[alfa] Re: GTV challenges, part 2

[TJCallahan@xxxxxxx]

Spiros wrote:

<snip>
> The brakes is one area I can use people's experiences. 
<snip> 
> All hoses seem to be in decent shape, ...
<snip>
>  I am guessing that I have either bad seals in the calipers, or bad
calipers all
> together, or a bad master cylinder. 
<snip>

Could be a bad hose, too. They sometimes (when old) swell/collapse internally
and won't let the pressure bleed off after the application of the brakes.
Have you felt the wheels after the brakes drag? If they're cool to the touch,
your brakes may not be dragging. If one or both are warm (or hot), you have a
dragging piston/caliper in the brakes.

As to the $-efficient approach, if you want to only change one thing at a
time, change the hoses first. I don't know your mechanical ability but if you
are
handy with the wrench, you can replace the hoses (both sides) with good
quality new ones before trying to rebuild the calipers. If you haven't changed
the
hoses during the time you owned the car, they probably need replacing anyway.

When the Alfetta GT locked up the left front caliper, I decided to rebuild
the entire lower part of the circuit (hoses, calipers, fluid, pads, rotors) at
once. That way, I knew that it's all new and fresh. Cost a bunch, but it saved
time and consumable materials (and ATE Super Blue ain't cheap!). So far the
newish MC is still holding up well, too.

HTH

Tom
Seattle
7711615 (with new brakes and the paint is polished up and ready for waxing,
almost)
6310123 (not happy with the level of attention received)
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