Car And Truck Brake Parts

Caliper Seal

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Caliper Seal
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Auto repair scams and a dishonest auto repair shop are so easy to find.

First a few facts I dug up about auto repair rip-offs.

The Consumer Federation of America states, auto repair rip-offs are consistently one of the top five most

frequently reported consumer complaints. National figures indicate $20 billion is spent annually on unnecessary or faulty auto repairs.

The California Bureau of Automotive Repair receives around 25,000 auto repair complaints a year.

With that said, I have personally seen so many different ways to rip people off in the auto repair business that it is hard to pick out the most common scams because each auto repair shop has its favorite.

So I will concentrate on the most common scams and rip offs that I have seen and heard about in my 23-year career as a certified master technician in the automotive service retail business.

To get started on the most common scams we have to talk about a few different rip offs as related to the common brake job. Brake job scams are so popular that whole franchise businesses have been built around them and specialize in just doing brake jobs.

These companies have recognized the pure profit potential from performing brake service. Auto repair Brake scams are easily sold to the UN educated consumer do to the safety factors involved.

We all no the importance of being able to stop the vehicle in emergency situation.

Once again the auto repair shop uses this to their advantage and sells you unneeded services in the name of safety.

The most offten used brake service scam is the complete brake system overhaul. I will use a specific example to show you how this works. You go into a auto repair chain store to have your brakes checked. Maybe you heard some brake squeal or brake noise that concerned you.

So you bring your 1999 Chevy blazer that has 75,000 miles on it to an auto repair shop to have the brakes checked. The shop could do a standard brake job or a hang and turn as we call it. A hang and turn is replacing the brake pads and resurfacing the rotors. This service would retail for around $110.00 but the

auto repair shop would prefer to make more. So they recommend a brake system overhaul.

The brake system overhaul will mean different things to different auto repair shops. In most cases they are

talking about overhauling the brake calipers by replacing the seals in the calipers.

A caliper seal kit is very cheap in parts cost and very high in labor costs. The seal kit usually has about 3 or 4 rubber seals in it and cost the shop about $3.00

They then charge you $20.00 for the kit and another 2.0 hours per caliper to install the seals. But here is the scam part.

The caliper seals are internal and it's hard to verify that they were actually replaced. The outer seal known as the dust seal is usually the only seal that will get replaced during this unneeded service.

The mechanic then throws away the remainder of the brand new seals. The shop usually includes a brake system flush in this service, which I will attack in a moment.

The first auto repair issue to address is do we really need a caliper overhaul. In most cases no we don't. Why is this true? The manufacturers make fantastic calipers from the factory. The reason being it is an extremely important safety related part.

The manufacture must be sure their vehicle meets stopping distance requirements. They must also be sure that the calipers are over engineered to last for the life of the vehicle. The manufacture cannot afford to go to court for lawsuits on brake system failures.

Now with this being said do calipers ever need to be overhauled? Yes on rare cases this is the case. But

there are warning signs that the service is required. The Number one sign that a caliper is failing is a

strong brake pull.

To explain, this is when the vehicle pulls right or left during braking only.

The harder you brake the harder it pulls to one side. This is because a caliper is binding on one side or the

other. Equal braking force is not be applied. Tell tale sign # 2 is if the red brake warning light is illuminated on the dash. This can indicate the brake fluid is low and may be caused by a brake fluid leak from a caliper.

In any case the way the caliper service should be addressed by the auto repair shop is to replace both front calipers at the same time. I do not trust the individual mechanic to overhaul my calipers.

I would rather replace both front calipers with either new or remanufactured calipers.

This way you are assured you have reliable calipers installed. Some remanufactured calipers come loaded with new brake pads and now you have new calipers and brake pads that the auto repair mechanic can just bolt on.

This requires very little skill from the mechanic and makes for a very reliable auto repair.

Most auto repair shops will do this if requested.If they are not willing to do the repair the right way this should raise a red flag in your mind and moving the vehicle to another shop would be best. Remember That an educated consumer is the auto repair shop's worst nightmare.

Mark Gittelman Is an ASE Certified Master Technician with 23 Years of front Line experience in the auto repair business. His Web site http://www.certifiedmastertech.com was created to help auto repair shop customers avoid rip-offs and scams. His new book A Mechanics Secrets Revealed is a shocking and in-depth look into the auto repair world. This new book is a powerful tool to help you fight against the dishonest auto repair shop. Visit the free blog spot at http://certifiedmastertech.blogspot.com/

Cleaning A Motorcycle

The vast majority of a motorcycle can be cleaned using the same processes and methods that would be used when cleaning a car, though there are a number of important steps that should be taken to protect it before and during cleaning.

The most important thing to consider when cleaning a motorcycle is that any parts that should not come into contact with water and cleaning products are sufficiently covered & protected. Parts like these would include the seat/saddle area, the speedometer & gauge cluster area, any air intakes or vents, any switches and exposed electrical components and upward facing exhaust pipes which should be covered at the tips to prevent any water from entering.

The exposed or sensitive parts should be covered with a suitable material. A 'cling film' or shrink wrap type product should be used as this can easily be worked around intricate or awkward areas and will provide good protection. Plastic bags can be used to cover slightly larger parts but ensure that where the bag is connected, it is securely fitted with either an elastic band or some tape to make it water tight.

Once all sensitive areas have been covered the motorcycle can be washed in the same manner that a car is cleaned. Lower areas including wheels & tyres should be pre-sprayed with a diluted all purpose cleaner, a designated degreaser, or traffic film remover product, left to dwell, then thoroughly rinsed off.

Wheels and brake calipers should then be cleaned with either a diluted all purpose cleaner or a designated non-acidic wheel cleaner depending on how dirty they are, working in the product with a selection of soft and stiff bristled brushes and then thoroughly rinsing the area off.

A diluted all purpose cleaner or a designated degreasing product should be used in conjunction with a soft bristled detailing brush to lift dirt from and clean parts like the swing arm, suspension areas and mud guards.

Once the wheels, tyres, brakes and lower areas have been sufficiently pre-cleaned and degreased the motorcycle can be washed with a normal vehicle shampoo product using a soft wash mitt, washing from top to bottom covering all areas and ensuring no cleaning solution is allowed to dry.

Once washed, the motorcycle should be thoroughly rinsed off and dried with a micro fibre towel ensuring all water is removed from any fairing and trim details, wheels and anywhere else where water may have accumulated. Once the motorcycle has been properly dried the protective coverings can be removed. It should be noted that when washing, rinsing & drying particular care should be taken around stickers & vinyls ensuring they do not begin to lift around the edges.

Suitable parts of a motorcycle like the fairing and mud guards can be polished just like the paintwork of a car. A good quality all in one polish product would be very suitable and should be applied via a micro fibre or sponge applicator pad, again taking particular care around the edges of stickers & vinyls. Product residue should be buffed off with a clean soft micro fibre towel. Once polished these areas can be protected with a synthetic sealant or designated wax product applied via a sponge applicator pad and again buffed off after curing with a micro fibre towel. Wheels and calipers (if painted) can also be polished and protected if required after these areas.

Plastics & trim can be dressed with a designated dressing/protectant product to help prevent them from fading over time and to protect them from the weather. You should however, ensure that no product is applied to, or close to control areas of the motorcycle like brake levers, grips and foot controls for instance. Tyre walls also should not under any circumstance be dressed as this would be extremely dangerous for the rider.

Metal parts of a motorcycle such as exhausts, chrome trim and exposed metal wheels should be polished to excentuate them. For chrome details a suitable product should be used that will not scratch or mark them. A standard metal polish product can be used on non chrome parts, using a micro fibre applicator pad to work it in, and buffing it off with a micro fibre towel. Fine wire wool can be used to help remove any stubborn marks or oxidation. Once polished, metals could be sealed with a suitable metal sealant to protect the parts and prolong the polished finish.

Screens and dial covers can be cleaned with a glass cleaner and a soft micro fibre towel and sealed to allow any rainwater to run off easily.

Any leather on a motorcycle can be appropriately cleaned with a designated leather cleaning product, working it in with a micro fibre applicator pad and a stiff bristled detailing or nail brush for ingrained dirt if necessary. It is important that any leather parts are sufficiently conditioned/hydrated after cleaning to help prevent them from drying out especially if they are exposed to the elements.

Visit Car Cleaning Guru Today and Discover How To Clean Your Vehicle To a Professional Standard Yourself.

About the Author

Car cleaning professional & enthusiast.

Motorcycle brake caliper rebuild question?

Do you use any type of adhesive to hold the new seals in places as you put the pistons back into the caliper and if so what type.cheers

no adhesive !!!!!!!!!
i like to put a little brake fluid on the seals the pistons should slide right in

Sr. Geomechanics Specialist
Baker Hughes serves the worldwide oil and natural gas industry with reservoir consulting and products and services for drilling, formation evaluation, completion and production. We are a leading provider of high-performance technology that creates value from oil and gas reservoirs.

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