Caliper Rebuild Info

[redx]

I just rebuilt mine. I'd say for me it was easy, but I've been rebuilding things all my life without instruction. If I wasn't waiting for parts for my suspension and didn't have time to do it, I would have bought rebuilds or new.
If you want to do it, my questions are: Are you comfortable tearing down and rebuilding things like engines or air tools? Are you comfortable with your abilities to do the work right and understand that your safety and others are at risk if you screw up?

If you want to proceed, get on google and start looking for any info on rebuilding calipers, it will help you to understand how it is put together before you get into the actual work and maybe you'll just decide to buy them rebuilt.


If you decide to do it yourself, your first step is getting it off the car. Clean it up really good so no rust, dirt or grease is on the externals. Rotate the piston clockwise and push it all the way down. If you can get the ebrake lever to move, push it and see if the piston will expand out about a 1/4", if it does, does it go back down on it's own? If yes, expand the piston by rotating counter clockwise a few turns, just enough to inspect the boot for cracks. If the boot is fine, Put the piston back down. Check the slide pins and boots for wear, and clean it up again and either paint or put it back on the car. If the ebrake lever is really seized or the piston does not pull back down on it's own when the ebrake lever is released as stated above, you can start tearing it down.
Start by pulling the piston by rotating counter clockwise, it should pop the boot. You can pull it out now but be carefull to not scar the wall of the piston. Inspect the piston for scratching or loss of polish below the boot channel, if it is good, you can reuse it. If it's not, get a new one. Pull the boot use force if you have to, your not reuseing it anyway. If the metal ring stays behind, pull it out. Pull the rubber ring below that, remember not to scar the cylider wall. Now you need a long pair of snap-ring pliers to pull the retention ring. If you cannot slip it out easy, you'll damage the cylinder wall. Now that that is out, pull the screw shaft, it has suction so it may be hard, don't damage the threads. Note the position of the parts on the shaft, it is important to get them in the right order for the caliper to work as designed. If a pin is not hanging from grease at the bottom of the screw shaft, retrieve it from the bottom of the cylinder wall, or it will damage the ebrake shaft. Now that the piston chamber is empty, start on the ebrake mechanicals. Pull the cable stop bracket if it is still on. Pull the spring off. Now, pull the remaining brackets up, you don't have to remove the nut and lock washer. If it isn't seized up inside, it should pull out, if it is, turn it back and forth while pulling up. Once it's out, pull the boot and you should see a bearing with sleeves like a gear. Check to see if it rotates. If it does not turn freely, you'll have to find out if the parts are available with a rebuild kit or seperately, I didn't have to replace mine. If it turns freely, you don't have to go any further, clean everything up and regrease the bearing with a proper hi-temp brake lubricant. Inspect for debree before assembly.
Reassembe with the rebuild kit. If your going to do this, get ahold of the Assembly documentation, almost every place that can get the rebuild kits can get ahold of one specific to your application.

If there are any errors, I appologize. I didn't document the process when I did it and am going on memory here.

[GSOP-97]

Go to: gmpartsdirect.com Here is the kit for the front.
GM PART # 94365983
CATEGORY: Wheel Brake Cylinder/Caliper
PACK QTY: 1 CORE CHARGE: $0.00
GM LIST: $31.19
OUR PRICE: $15.60
DESCRIPTION: REPAIR KIT

They do not have the kits for the rear calipers.

[Hyunduzu]

I found listings for rear calipers on the FWD Impulse.

AC Delco #18H208

also Raybestos #WK2125:


not sure if it's all the same, there were seperate #'s for Lotus/non-Lotus calipers.

hth & good luck.

[Robbie]

There are rebuild kits for the rear brakes on Impulses out there. I bought one not a year ago.

[Hyunduzu]

and beacause everyone likes to click links almost as much as they like to see pics...

the AC-Del # came from RockAuto (catalog is great for cross-referencing), Raybestos # & pic came from Advance/PartsAmerica, and I checked & found yet another rear refresh kit from NAPAonline #UBP2125.

first 2 brands are international & you should be able to just give a # to your local corporate death chainstore parts haus & have it ordered.

I pulled these #'s from looking under 92 Impulse XS 1.8L.

[distall]

helps if you take them off the rotor and press the cup off by pushing the brake pedal,or you can even get a grease gun fitting that screws in place of the bleed screw,and the gun makes more pressure than your foot can..to get really stuck ones off..

[fanatic26]

Originally Posted by Hyunduzu

I found listings for rear calipers on the FWD Impulse.

AC Delco #18H208

also Raybestos #WK2125:


not sure if it's all the same, there were seperate #'s for Lotus/non-Lotus calipers.

hth & good luck.

All the JI pulses were lotus....also the RS and XS brakes are the same all the way around, I have an XS caliper on the driver rear of my RS.

[acole88]

good thread!
now i want to rebuild all of my calipers. this will go along nicely with the gas tank and struts i need to install.
oh yah, i also have to rebuild my snowmobile engine. hmm....also have to replace a floor, transom, and keel in a boat, then paint it apolster it and put a motor on it.
oh, where do i find more time???

[mordantly]

Originally Posted by acole88

good thread!
now i want to rebuild all of my calipers. this will go along nicely with the gas tank and struts i need to install.
oh yah, i also have to rebuild my snowmobile engine. hmm....also have to replace a floor, transom, and keel in a boat, then paint it apolster it and put a motor on it.
oh, where do i find more time???

if you don'y have at least five projects concurrently in dire need of completion, than your not living! as for rebuilding calipers.. well i did my 'acura big brake' conversion on my honda, dust seals didn't go in very nice. so i run no dust seals. after 5000 miles my DF leaks fluid light a cheap hooker. i feel its easier to buy the remans from autozone or the like and every year when they get all rusted to hell, trade em in!