I'd like to rebuild my rear calipers and need a source that sells the set complete with the infamous do not split seal. I did a search here and the number there is not answering. Any help on this is greatly appreciated. If someone sells quality rebuilt calipers please send me a PM or email.

Pelican has a kit with all of the seals, including the flat O-rings that go between the two halves. Just bought two and rebuilt both of my rear calipers not three weeks ago.

Thanks, I just spoke with them an hour ago and they said no on the seals(!?). I'll check again and mention your purchase.

Maybe the kit has the parts but they don't know it. My kit had all the orings that I needed. I had heard they found another kit and pieced two kits together to make one complete one for the 914. Don't use the new circlips to hold you boots use the old ones. Mark

Thanks Mark, that's what I'm hoping. They not answering right now (maybe it's lunchtime) I'll try later today. I guess I'll have to order the kit and hope it contains all the seals. Problem is, if it doesn't I'll be in the same boat as today.

If Porsche didn't recommend splitting the caliper, is there a diagram exposing these seals for reference?

I did the rebuild on my calipers but I did not pull the cover (plug) off of the top of the e-brake lever arm on one of the calipers. The other side fell off, after disasembling this caliper I did not think I needed to pull the ebake parts out of the other caliper. I cleaned the other caliper and reasembled both calipers. The seal in the middle looks like a tire off of a toy Hotwheel without the rim. I may have an old one to take a picture of for you. "Venting clearence" is very important. Mark

I don't have a diagram, but it was pretty obvious. The caliper O-rings look like none of the other parts in the kits. They're square section and fairly thick. The other O-rings look like normal O-rings (round section). The only other square section O-rings are the piston seals, and they're much larger.

The only real difficulty with splitting the calipers was the oddball not-quite-Torx bolts holding them together. I managed to make a Torx driver work well enough, and most people replace the bolts when rebuilding the calipers, usually with Allen or actual Torx bolts, depending on what you can source easily. Lots of brake cleaner and liquid wrench was required to get the fasteners loose. I also had trouble with the inboard "dust cap" over the adjusters (head strips easily).

The bolts usually have a RIBE head. I rarely split the calipers unless I have to.

I talked to Tom (Tom Gould, not Thomas) at Pelican last year about this. He told me that the caliper rebuild kits that we carry do now have all of the O-rings in them. If you have any doubts, talk to him and make sure that he understands you want those O-rings as well.

Complete kits are also available from other reputable sources. (Cough, cough, GPR, cough!)

There is a rear brake rebuild article on our site. The author was of the opinion that dealing with the cover for the ebrake stuff was not a big deal.

--DD

Dave, the three house shill

I'll post pics of the kits I just got last week for my caliper rebuild. Someone can maybe point out what all the parts are.

Thanks for the heads up on the rebuild process! I won't be doing the rebuild myself but will be watching a pro do it. I just want to have all the bases covered. The right side is leaking and I figured I'd just do the job completely. I'll be changing to Allen bolts so it's not special for the next guy.

Dave Darling - Darren just asked me to email you, they don't know. Thanks.

9 0 9!! I just noticed your avatar Mark

Thanks again guys!

Swood, that would be greatly appreciated. Include the Snoop pic too

I forgot to ask, is there a difference between the rubber brake hoses on the 914-4 and the 911 (3.5 spacing) upgrade? It looks like I'll be upgrading to 5 lug sooner then expected.

I did the rebuild to replace the O-ring on the inboard adjuster (causes the "E-brake arm leak"). Splitting the calipers made doing this a LOT easier, and other than messing with the RIBE headed bolts, was no big deal at all. I didn't have to remove that cover on top near the e-brake arm to do this. Indeed, I didn't touch any of the e-brake bits at all other than to remove and replace the cable end from the caliper itself.

Thanks, you guys make it sound as if I could do it!

Its pretty easy... just time consuming.

The main part is getting the pistons and cylanders clean, and using the right stuff.

Really not that hard to do, kinda pleasureful because your not under the car or anything.

Yea I guess you're right. Brakes are something I never wanted to work on, but with all the support and tips I get here, it looks like I'll have to leave my fears behind.

Well, I'm not at home where I have access to my Pelican email, so I haven't seen it yet.

But what you need to do, as I said earlier, is to talk to Tom Gould. Get his direct line and talk with him--or tell Darren to do so. Tom's got all the info.

If I were actually at Pelican, I could just yell at them... But I'm six hours away from there, so I have to email or phone in just like everyone else.

--DD

Dave you answered the question. I meant to say that. I will be ordering as soon as I find out if the hoses compatible (914-4 to 911 calipers). I will double check with Tom. Funny, Darren did yell but no one knew at the time.Thanks.

I used to sell them with rebuild instructions. My instructions don't cover dissasembling the parking brake shaft though just the pistons and adjuster seals. From my experience if it needs more seals than that, it's usually junk. My kits come with the seals for the caliper halves. Haven't sold any for awhile, but haven't really tried either.

I rebuilt some a few years ago and charged $125 a piece. Last year I checked at my FLAPS and it was $225 and a manditory core for 914 rear calipers.

Brake calipers are a little on the critical side of the safety features of the car, just make sure your calipers are worth rebuilding.


PK

Thanks PK.