[T3] 412 Brake Caliper Question

[William J]

I need to at least flush the brake fluid soon. The runner boots on my car 
are the German cloth covered type and for some reason they are oily on the 
cloth , I can't tell if it's oil that blew up from under the trans or what 
it is. I was told to clamp them so I did and this most likey ruined them so 
I need new ones.

 Then there is the issue of the auto trans diff section that I'm told that 
the pinion seal between where the trans and diff join can leak trans fluid 
into the diff and ruin the ring and pinion also the governor seal can cause 
the same issue.

 All I know since I got this car in 85 I never changed the diff oil and when 
I did it was 6 oz over the quart it takes but it was thick oil not like 
trans fluid. I have a feeling it was over filled once . To add to this I 
find it odd that after all these decades I change the diff oil that I might 
not even done that suddenly the seal is faulty . I would think by now the 
diff would be overflowing with trans fluid and the diff would be junk long 
ago. We talked about this before in another direct email. I changed the 
trans filter and gasket and added the 6 pints 5 oz per Bentley and after 
driving it was on the low mark another 3 oz and it seemed to be on the high 
mark. It's really difficult to read that stick . I'm not sure where the 
fluid on the stick should be filling 6 pints 5 oz , all I know not under the 
low or above the high mark.

William
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Jim Adney" <jadney at VWType3.org>
To: <type3 at vwtype3.org>
Sent: Sunday, March 13, 2016 2:44 PM
Subject: Re: [T3] 412 Brake Caliper Question


> Sorry for the late response on this. I've been busy....
>
> On 5 Mar 2016 at 16:47, William J wrote:
>
>>  These OM piston retaining plates you have , are they the ones that have 
>> the
>> center area that fits the piston center with the prongs ? I can't recall
>> what my pistons look like on the pad side . The ones on this car are not
>> like that. They are just flat thin held by the 2 pad pins and have the 
>> angle
>> for the piston and no center hole that fits the piston.
>
> There are lots of different styles of plates used by different makes,
> so they often get put on our cars by mistake. The OE ones for Type 3s
> are basically triangular and are held by just 1 pad retaining pin.
> These clip into a recess in the face of the piston and hold the
> cutout in that face at a particular angle.
>
> There are plain rectangular ones that sometimes come with replacement
> pads. These are more of a heat shield than anything else, but they
> can be useful, because you can put a thin layer of the putty that's
> sold to eliminate brake squeal BETWEEN THE PAD AND THAT PLATE.
>
> Never put any kind of adhesive where it can touch the piston or the
> boot around the piston. That will stick to the boot and tear it as
> the pad wears and the piston moves out.
>
> Some makes use a rectangular plate that is held by both pins and has
> cutouts for the piston face cutout, so these serve as both heat
> shields and piston orientation control.
>
> There are yet other kinds which press onto the face of the piston to
> act as more or less circular heat shields.
>
> The style that is used seems to be mostly a matter of what style the
> automaker prefers.
>
>>  What I really need are the 4 runner boots and 4 of those retaining 
>> plates
>> unless they are like mine then 1 will do.
>
> I have plain rectangular heat shields which I can sell. The OE
> triangular OE style, however, are quite hard to come by, often
> missing, and in short supply, so I prefer to hold on to those for the
> calipers that I rebuild.
>
> I have new and good used air runner boots available. Those generally
> last forever unless they're abused.
>
>> I know my oil cooler seals must be leaking a bit being over 20 years
>> old. Just so I have them in case . I have no idea what the cooler fins
>> look like since I saw them last in 97 and it still has the original
>> rubber seal , looked fine in 97.
>
> Your oil cooler seals are probably newer than most of ours, so I
> doubt if they are leaking. Once they leak, it will be obvious,
> because even a small leak will wash the top of the case clean, in
> that area. The seals used '70-3 are the same as Beetles from '70-on,
> so those are readily available almost anywhere. I have the earlier
> ones, which are unique to Type 3s.
>
>> The brakes are my next job , I can't recall the last time I changed
>> the fluid 2001 maybe. Well past the 2 year required time frame. I'm a
>> bit concerned about that yet it's been as long before without any
>> problems.
>
> Yes, flush the fluid, as it's hydroscopic. Even in arid climates it
> soaks up water and becomes corrosive. This is the cause of the vast
> majority of brake hydraulic problems. I use and recommend DoT-5
> Silicone Brake Fluid to avoid this. I have a writeup on its benefits
> and installation. Email me for a copy if you're interested.
>
> -- 
> *******************************
> Jim Adney, jadney at vwtype3.org
> Madison, Wisconsin, USA
> *******************************
>
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