banged up grease cap, replaced rotor and bearings Options

[BigDBass]

Working on front brakes/rotors/bearings, etc.

Calipers were supposed to be here but didn't show up.

I had help putting in bearing races and some orientation and all that.
Mounted the rotors, put in outer bearing and washer, installed retaining nut thing finger tight, tightened the allen, and greased it a bit.

Then got stuck trying to "tap on grease cap with soft faced hammer" trying a rubber mallet then a regular household hammer with a rag wrapped around it but it was basically going on flush only on one side . Called auggie91420 and he said just bang the crap out of it. So I did so and the grease cap is no longer domed or shapely at all. How bad is that? Do I now need to track another one down?

Sorta got it on all the way, but then the rotor wouldn't spin freely. It would bind in one spot, so I backed off the cap a bit. It doesn't make much sense to me that the cap could interfere with the rotor spinning?

Should the cap (rubber seal part) be flush with the rotor or should there still be a gap? I still have a gap there, and if I put the cap on any tighter/deeper the rotor binds. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/WTF.gif)

[So.Cal.914]

Called auggie91420 and he said just bang the crap out of it. So I did so and the grease cap is no longer domed or shapely at all. How bad is that? Do I now need to track another one down?

"Just bang the crap out of it" Shouldn't have to bang the crap out of anything.

The cap has been mangled to the point that it is rubbing on the nut and this is not

good. Can you reshape the cap enough to clear inside? If not run what you have

but get a good used one ASAP. If the cap falls off it will begin to collect dust and

dirt, sand, etc. and the bearings you just put in will fail way before their time.

[Eric_Shea]

Got ya covered. I'll send a couple caps to you Monday. N/C.

[So.Cal.914]

Cool.

[BigDBass]

Cool.
Just returned from a nice dinner out, half a bottle of a nice Cabernet, and now working on possibly the best port I've ever tasted.

I hope this frustration is just learning curve related, rather than lack of aptitude.

My concern is that I am not sure why the cap wouldn't go on smoothly. It felt like something was out of round. It would go on nicely on one side, but left a big gap 180* away, assuming that the cap's seal should sit flush in the groove in the hub. My understanding is that the cap is a more maleable metal than that of the rotor and should conform. Do I need a certain type of hammer in my set of tools? (At these point, I have a rubber mallet and a standard carpentry hammer.)

So to filter out the questions:
1. What is the best tool to put the cap on?
2. Should the cap be flush in the hub groove?

Thanks guys, I'd be up shit creek without ya. (Of course, I never would've jumped into this without ya either! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) )

[Eric_Shea]

Light taps with a rubber mallet oughta do it.

[BigDBass]

Blah. I was pounding the heck out of it with the mallet while turning it round and round and it would only go on on one side. Then I moved to hammer with a folded up rag for padding and it didn't do any better, then moved to just the hammer and it deformed to hell.

[cha914]

Make sure there is no grease on the cap or the surface it goes on, it should tap on pretty easy after that.

If you have some brake cleaner, spray them down to be sure they are clean. You shouldn't need to hit it all that hard if everything is clean and nothing is bent way out of shape.

Good luck,

[MecGen]

I see the problem

half a bottle of a nice Cabernet, and now working on possibly the best port I've ever tasted

That should of been 1 full bottle, and then go to work on the car (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beer3.gif)
Betcha it would of popped rite in (IMG:style_emoticons/default/poke.gif)

Later

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)

[BigDBass]

Working through a port hangover...

Did races, bearings etc in 2nd rotor. Mount rotor. Attempt to put on greasecap (this one has no rubber seal dammit) and it's more or less the same story. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif) It's clean, and doesn't seem out of shape (at least insofar as I removed it only a few minutes prior) "A few taps" with rubber mallet will either put it on totally lopsided, or if it's straight, it just sticks and won't go on all the way. I'm also still not sure if it's supposed to sit flush in the groove in the rotor.

[BigDBass]

Also, banging the crap out of it with the rubber mallet, while not deforming the cap, doesn't put it on either

[Eric_Shea]

You did get the 74 rotors with the centering ring didn't you?

[BigDBass]

Good god, I hope so.
Zimmerman rotors. Part #904567 from performanceproducts.com:
Fits Applications:
914 4 1973-76
Front Rotor (Left or Right)
Part Number: 904567

I confirmed that the box they came in has the same

How do I know if it has the centering ring? When mounting it, it is kinda loosy goosy until it kinda pops onto a round part at the base of the spindle.

Pics being transferred from camera in one moment.

[BigDBass]

This is the one I banged up last night


Passenger on as good as it'll go without mangling with hard hammer:

[So.Cal.914]

Yup, those apear to be correct. On earlier cars there was no protrution on the

face of the rotor that you can hang your rim and tire on while you put the lugs in.

You had to have three hands or use your feet to put them on with a earlier 914.

[Eric_Shea]

Those are the ones... it could be that Zimmerman has missed the spec on the bearig cover but, that seems unlikely. You may want to take a small grinding stone and hone out the caps I'm sending (if they have the same problem).