50th Anniversary basket case Resurrection - Beginner’s Course, Chapter 1 - Brakes Options

[MM1]

Since the 50th anniversary of my 1973 1.7 L basket case will be in 2023, in theory I have a bit of time to hopefully and properly celebrate a “ golden” resurrection by getting it running and driving well - at least well enough to rip through the empty canyons at a fair clip. . .but honestly, I want to be able to tow(?) it to my camping spot at Laguna Seca (turn 10) for Monterey Car Week 2021 where hopefully we’ll celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the 914 (in America at least) -which we got screwed out of last year because of covid.

So over the next few months, I’ll be seeking your sage advice. . .

Brakes:

Please note that my immediate goal is to get the car assembled and driving (whilst remaining as original as possible) and then assess what it needs in relation to suspension parts, etc.

A few weeks ago I swapped out the (decade+?) old brake fluid and found that all the calipers had 2 bleed screws except the driver rear.

The passenger rear also has an adjustable allen-head on the outside piston whereas the driver rear (single bleeder) had what appears to be a simple bolt.

The driver rear has 4 bolts joining the 2 halves, whereas the passenger rear has upper and lower rivets that are inside holes that are threaded but have no caps.

The brake pedal has a firm feel and the rotors spin freely until the brakes are engaged.

The parking/e brake appears to function correctly when I spin the rotors and the kids engage it.

I didn’t see any leaks after the fluid swap and the fluid that was in it was clear and fairly light.

While I had purchased OEM soft lines for all four corners I didn’t put them on because I was surprised to find what appeared to be newer (at least unfrayed) stainless steel lines (“precise lines” brand ).

The only thing that concerns me about these is that unlike modern coated stainless lines they are bare braided stainless steel. I have read in that “scientific journal” we call the “Internet” that the potential issue with uncoated lines is that sand and dirt gets into the braids of stainless and with the motion of the suspension actually abrades the internal tube potentially to the point of failure.

Obviously I would love to put Eric’s beautifully rebuilt calipers all the way around, but I need to get a drive train together and bring this thing back from the brink and driving to assess what it realy needs before I start dumping even more money into it.

I have bought new pads and when I get to replacing all the rotors and wheel bearings I’ll be able to look closely at the brake piston seals.

I’ve read on the forum here that while pistons can lock up etc., if the seals look good and the brakes don’t drag, then the brakes could actually be good enough to drive around for a while in order to assess the entire vehicle.

Finally-if you made it this far-the questions:

What are your thoughts regarding the riveted, adjustable(?) rear caliper vs the bolted, non-adjustable 2 bleeder?

Are the mismatched rear calipers a potential safety issue?

How about sticking with the unsheathed stainless steel lines for a while?

[MM1]

Only had to post this 4 times in every cardinal direction to get it to post like the first correct vertical view - forget the brakes-if you can tell me how to get this to work correctly the first time, then I will have truly learned something valuable-lol.

[ClayPerrine]

First off, you need new brake pads. Those are almost gone.

The rear calipers incorporate a parking brake and the pads have to have the venting clearance set for the park brake to work correctly. Each piston in the rear caliper has an adjuster used to move the piston in and out to correctly set the venting clearance. Do not try to push the piston back in manually. That will damage the caliper. The only way to retract the piston is to turn the venting clearance adjuster.

The hex nut you see on the left rear caliper is a plastic cap over the venting clearance adjuster for the outer pad. The one on the right rear is missing. You really need them to keep crud out of the adjuster. There is a matching adjuster on the inboard side of the caliper. It is a metal plug that has to be unscrewed. Usually they are siezed to the caliper body, and require the use of a chisel to get them unscrewed. There is a procedure to adjust the venting clearance in the Haynes manual. I suggest you get one. But one issue, the Haynes manual has a typo for the actual size feeler gauge used to set the venting clearance. It is .004 not .008.

Change the brake lines. The braided steel lines are an unknown, and they can fail internally without showing on the outside.

There is no issue with the visual differences between the calipers. It is just a different year manufactured. The pistons are all the same size, so they can be swapped with no issues.



Clay

[MM1]

Thank you, Clay - I have new pads ready to go in. When I change wheel bearings/rotors, hopefully I’ll be able to loosen the inboard adjusters.

Any thoughts on Goodridge stainless braided lines vs oem rubber (which I already have)?

https://www.pelicanparts.com/More_Info/T14G...&DID=201376

[ClayPerrine]

If you are not racing, just use the OEM rubber lines. They work fine for street use, and you can see when they need replacing.

And they are a bit cheaper.

Clay

[Cairo94507]

SS lines were all the rage 30 years ago or so. Now, like Clay says, if the car is a basically a street car, go with factory rubber lines. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)

[MM1]

Thank you, Sirs - rubber it is then . . .I'm sure they'd be fine for the odd autocross (if that ever happens) . . .prefer the safety in the (empty and often desolate) canyons which is my primary venue.

The guidance we receive from all of you is priceless - and (I) we deeply appreciate you sharing hard-earned knowledge!

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