Mileage: 138,200
So it's brake time. I wasn't happy with my pedal feel after the last track event and the rear pads/rotors needed to be replaced. The sensors hadn't gone off yet but the rotors were right at the minimum thickness. I wasn't able to address the ABS this time around, but while I was down there I installed some stainless steel brake lines.
Here are the parts that went on the car.
Front and Rear Hawk HPS Brake Pads
Rear Zimmermann Blank Rotors
UUC 6 piece SS Brake Lines
ATE Type 200 Brake Fluid
Front and Rear Pad Wear Sensors
and had to order it later.......
Rebuilt Front Left Caliper :(
I started on the rear without too much trouble. I sprayed down the rotor set screw and caliper mounting brackets with PB Blaster and they didn't put up much of a fight. I threw the rotors on there bolted the calipers back down. Nothing too crazy. Here you can see the old pads vs. the new Hawk HPS.
The rear rotor had a pretty nice lip on it, but I checked the thickness for S&G's. I had checked before I ordered everything and it was right at the minimum. Measuring them again yielded .734" (18.67mm) on my over accurate $6 Harbor Freight caliper. Bentley shows 18.4mm as the minimum so I guess I had a little room. Also the rotors aren't meant to be turned.
I then decided, well, those brake lines aren't going change themselves and began to swap out the old spongy for new stainless. The rear brake lines were a little more work than the fronts being that there were (2) per side. I wouldn't say they broke free without a problem, but they let go easier than I thought they would. The only hang up was that the nuts are 11mm and I didn't have an 11mm wrench.
I changed out both side and also replaced the brake wear sensor on the right rear. I was a little confused at first where the actual sensor connector lived, but I followed the wire back to a little housing. Full of dirt and debris and I busted out the old connector and installed the new one. I doubt I will ever run them down to the sensor but it just feels good knowing it was done, "right." Good old obsessive compulsion!
With the sun going down, I set off to get the front pads swapped out while planning to bleed the brakes the next day. Only doing the pads made the job even more beyond simple. I can't tell, but it looks like the PO might have been running the same front pads. Oh well, better to know what I'm running, plus I got the fronts new for $52! Can't beat that!
I changed the front left pad sensor and swapped out the two brake lines for some blue ones.
I had to wait until the next day to start the bleeding process. One kinda small hang up....7mm wrench, didn't have one. Figured I would get some sleep and pick one up in the morning. I also needed to borrow a power bleeder from my buddy Yichan. So with everything lined up I set off on the right rear wheel after work.
The PO had used ATE super blue fluid previously so the container was stained blue. I chose to run ATE Type 200 which is the same thing only gold in color to see when the new fluid had come out. In theory it sounded like a great plan, but to be honest, it just went from dirty ass blue, to kinda blue, to sorta blue, to is that blue still? It wasn't like a separated solution. It just blends together.
Everything was going kosher as I moved on to the left rear wheel. From there I went to the right front. No problem. Then of course as I'm about ready to wrap everything up here comes the front left. Now remember this isn't a California car, but it's no Michigan car. Everything came off smoothly and there is only a little rust, but the same you would expect on brake parts just as my other cars from California. Well, having said that, the left front caliper bleeder screw decided to make a home for itself. I was tap tap tapping it free when, oops....that doesn't look good. I took a picture in the morning.
I'm not going to go into how I figured it wouldn't be hard to get out and ended up going threw a bunch of easy outs and two trips to sears until I finally broke one off inside the bleeder screw and decided to call it a day and order a rebuilt caliper. They were only $100 and I get $50 back if they can get the bleeder screw out. When do easy outs ever work?
So a day went by, but I was running out of time as I needed the car for Friday. Wednesday I called around locally to find a caliper. Each guy said the same thing. Same brand, it will come in the next day. I figured it was from the same place. I called
RMeuropean and they had one left for $48 ($54 core charge). Having done all my business with them and knowing it would be over-nighted free of charge, I placed an order and it showed up the next morning (Thursday). phew.
Now all I had to do was paint it so it didn't rust, slap it on there and bleed the system. It was the 11th hour and I had no problem believing everything would get done. I hadn't felt this way since school and instead of getting stressed out I thought, "Remember how this feels? Feels kinda good? It'll get done." It was kind of strange that I wanted to feel the stress of a deadline and the excitement of getting everything done right on time.
I liked the clean metal finish of the caliper but everyone said it would rust in less than a week. There was no coating like on the calipers that originally came from the factory. I didn't want black or any other color so I rolled the dice and went with high-temp clear. I wasn't sure how it would work going on a metal surface and not a painted or primed one. I didn't have time, I had made my purchase and I shot some clear.
I read on the bottle that it was an enamel and the directions were just the same as the other high-temp paint. I smelled the clear as I was spraying it and thought, "Oh shit, this is never going to dry." I smelled bananas like clear I had shot with a two stage paint and it got me worried. I read on the bottle it would dry to touch in an hour and after 45 minutes I came back to the parts and they were rock hard. So far they have held up, no rust. To say the least, I'm kind of surprised and happy with the result!
I put the new caliper on and made sure the bleeder screw wasn't stuck. I moved around the car once more with the power bleeder. I was now on my second liter of Type 200. The best part came when Phyllis showed up as I needed an assistant to complete the bleeding procedure. ;) Thanks Phil! I asked Jin to help, but she was afraid she'd do something wrong. Phyllis seemed excited to help out so I said jump in the driver's seat.
Jin watched the reservoir while Phyllis stomped on the pedal and I knocked out each corner one after the other. Wow, I sound like one lucky man here! Thanks ladies. I waited and went around the car probably 4 times until I was happy that everything was bled.
I slapped the wheels back on and took it for a quick bed-in session down San Fernando near Home Depot in Cypress Park. I mean besides the crappy road that street was made for drag racing. I figured the track the next morning would continue the bed-in process but I've heard a guy say he cracked a pad once just putting them on and hitting the track.
Overall impression? Great braking power, but still sloppy pedal feel!! WTF!! I've read a ton of threads on BFC and no one seems to have an answer. Some guys have replaced everything from booster to Master Cylinder with no effect. Jin's Jetta pedal has more force upon initial depression than this "motorsport" car. I'm going to make it my duty to figure this thing out.
