Dave Smith's Freelander

Is this SGS stuff really OK ??

It seems incredibly cheap !!!!

Well I have the 3 ton jack and a couple of pairs of axle stands. Built like tanks.
Got the lead from @SES88 , he of the wheel space fame.

Tub of Bilt Hamber Deox-C arrived today so I will try that on the scabby caliper and report back. It is more expensive to buy than oxalic acid so it will be good to compare results. The Deox sounds less unpleasant though.

How I hate these brakes.
I hooked up a foot pump to the caliper and managed to get about 5bar into it. The piston moved about 1mm and that was that. Won't pull out either.
I assume you can't force it out by pushing something through the fluid hole...
Sorting these brakes was supposed to be the easy bit but it is getting me down a bit.
Second side will be easier.
Dumped them in the Deox-C bath to see how that works.

davidsmith1307 said:

How I hate these brakes.
I hooked up a foot pump to the caliper and managed to get about 5bar into it. The piston moved about 1mm and that was that. Won't pull out either.
I assume you can't force it out by pushing something through the fluid hole...
Sorting these brakes was supposed to be the easy bit but it is getting me down a bit.
Second side will be easier.
Dumped them in the Deox-C bath to see how that works.

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If your really stuck stick them back on the car, pull the disks out and replace them with blocks of wood. They'll pop out in a jiffy and if you get the block of wood the right size they'll both be on the edge ready to pull out.

Alibro said:

If your really stuck stick them back on the car, pull the disks out and replace them with blocks of wood. They'll pop out in a jiffy and if you get the block of wood the right size they'll both be on the edge ready to pull out.

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Yep. I've done this too - works a treat. Even an air compressor can't match hydraulics.

I'll have to bleed the brakes out first. Bugger.

Just make sure there is fluid in the reservoir and let it gravity do the work. It won't matter how well bled they are for what your doing.

You have more patience than me. I spent the best part of two hours struggling to get my pistons back into the callipers a couple of days ago. I was making no progress at all! So decided to bite the bullet and order two new callipers to guarantee my sanity!

4Bee4Bee said:

You have more patience than me. I spent the best part of two hours struggling to get my pistons back into the callipers a couple of days ago. I was making no progress at all! So decided to bite the bullet and order two new callipers to guarantee my sanity!

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I'm afraid it is far too late for my sanity. I bought a broken 1.8 petrol Freelander....
There is no effective medication

Alibro said:

Just make sure there is fluid in the reservoir and let it gravity do the work. It won't matter how well bled they are for what your doing.

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Pedal is just soft like a sponge. Remember the great 'brake fluid leak' of last week. Just pumpin' air!

davidsmith1307 said:

Pedal is just soft like a sponge. Remember the great 'brake fluid leak' of last week. Just pumpin' air!

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Gravity bleeding can take a while from scratch. Make sure the bleed nipple isn't blocked, top up the master and go have a cup of tea.

I do have a one-way valve thing I can use and pump the crap out of it. And a child to press the pedal if required.
I'll wait for the parts to come out of the Deox.
Tackle the driver's door handle this aft I think.
Or the handbrake lever that, oddly, doesn't stay down.

A handbrake that won't stay down is often a sticking cable

Cheers. I'll follow it through when I can get it up on ramps.
Too cold to do much today. Thursday and Friday off so I hope to get the calipers apart at last and the new seals in. Then put the brakes back together and do the other side in a fraction of the time.

interesting thread Dave, your as bonkers as me.
I did the head on our MG TF last year. Not as bad as I expected for a mid engine car.
I do have a compressor and got the crankcase off with an air gun.
I have sgs axle stands and air tools, they are really good for the money.
If you have any questions on the K series head change, I may have photos. The cambelt tensioner seems a bit of a strange one to get right but I had a spare engine to practice on.
bet you have more space than this

how did they go in the deox bath?

Lowbank said:

interesting thread Dave, your as bonkers as me.
I did the head on our MG TF last year. Not as bad as I expected for a mid engine car.
I do have a compressor and got the crankcase off with an air gun.
I have sgs axle stands and air tools, they are really good for the money.
If you have any questions on the K series head change, I may have photos. The cambelt tensioner seems a bit of a strange one to get right but I had a spare engine to practice on.
bet you have more space than thisView attachment 96705

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It might surprise you how much room is in the MGF/TF v Freelander, I've done both and the MG has better access then most realise, you still go through the wheel arch for some bits and through the top for others.
I agree tho the cambelt can be a pig. I had mine adjusted (I thought) according to the instructions but when I did the twist test (45 deg and no more) it felt very loose. Turned out the adjuster needed to go another full turn to tighten it properly so something to be very careful about.

Saltlick said:

how did they go in the deox bath?

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Looking OK. I refreshed the bath and dumped them back in as it was too bloody cold to do anything else!
I'm not convinced it is much more effective than the Oxalic acid, but It is less unpleasant. The parts will be comping out this week done or not as I need to get the caliper apart and seals changed, hopefully all back on with new disks, pads and flexis by the weekend.
They'll get a coat of zinc primer and a splash of paint hopefully. Try to keep them a bit less scabby in future.
I could have just replaced them but I wanted to fix it up not just Trigger's Broom it.

Might be worth investing in a ultrasonic cleaner good on small things like carbs/break callipers and might help clear enough crap out to remove the pistons