ok so my 914 is in the shop finally, and its getting transmission work done, a valve job, steering adjusted, but we asked him to check the brakes, and he said the brake pads were fine, but that the surface on the rotor disc was rusty.....we new they were rusty, but didnt think it was a big deal, because we thought that if you hit the brakes while the car was moving, it would scratch the rust off...im just wondering if it actually IS rusty rotors, and whether or not i should just take them down to midas, and have them lathe it.....

what do u guys think????

thanks

I've found that all of my cars get a little surface rust on the brake rotors if they sit for more than 3-4 days. I, personally, have never had a problem stopping once I drive somewhere again...

no but....this has been sitting for about 4 YEARS...

Have them turned. 4 years of rust can cause a lot of pitting and may tear up a new set up pads very quickly, plus is not the safest thing to do.

You didn't mention that before

I'd check the rotor thickness before you take them anywhere to be turned. Replacement might be in order....

Clean off the rust with some sandpaper.

Should come off pretty quick with a few stops.

Just don't leave your emergency brakes on when you store a car over the winter. I stored a car for 2 years and it have seized up the rotor and the caliper. What a bitch to get that off. Had to cut the caliper in half.

After 4 years of sitting I would put rusty rotors at the bottom of my priority list. I would be more interested in the condition of the rubber line, m/c and caliper seals.

ya we tried to do that...stopping i mean...but it didnt really do anything except get some off, but grind in the rest...ill probably have them turned, but it just depends on if they have been turned before.

This reminds me of something I've been wondering about. If discs get really rusty, not just the discoloration you get every time you wash the car, does it permanently affect the braking performance.

My current car had been sitting quite a while when I bought it and the rotor rust was bad enough that it took a couple of drives to clean of the rust. The brakes work fine but don't seem to have the "bite" that I remeber my other 914 having.

Just curious if anyone had experience with rusty rotors cleaned by driving then replaced with new for a true A-B comparison.

soft brakes = air in system

I bled all of my stuff/ new fluid and the damn things stops on a dime.

before i could coast right through two cars without being stopped.

Having rear brakes helps, but ya know...

b

well sanding them with a random orbit sander will get them ALMOST clean. Take a crappy set of pads ( I seem to always have some)
Use the brakes till you can see most of the rust scrubbed off
Then I put my good pads on and they are ok.

But if you REALLY want to stop there is no replacement for new everything.

MEK and a rag, methyl ethyl keytone from Lowes. If that dosen't take it mostly off, then ya gotta lotta rust on them babies. If the surface is not reasonably smooth then ya need to turn or get new ones.

Gloves good MEK bad. Use a 300 grit emery cloth with the MEK and

always remember but never forget "gloves good MEK bad."