Restoring the MGB GT front brake calipers

3081

This is one of the jobs I’ve been putting off for some reason, perhaps because it will be a dirty one. At the same time, it’s also one of the last pieces of the whole front suspension that needs to be refinished and the sooner the calipers get done the sooner my MGB GT might have front tires again.

Rusty MGB GT front brakes
Rusty MGB GT front brakes

The calipers have minimal rust so I’m going to attempt to clean them with a wire wheel instead of media blasting them. The idea of blasting grit getting everywhere on calipers sounds kind of scary although I think that’s what people regularly do before painting.

MGB GT front brake caliper
MGB GT front brake caliper

I used compressed air to remove the pistons although in both cases one of the pistons came out easily while the other was a bit tougher to remove. This is one of those situations where perhaps I should have watched a few YouTube videos before proceeding!

MGB GT brake calipers almost clean
MGB GT brake calipers almost clean

I finally drilled some holes in the tight pistons so I had something to push on when removing them. This worked well but of course definitely ruined the pistons for further use. That’s not a problem as I bought new seals and pistons a few years ago when this long project started.

MGB GT front brake piston with hole
MGB GT front brake piston with hole

I’m not sure if new pistons or calipers were ever installed on the MGB while my father owned it. From all of the service records I have it appears not. This is what 50 years worth of rust and brake fluid look like.

Grunge inside the MGB front brake caliper
Grunge inside the MGB front brake caliper

Here’s another side with lots of grit, rust and some pretty ugly seals. Fortunately the sleeves are clean and appear to be in good shape.

Ugly seals and rust in the MGB brake caliper
Ugly seals and rust in the MGB brake caliper

What colour should I paint these? I’m thinking possibly gold, red (many Porsches have red calipers, maybe they’ll make the MGB faster) or boring black. Stay tuned!

Porsche brake caliper
Porsche brake caliper

Related Images:

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.