Reusing brake caliper bolts that hold the calipers together? Options

[Tdskip]

OK, OK, I admit this is for the Elan but it should apply to our brakes too.

If you have to split the calipers can you reuse the bolts that hold the caliper sides together?

It is a fairly low torque application, so seems OK, but wanted to see if I can get some feedback here. The Lotus guys, helpful crew that they are in this case don't have much input.

Thanks!

[mepstein]

Most of the ATE caliper nuts and bolts are now unobtanium. There’s no source for new ones. They get reused or stolen from a core if they are damaged or missing.

[porschetub]

OK, OK, I admit this is for the Elan but it should apply to our brakes too.

If you have to split the calipers can you reuse the bolts that hold the caliper sides together?

It is a fairly low torque application, so seems OK, but wanted to see if I can get some feedback here. The Lotus guys, helpful crew that they are in this case don't have much input.

Thanks!

Tom are they Girling calipers ? are they capscrews or bolts ? there should be a tensile rating on them so just replace with same,new is good if the old ones are chewed out,rusty ones are more of an issue so ditch them.
Love the Elan there are are a few local to me,wow first one I came across amazed me how small they are.

[Tdskip]

Thanks for the responses.

These are Girling brakes. And yes, the Elan is tiny!

Pinged a Lotus race tech, maybe Eric Shea would opine?

[mepstein]

My mistake. I thought we were talking 914’s. Eric would still be my brake guru of choice for other brands.

[Tdskip]

@porschetub - and I’m not like Edd China tall!

[Tdskip]

My mistake. I thought we were talking 914’s. Eric would still be my brake guru of choice for other brands.

No worries @mepstein - appreciate the effort. Hope you are doing well.

[Tdskip]

Heard back from the Lotus tech - “ OK to reuse bolts. TQ--5/16 bolt 15-18Ft/lbs---3/8 bolt 25-28 ft/lbs”.

I would NOT assume this is the same for our 914 brakes, I believe it is much higher than that.

[porschetub]

@porschetub - and I’m not like Edd China tall!

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/agree.gif) well put (IMG:style_emoticons/default/lol-2.gif) ,those bolts look fine,just clean them up.
Had a little Lotus experience in the early days,been in a real super 7 then a Europa with a wild crossflow 1600 Ford on big cam and side draft Webers detuned for street use @ 120 +hp ? ,it was mental over 3k rpm.
Lotus thing back then... really build em light and make them handle,job done.
Nice to see a face to the username,go well mate,cheers

[Superhawk996]

@tdskip

Nice score on the Elan.

I used to have a buddy that I did track days with back when I had a Miata. He had an Elan.

It was one of the few cars that made me feel like my 2100 lb Miata was a portly pig!

[Tdskip]

@tdskip

Nice score on the Elan.

I used to have a buddy that I did track days with back when I had a Miata. He had an Elan.

It was one of the few cars that made me feel like my 2100 lb Miata was a portly pig!

This is first car where I can see daylight through rust free intact body panels (some of the fiberglass is translucent) - stupid light weight but I really-really-really hope I never hit anything with it. With close to the hp of a stock 914 it should really move.

[horizontally-opposed]

This is first car where I can see daylight through rust free intact body panels (some of the fiberglass is translucent) - stupid light weight but I really-really-really hope I never hit anything with it. With close to the hp of a stock 914 it should really move.

Congrats on the Elan—super cool.

My first ride with a 914 guy who moved to a Europea was eye-opening. Made the 914 feel like a Cadillac, and this with power windows. When I asked why something so small and light had power windows, he said "because there isn't enough room to work a window crank." And I realized he was right.

Elans and Europas are very, very cool—and the Elans are very pretty, too. Which version is the one you grabbed?

[Tdskip]

Congrats on the Elan—super cool.

My first ride with a 914 guy who moved to a Europea was eye-opening. Made the 914 feel like a Cadillac, and this with power windows. When I asked why something so small and light had power windows, he said "because there isn't enough room to work a window crank." And I realized he was right.

Elans and Europas are very, very cool—and the Elans are very pretty, too. Which version is the one you grabbed?

Thanks for the shared experience, they are all quirky.

This is a 1969 Elan S4. I actually picked it up last August, been picking at it and the rebuilt engine/original transmission should go back in the next couple weeks. It’s been interesting working on it, very unique design and makes the 914 feel overbuilt (in a good way). It’s basically a race car with the veneer of a street car.