hard brakes?

[paddysaab]

OK, so the pedal is not sticking anymore, but now it is nearly solid. On start-up the pedal releases like you would expect, travelling down a couple of inches but then later it becomes solid and requires quite a bit of force to work.

Where do I start and what parts can I scavenge from the good old car with the blown turbo, if needed?

Donor car is a 1993 2.0 lpt CS manual
Current car is a 1997 2.3 fpt Griffin auto


I'm having serious thoughts about swapping the turbo from the Griffin into the CS (tell me I'm daft)

[Paul @ Kippen]

Paddysaab,

I'd be thinking about sticky calipers from your symptoms.  Do you find that the discs get hot after driving ?  There is an overhaul kit available ( if the bleed nipples are OK ) but at only £99 a full overhaul by BIGGRED makes good sense.  You could send of the calipers from your donor car so as not to be off the road for long.

Paul @ Kippen

[paddysaab]

Thanks Paul,
I was thinking along those lines but was wondering if it would be possible to swop the known good brakes from the 2.0 onto the 2.3 (keeping the discs and pads from the 2.3) while getting the "newer" calipers serviced. It may be a while before I can get them serviced and would be happier with better brakes straight away if that was possible.

[Paul @ Kippen]

PaddySaab,

This is of course possible though you will be doubling your work, effectively doing the same job twice.  The main problem will be the condition of the bleed nipples.  My experience is that they will be well rusted up and either 'round off' or snap at the first application of effort. ( Unless of course you have been a good chap and replaced them at regular , say 5 years, intervals ).

Once they snap off then get a 'Dremmel' or similar and carefully cut them off flush. Now start to drill them out VERY carefully so as not to damage either the threads of the bottom of the drilling where the nipple seals.  When you get, using progressively larger drills, to the position that you are 'breaking through' the threads, then pick out the spiral of thread left and then run a plug tap down to clean out any corrosion, swarf etc.

If you don't fancy this then it is possible to do the job without using a bleed nipple. Take the piston fully out, clean everything in sight then completely fill the aperture with fresh fluid.  Carefully re-engage the piston, expelling air through the hose entry.  Do not push the piston 'home'.  Release the clamp on the brake hose and allow fluid the drip, by gravity, down from the reservoir.  As you enter the hose into the threads, gently press the piston in a little more to ensure no trapped air.  ( Hose conecton at the top ) Now screw the hose fully in before pressing the piston home to allow fitment of the pads.  Fiddly but possible,  I know,  I was that boy !!

Paul @ Kippen.

[Max Headroom]

Unless the calipers are actually off the car I would be hesitant at attempting to drill-out the offending nipple because you are not going to have any real way of stopping swarf entering the component, and any hydraulic component needs clinical cleanliness or you may get bigger trouble later on!

Before drilling it, I would attempt to remove the nipple by means of a decent quality (Dormer if you can get one) Easy-Out tool. Beware of cheap ones like the Draper ones - they have more of a thread on them rather than the spiral as in the picture, and tend to snap off easier.



Cheapo ones usually look like this:


Just be sure not to snap the Easy-Out off in the nipple, because that will lead to you then having to grind out the broken bit of the Easy-Out with a small high speed grinding tool if it's stuck well in.
I had to do this overseas in 48 C of heat, on an aircraft engine some years ago and it took me the best part of a day! 

If you do try an Easy-Out then don't cut the exposed part of the nipple of flush first, as this will give you more 'meat' for the easy-out to bite in to.

[paddysaab]

Thanks for the replies.
I'll have a quick look at things and if they look dodgy I'll fix up the old ones and leave the sticky ones alone for now. I'd be more confident of working on the 2.0 because we use very little salt on our roads and there is absolutely no rust underneath. Even the green paint is still on the original brake lines  . I haven't gotten under the 2.3 yet so I am hoping it will be the same  .

[paddysaab]

I removed one of the rear calipers on the old car. Everything was going fine following the procedure for renovation on SAAB9000.com. Trouble started when I was putting the caliper back together after cleaning. The various parts inside in the piston came out. There is a toothed wheel with a spring around it which sits into a groove inside the piston. This came out so I put it back in and the next time when I tried to put it back together  piece that fits into that ring came out. It is held in place by a kind of circlip and a spring inside the toothed wheel which I can't reach, nor can I now get the toothed ring out  .
Has any body else had this problem and how did they solve it?http://www.saab9000.com/procedures/braking/images/rear_calipers_html_14e55c6b.jpg

[Guyver1]

To be honest, if that's the offending caliper, I would definitely look for replacements. There are a good few on eBay starting at £14