight. As I understand it the caliper needs to slide back and forth on the blocks when it operates.

How tight should the caliper be? I cannot move anything by hand. I can tap the blocks out with a drift and hammer, but they will not move by any sort of finger force. The wheel rotates OK, but the system is completely dry right now (master cylinder being replaced as well).

I'm thinking having functional brakes is a little important so I'd like to get this right!
A.J.

1974 Fiat 124 Spider
2006 Corvette
1981 Spider 2000 (sold 2013 - never should have sold that car)

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124JOE
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Your car is a: 1978 124 fiat spider sport 1800
Location: SO. WI

Re: Caliper Installation

Postby 124JOE » Thu Oct 06, 2011 9:28 pm

it helps to have pics
theres a spring that holds the caliper from rubbing the rotor
the spring should go under the lip and the block over
Image
i know this is the front but mounts the same
when you do everything correct people arent sure youve done anything at all (futurama)
ul1joe@yahoo.com 124joe@gmail.com

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aj81spider
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Your car is a: 1974 Fiat 124 Spider
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Re: Caliper Installation

Postby aj81spider » Thu Oct 06, 2011 9:38 pm

Thanks Joe,

Mine is set up just like that. The caliper is mounted just like your picture. However the blocks are pretty tight and the whole assembly doesn't move by hand. The blocks can be drifted out, but won't move without some persuasion.

My question is whether being this tight will cause problems with the brakes operating.
A.J.

1974 Fiat 124 Spider
2006 Corvette
1981 Spider 2000 (sold 2013 - never should have sold that car)

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124JOE
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Your car is a: 1978 124 fiat spider sport 1800
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Re: Caliper Installation

Postby 124JOE » Thu Oct 06, 2011 9:42 pm

they slide on the caliper not the braket.
its a hydrolic system so dont worry about it.theres vplenty of push to go around.
however are your brackets rusted at all that might make it tighter
do the other side quick to feel it also
when you do everything correct people arent sure youve done anything at all (futurama)
ul1joe@yahoo.com 124joe@gmail.com

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aj81spider
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Your car is a: 1974 Fiat 124 Spider
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Re: Caliper Installation

Postby aj81spider » Thu Oct 06, 2011 9:47 pm

I ran out to the garage to take a picture:

Image
A.J.

1974 Fiat 124 Spider
2006 Corvette
1981 Spider 2000 (sold 2013 - never should have sold that car)

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124JOE
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Your car is a: 1978 124 fiat spider sport 1800
Location: SO. WI

Re: Caliper Installation

Postby 124JOE » Thu Oct 06, 2011 9:59 pm

looks great :wink:
when you do everything correct people arent sure youve done anything at all (futurama)
ul1joe@yahoo.com 124joe@gmail.com

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So Cal Mark
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Re: Caliper Installation

Postby So Cal Mark » Thu Oct 06, 2011 11:23 pm

you should be able to slide that caliper back and forth by hand. The only thing that retracts the piston is the resilliency of the o-ring on the piston. If the caliper doesn't slide easily, the brakes will drag
Mark Allison
allisonsautomotive.com Fiat and Alfa Romeo parts and service. Performance parts our specialty!
Headers, ignitions, wheels, cams, flywheels
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aj81spider
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Re: Caliper Installation

Postby aj81spider » Fri Oct 07, 2011 5:39 am

That's what I was afraid of. Thanks Mark - looks like I have some work to do.
A.J.

1974 Fiat 124 Spider
2006 Corvette
1981 Spider 2000 (sold 2013 - never should have sold that car)

131
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Your car is a: 1982 131 Superbrava warmed 2.0 litre.
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Re: Caliper Installation

Postby 131 » Fri Oct 07, 2011 7:34 am

Pull the pins out of the slides and with a thumb and finger on either side of the slide give the caliper a tap with a hammer, on the top near the slide, as if you're tapping it in towards the axle. It shouldn't take much of a tap to be able to move the slides from side to side. If the slides move easily enough put the pins back in and give the system a good bleed.
Mick.

'82 2litre 131, rally cams, IDFs & headers.

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124ADDHE
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Your car is a: 1974 Spider Amalgamation with C40 Solex
Location: Salmon Arm, BC, Canada

Re: Caliper Installation

Postby 124ADDHE » Fri Oct 07, 2011 8:56 am

Yeah, those sliders are a every-second-oilchange-type of maintenance item...use only top quality synthetic brake grease, it will save brakes and fuel, like Mark said, those things need to move freely. The fronts can actually be serviced without tools (if they are still free) and be accessed byturning the wheels, the rears can be done without removing the wheels also, but you need to get your ass on your shop floor ;)

PS I recommend using anti-seize on the bleeders....I dont want to tell you about my 2 passanger-side calipers that are sitting there with broken bleeders :evil:
Regards,
Keith Cox
1973 124 Spider
1973 John Deere 500c backhoe
1987 Jaguar VDP
2013 passat tdi
2015 cherokee

jpman78
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Your car is a: 1981 spider

Re: Caliper Installation

Postby jpman78 » Thu Mar 09, 2017 6:28 am

I cant get the front calipers to stop leaking


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