66-69 4 piston brake caliper rebuild questions...

[R413]

Where did you get the new pistons?

worried about weight and wearing one side? Don’t get into overthinkging this. Look how small they are. they should outlast you.

 

[hemi71x]

The company that rebuilt my calipers 25 years ago must have just bead blasted the pistons and tossed them back in, no way the pistons suffered that much corrosion sitting in heated/AC shop for the last 20 years.



Just tossing ideas out there that's all....;)

Guess I'll be trying to find a local machinist who can spin me up some new pistons, and may as well do them in stainless as well.

I you could ever find a tool shop to machine you 8 of those pistons, it's going to cost you a fortune to have something like that done at a professional tool shop.
Those pistons will not be anything easy to manufacture.
There will be quite a few machining steps to do on a lathe, to just get one piston done, and you want all 8?
Don't know what hourly machine shop labor rates are up there in your part of the world, but i think your going to be in for quite a shock, if you could even find someone to take on that job.
I'm straight forward with you here, as i had tool shop experience before joining the Air Force, back in the dinosaur days.

 

[hemi71x]

Where did you get the new pistons?

worried about weight and wearing one side? Don’t get into overthinkging this. Look how small they are. they should outlast you.

Pistons, and rebuild, seal kits, have now gone into the unobtanium status, in this modern day and age.

 

[gkent]

I think if he got them made for $100 each at a machine shop he’d be getting a bargain!

 

[hemi71x]

I think if he got them made for $100 each at a machine shop he’d be getting a bargain!

I would agree with that.

 

[Thrashingcows]

Thank you hemi71x and gkent...I appreciate your advise and knowledge. I also don't know if I can even get stainless solid 2" round stock in shorter then 8' lengths.

But talking with a co-worker the other day I got the name of a local retired individual who is said to do small jobs with his lathe...going to swing by today and see what he has to say about things. If not then I guess the hunt for pistons will continue...or buy another set of reproduction calipers and just strip out the pistons to use in my OEM calipers.

 

[gkent]

solid 2" round stock in shorter then 8' lengths.

No problem !!

But just so you know ... 2" dia. cold rolled steel is $30 a foot. Stainless ... probably at least double that !!

 

[1 Wild R/T]

 

[Thrashingcows]

Thanks is that through Mcmaster-Carr? And those are US prices, I can assure you the canadian prices will be a lot higher! Looking more and more like the pistons from the reproduction calipers will be the cheapest route to go.

 

[gkent]

canadian prices will be a lot higher

Don't assume !!

 

[1 Wild R/T]

Thanks is that through Mcmaster-Carr? And those are US prices, I can assure you the canadian prices will be a lot higher! Looking more and more like the pistons from the reproduction calipers will be the cheapest route to go.

Yes, McMaster Carr... I buy & machine a fair bit of stainless, McMaster is typically 25-30% higher than my local steel supplier but for small jobs they don't hit you with minimums or saw fees so if you only need a foot & don't expect to be using more later theres no reason to buy a three foot minimum...

Honestly those pistons are a job for a CNC... Doing them on a manual machine would kill you in labor cost...

 

[Thrashingcows]

Yes, McMaster Carr... I buy & machine a fair bit of stainless, McMaster is typically 25-30% higher than my local steel supplier but for small jobs they don't hit you with minimums or saw fees so if you only need a foot & don't expect to be using more later theres no reason to buy a three foot minimum...

Honestly those pistons are a job for a CNC... Doing them on a manual machine would kill you in labor cost...

Interesting...I'll have to do some asking around and see if I can find a CNC shop that might be willing to do these for me and what prices might look like. Ultimately I really can't see it being cheaper then $250-300 for the cost of a set of reproduction calipers as donors for my OEM's. ;)

 

[1 Wild R/T]

I tend to agree..

 

[chtampa]

I have purchased Stainless drops off of E-Bay.

 

[Demonic]

If you had a bunch of pistons made, there might be some folks on here that would buy a set of 8. The first one is the hardest, after that, it's repetition and accuracy.

 

[440 4 speed]

Try Autoline in Winnipeg , they only do work for Parts places and possibly businesses. They rebuild some a lot of things. Might have to get one of our parts stores to send my callipers away.
Autoline has answered my questions. They don’t have seal kits, but have bins of seals for lots of applications.

 

[gkent]

$99. Canadian

 

[69ChargerR/TSE]

If I worked at Webster Industries, I'd make them on the CNC. I am Sure they'd be easy with a cad file. It's a matter of the program and the metal. It would take minutes to make. Heck, if I had a lathe, I'd do it.

 

[gkent]

If I worked at Webster Industries, I'd make them on the CNC. I am Sure they'd be easy with a cad file. It's a matter of the program and the metal. It would take minutes to make. Heck, if I had a lathe, I'd do it.

Talk is cheap !! ;-)

 

[69ChargerR/TSE]

Talk is cheap !! ;-)

I called and left a message with the owner. Never hurts to ask. Seriously, If I had a lathe, I could make them.