Definitive Z23 Front Brake Rebuild Thread

[Briou]

Ok so a while back I went looking around for a thread on mulitple forums for a guide to rebuilding the ever so popular z32 front brake calipers. I was unable to find a thread with much detail on rebuilding these calipers so I decided to dive straight into it and see how it turned out. So here you go.

The parts that you need, and some other stuff that I decided to get just because.

Brake pads: I went with Hawk HPS Hawk HB178F.564 HPS Performance Street Compound Front Brake Pads 300ZX (http://www.frsport.com/Hawk-HB178F-564-HPS-Performance-Street-Compound-Front-Brake-Pads-300ZX_p_2259.html)

Pad hardware: Nissan OEM 300ZX Front Brake Hardware (http://www.frsport.com/Nissan-OEM-300ZX-Front-Brake-Hardware_p_12970.html)

Seal kit, pins, pin keepers, and bleeder screws: 440 Front Brake :: Brake :: Genuine Nissan Parts :: 300ZX Parts (Z32) 1990-1996 :: Nissan Parts, NISMO and Nissan Accessories - Courtesyparts.com (http://www.courtesyparts.com/300zx-parts-z32-1990-1996/genuine-nissan-parts/brake/440-front-brake/-c-882_883_982_983.html)

I started off with some aluminum z32 calipers that I picked up at a junk yard for about $90 for both front and rear....along with rotors and spindles....I think I got a pretty good deal.
http://i1214.photobucket.com/albums/cc488/Briou/2e0262c7.jpg
http://i1214.photobucket.com/albums/cc488/Briou/35b6467b.jpg

So I got to work tearing them down, first by taking the two halves apart for both calipers. Make sure you grab the little o-ring seals from between the two halves and put them somewhere safe.
http://i1214.photobucket.com/albums/cc488/Briou/48b8dc6e.jpg
http://i1214.photobucket.com/albums/cc488/Briou/de6b46df.jpg
http://i1214.photobucket.com/albums/cc488/Briou/c3b80943.jpg

Once you have the halves apart you need to take off the keeper ring...pretty easy with a flat head screw driver or some needle nose pliers.
http://i1214.photobucket.com/albums/cc488/Briou/ca3c01ae.jpg
http://i1214.photobucket.com/albums/cc488/Briou/4757ba31.jpg

Then comes the dust seals, just pull them on out.
http://i1214.photobucket.com/albums/cc488/Briou/b126cd0a.jpg
http://i1214.photobucket.com/albums/cc488/Briou/dc5cfd3e.jpg

Now for the tough part, pulling out the pistons...I would imagine that this could be done by blowing some air into the calipers using an air compressor, but I don't have one so I had to resort to brute strength. Let me tell you it was a bitch, even with WD-40
http://i1214.photobucket.com/albums/cc488/Briou/db9296c9.jpg

Then out come the inner seals.
http://i1214.photobucket.com/albums/cc488/Briou/d72e3961.jpg
http://i1214.photobucket.com/albums/cc488/Briou/a4302d61.jpg

Should have something like this once you get them all broken down.
http://i1214.photobucket.com/albums/cc488/Briou/8275563e.jpg

This was the point that I sent my calipers off to get them powder coated in wrinkle red. :sweetass They did a great job!!
http://i1214.photobucket.com/albums/cc488/Briou/b52fc77f.jpg
http://i1214.photobucket.com/albums/cc488/Briou/e425bb5f.jpg

When i got them back I was so pumped to get them back together. Soooooo here we go...

First thing in were the new inner seals.
http://i1214.photobucket.com/albums/cc488/Briou/fd268198.jpg
http://i1214.photobucket.com/albums/cc488/Briou/ccac24ae.jpg

The put the new dust seal on the pistons as well as the supplied pink lube/grease...makes getting the pistons back in a breeze.
http://i1214.photobucket.com/albums/cc488/Briou/94c3c434.jpg
http://i1214.photobucket.com/albums/cc488/Briou/3f18355f.jpg
http://i1214.photobucket.com/albums/cc488/Briou/8a5e4452.jpg
http://i1214.photobucket.com/albums/cc488/Briou/f9fdb576.jpg

Now simply press the pistons back into the cylinders and push the dust seals down into place around the outer lip of the cylinder.
http://i1214.photobucket.com/albums/cc488/Briou/bd154a2c.jpg
http://i1214.photobucket.com/albums/cc488/Briou/d749f585.jpg

Time for the keeper rings. They are easily put in by hand
http://i1214.photobucket.com/albums/cc488/Briou/5c7fc20e.jpg

Then go ahead and bolt the halves back together. Remember to put the seals back in that you saved when you took the calipers apart!!!!
http://i1214.photobucket.com/albums/cc488/Briou/f0f11660.jpg
http://i1214.photobucket.com/albums/cc488/Briou/b46d959a.jpg

I opted to get new bleeder screws so I put them in after I got the halves back together.
http://i1214.photobucket.com/albums/cc488/Briou/3281737b.jpg
http://i1214.photobucket.com/albums/cc488/Briou/b4265df8.jpg

And now time to put in the brake pads and all the hardware. I used this diagram as a guide. I found it via google and mean no copy right infringement. I am guessing its from a 300zx FSM.
http://importnut.net/240pics/brake_upgrade/pad01.jpg

So this is very thing that I had to put together. Hawk HPS ferro-carbon pads and oem hardware from nissan, including new pins and pin keepers!!
http://i1214.photobucket.com/albums/cc488/Briou/b584887c.jpg

So first you need to put some brake grease on the pads, then put on the solid shims, then more grease, and the outer, slotted shims. Also the little clip deals that go on the side of the pads closest to the bleeder screw.
http://i1214.photobucket.com/albums/cc488/Briou/b7a66bea.jpg
http://i1214.photobucket.com/albums/cc488/Briou/8f5c74b6.jpg
http://i1214.photobucket.com/albums/cc488/Briou/ec20059a.jpg
http://i1214.photobucket.com/albums/cc488/Briou/78c11fe0.jpg

Now the pads can go into the caliper along with the pins, cross spacer, and pin keeper.
http://i1214.photobucket.com/albums/cc488/Briou/dcccb47b.jpg
http://i1214.photobucket.com/albums/cc488/Briou/fa381b5e.jpg

Should end up looking something like this.
http://i1214.photobucket.com/albums/cc488/Briou/36d8f0d1.jpg
http://i1214.photobucket.com/albums/cc488/Briou/bfe01069.jpg
http://i1214.photobucket.com/albums/cc488/Briou/b3a2fe38.jpg


Now slap those bad boys on and get to stopping like a champ!!!!!!!

Up for sticky mods?

[Edwin562]

paint came out pretty cool. Nice job...

[Briou]

Thanks!! They are powder coated in wrinkle red by the guys at trgcoating.com. Real quality work I highly recommend them!!

[silver350z05rb]

Awsome write up

[RB180sxChris]

Nice work broski!

[silnv]

Nice job. They turned out great!

[ManoNegra]

the z1motorsports rebuild kit is actually cheaper and comes with the o-rings that split the two halves of the calipers:

Front Brake Caliper Rebuild Kit (http://www.z1motorsports.com/product_info.php?products_id=715)

good write up

[Xaser]

Great Tutorial!!!!

Thnks!

[Briou]

^^Yeah I am probably going to get their rear seal kit when I do the rears...I was just getting all those other little parts and some other things from courtesy parts and it didn't add anything to shipping so I thought it would be easier to just get the oem stuff from them.

[dudermagee]

Nice, I went with wrinkle black.
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6148/6202164545_4724d03f26.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/6202164545/)
http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6168/6202150681_2b646ce9be.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/6202150681/)

[Strizi]

The Brakes came out nice.Can you tell me with how much NM or ft-lb you have put the 2 halfs twogether!

http://i1214.photobucket.com/albums/cc488/Briou/b46d959a.jpg

[millsaps]

looks like the best rebuild thread. love wrinkle red and how proper you rebuilt these.

[S-Nation S13]

nice work,im assuming this will work for the 26mm size to ...correct me if im wrong i just got mine!!

[slider2828]

Amazing write-up!!!! I love it, very detailed. I thought it was pretty tough, but with this write up, looks like a cinch.

Second on how much to torque the two halves together?

[Briou]

um....haha I honestly didn't put a torque wrench on them. I just cranked them down as much as I could with a standard ratchet handle...that is my one downfall I guess haha...

[Creizai]

When cleaning up the nissan logo what grit do you suggest to start sanding with. When I was ALOT younger my pair had been sanded almost completely off. I'd rather people not do that anymore. Also to completely remove the Nissan logos what grit would you suggest, for logos that are far too gone to have ours shined back up. Thanks for making this super easy, more people need to do more for the community.

[Briou]

I honestly can't be sure because the powder coater took care of mine, but if i were to take them all the way off I would start off with an angle or die grinder to take them down close to the caliper face, then go to some 80 grit and work your way to some 150 grit....once again I haven't done this so I am not sure if it will work....give it a try and let us know how it goes for you.

[dreamer87]

nice write up... surprized you didnt hone out the cylinders a litle bit

[Briou]

I figured they would be fine...I did take a light sanding to the pistons in some spots where they had some rust built up on them.

[waxball88]

Nice, though i wouldn't result to yanking the pistons out. Be careful when you blow them out with compressed air, those things are knuckle dusters.

[Briou]

Well my lack of an air compressor left me with no other choice....if I were to use an air compressor I think I would stuff a towel between them to absorb some of the force...

[Briou]

If anyone else gives this a try let us know how it goes for you...i'm sure telling us about your experienced won't hurt!!!

[beefcake6681]

My rebuild kit didn't come with that small packet of pink grease. What kind of grease is that? Do I need that to do a proper rebuild?

[Briou]

I don't know what type of grease it is but it would be a good idea put some on the pistons just so they don't bind up....I would just use some brake pad grease...it seams to be the same consistency

[Silentoreo34]

Good stuff. I was just looking for this as I was about to rebuild my calipers within a week.

Thank you!

[Z33dori]

good write, nice to see some of this community likes to help out like in the old days!

[NomNomKouki]

Good write up! I just picked up mine z32 brake conversion yesterday and planned on doing some crazy colored caliper paint on them. But your wrinkle red sure has made me rethink my plans.

[noshow]

Ive rebuilt two sets thus far, relatively easy. Compressed air works great as long as you place a piece of woid or like before mentioned, towel. Ive only ever used the nissan kit, never cracked halves. Was advised against, because it makes them prone to leaking or so ive been told

[Briou]

Yeah I've heard that too....Oh well I will see how they work out in the long run

[Edwin562]

I had a set of rebuilt z calipers that were split, and never had any issues with them. I had them for about 2 years, tracked a few times and daily most of the time.

[RandallSharp]

Awesome! Glad this popped up. I need to rebuild my 240 calipers! I figure the procedure is very similar?

[Briou]

If I had to guess I would think it would be similar...

[Dorifto Machine]

Nice Job on getting the rebuild done.

I suggest to anyone who doesn't have a compressor to not use any tool within the inner walls of the pistons. If you can get the tool on the outside of the piston and pull it out then that will save you from damaging the walls of the pistons..

I found through trial an error the best way to pull the pistons out without a compressor is using the following tools and method:
A long flat head screw driver and or small crowbar, cardboard, and 1 C-clamp (4 in or bigger).
You will need a table of some sort to lay the caliper half on and you will then C-clamp the caliper half to the table ( this way the caliper will not move at all). The pistons should be facing down towards the table.
Use the cardboard on the clamp side that goes to caliper so it doesn't scratch or damage your paint or the caliper itself. You then take a flat head screw driver or small crowbar and put it on the lip of the piston (using the caliper for torque) you push down and the piston will slide out. If it does not slide out or gives your trouble, you can push down 1 side of the piston at a time and you will be able to slowly shimmy it out.

The screws can be torqued to 60 pounds.

If you don't have grease you can use brake fluid to lube the pistons / seals when you push them back in.

The stages of my rebuild:
http://img215.imageshack.us/img215/9372/allstagescombinedtext.jpg

[Nissan2nr22]

Hello i was wondering if the bad assembly clips are 100% necessary?

Not the ring and top spring, the clips that go on the back of the pads and meets the pistons