For about the last 24 hrs I've been battling the rear brakes on my 1989 Pontiac Formula. The brakes started grinding about a week ago, and the emergency brake cable seemed to be operating suspiciously. I think applying the e-brake was a carry over from my first car, also an '89 Firebird, yet that one was equipped with a 5 speed. I suppose it's kind of pointless with an auto, but it just comes natural.
I knew I was in trouble when I quickly discovered that my options were fairly limited when it came to the rear disc brakes. My car is equipped with the Borg Warner Australian 9 bolt. While known for its strength and durability, parts are scarce, and it seems brakes aren't a dime a dozen. I found a cheap set from O'Reilly's Auto Parts for around $27 a side. I figure that some day, as long as I keep my car, I will upgrade the brakes with an aftermarket kit. So, no sense in spending money on expensive brakes now, so the cheaper the better. With a set of rotors and pads, I headed home to tackle the brakes.
I knew the rotors were going to be frozen to the hub, but it was much worse than expected. Then, to make matters worse, I had loaned a friend my propane torch about a year ago, and I needed it now more than ever. With no answer when I called him, I made a last minute run to Home Depot for a torch. Instead of propane, I opted for a MAP torch fuel setup, which I was told was about 150 degrees hotter. Now armed with the proper tools, I still wasn't confident it was going to go smoothly.
I think it took about 3 hours of torching, hammering, prying, and running a bolt/backing nut into the hub to apply backside pressure before I FINALLY heard the noise I had so impatiently been waiting for.....POP! Finally, the rotor was free. As I inspected the caliper, it was obvious it was going to cause me a headache, with a frozen slide pin on one side.
In between heat cycles, I also started working on the driver side rotor. This side proved to be even more stubborn, but thankfully, the sliders on this caliper were working freely. I fought this side until about 1 am, then decided to call it quits, regroup after a good night's sleep, and get to texting, emailing, and facebooking my dad for an unscheduled babysitting day so I could accomplish the brake job.
Day two: Dad arrived early, and I was in the garage working by 0830 hrs. I thought I would concentrate on the frozen slider on the caliper, so I could hopefully get at least one side done. The piston seemed to move smoothly, as did one slide pin, yet the other pin just wouldn't budge. I was reluctant to apply heat, but felt I had no other choice. My gut feeling was right, as the heat not only didn't work, I managed to burn a hole in the dust boot for the piston. I immediately jumped on the internet to find a new caliper.
New isn't an option, only re-manufactured is. My first call to O'reilly had me worried, as they informed me that calipers were no longer available. This was a bad sign. Next, I called Autozone, and while the calipers were available, it would be 3-5 days, and it didn't include the mounting bracket, which was the part that was frozen, and a major reason I needed a caliper. Without that bracket, a new caliper did me no good.
My last call was to Napa Auto Parts. They had the caliper, though it would come from the warehouse and wouldn't arrive until tomorrow, unless I wanted to pick it up at the warehouse. It wasn't even a question, I was heading to the warehouse. The caliper set me back about $85, and the core charge was an additional $87. With new caliper, the passenger side went together easily, and I was back to the driver side rotor.
I worked an additional 2-3 hrs before the rotor finally popped! After that, re-assembly was a breeze...until I realized I had lost the compression washers for the brake lines. A trip to the parts store was in order. Unfortunately, the days when the guy behind the counter knows about cars has passed. He knows what his computer tells him, and when it says that the brass compression washers need to come from the warehouse, he believes it. Me on the other hand, knew they had to have a kit of these washers some place, and with the store attendants help, we found them.
My car is finally back together and drivable! The brakes still seem a little soft, so another bleed is in store within the next few days. Also, I believed there was something wrong with my e-brake, so I simply disconnected the cables, only to discover my "BRAKE" light in the dash is stuck on. I may have to fix the cables, or find out where the sensor is turning that light on and disconnect it. LOL This wasn't exactly the way I wanted to spend my two days off, but sometimes it's just a necessary evil we have to deal with.
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