Hi Gents,
Since it seems to be my day to be querisome, here's another problematic issue I ran into on my 914-6. I recently found I had a leaking left rear brake cylinder, so I took it into the shop for a quick fix (sorry...I just don't have the time to do brake cylinder rebuilds myself). Parts were ordered by my garage (Porsche specialists) and it's now going on 3 weeks, waiting for them to arrive!
So...I started to ask around the various parts suppliers and have been told that brake caliper kits (seals, adjusters, etc.) are now NLA for the stock 914-6 brakes. Gaaak! (I'm also told, tangentially speaking, that the 914-6 shares brake components with the Ferrari 308GTS--which is definitely a "good news/bad news" proposition).
However, since I have heard from others that 914-6 specific brake parts are starting to become hard to find, the logical question arises: Should I change over to far more common 911 type brake calipers in place of the stock 914-6 units?
I am far more concerned with ease of maintenance and safety than with keeping the car absolutely dead-stock original (in every aspect, that is--brake changeovers are not readily apparent and wouldn't hurt the 'rightness' of the car, in my opinion).
Does anyone have suggestions about what to do, when confronted by this problem of easily getting brake caliper sets for the 914-6 brakes? Thanks for any shared experiences or suggestions (please don't tell me simply "Those are the breaks!"...heh-heh).
Cheers, 6Fahrer

not that long ago Markd had a line on 914.6 caliper rebuild kits, and while i wasn't in a position to take advantage of the deal at that time, i would be now. hopefully he'll find this thread and comment on parts availability.

Ferrari 308's don't use the same brakes, but they -can- use 914.6 rear calipers.

the downside to 911 rear calipers is loss of parking / emergency brake, unless you modify the trailing arm to use the 911 shoe-type e-brake - there's a thread here on the board about that process... there are other possibilities on e-brake, such as an inboard disk and caliper. someone posted a setup that was supposedly available off the shelf at long last... i understand e-brake is not legally required in California but it is where i live, and in a lot of other states with annual inspection programs...

If you just need the seals, I can help. I don't have adjuster parts though. My kits have the piston seals and dust seals, adjuster seals, and the caliper half seals. Rebuilding the calipers isn't difficult, if the adjusters are OK.

PK
a914man@netease.net

//thread hijack //

Hey Perry,

Do you happen to have an unserviceable 914-6 caliper laying about? I'm looking for a single piston.

-Rusty

i just did that on saturday. easy as it get's, all you need is a grinder and a cutoff wheel.
grind down 4 "humps" and cut off the dust-shield mounting tab and you're done.
oh, wait, you'll also need to weld a 40mm spacer plate on the 911 e-brake assembly.
whole thing was done in an hour or so, including the usual shop-BS ...

of course, you'll need the 911 hardware for the e-brake, but i'm assuming you knew that.
Andy

PS: sorry, no pics, parts are at the powdercoater right now.

I have a line on the stock rear caliper e-brake rebuild kits and on 914-6 rear caliper rebuild kits. For a full rear rebuild you need a caliper kit and an e-brake kit. I have to order a set soon (and one for Lawrence) because my rear e-brakes are leaking pretty severely, so let me know if anyone wants in. I tried a "group buy" awhile ago and only Lawrence opted in, so I shelved it for awhile. Looks like it might be time to try it again.

Andy, I seem to remember the 911 conversion having a problem with e-brake cables. What did you do for that?

Same here.

Mark,

Do you need the piston or the guts of the piston, or both? If I find a good piston, you can have it. All I want is the guts.

-Rusty

9eleben cables ...

Andy