The brake calipers on my '90 Integra have spent the last 27 years hiding behind steelies and hubcaps. Now that I put on DC alloys, they show, and 27 years of brake dust ain't pretty.
I tried Brakleen and a scrub brush, and it only got me maybe 50% of the way to the "new caliper look". I'd like to know how aggressive I can get with something more abrasive like ScotchBrite pads before I start to risk the OE cad (? - dunno, it's gold-ish) plating.
Thanks!
I will bet after 27 years the sacrificial anode (cadmium or yellow zinc) has sacrificed enough of itself to no longer be capable of looking new.
Have you considered a coat of paint?
Silver caliper paint. Looks new without being obnoxious Race Red.
A guy here bought red plastic covers for his Black Chrysler 200 calipers.
I told him they looked sharp but I was lying to him. But I'm in sales so that lie was okay.
Jumper K. Balls wrote: I will bet after 27 years the sacrificial anode (cadmium or yellow zinc) has sacrificed enough of itself to no longer be capable of looking new. Have you considered a coat of paint?
I'm inclined to disagree. I can still see hints of gold under all the crud. I guess the worst case scenario is that I get more aggressive with abrasive cleaning and I knock off what's left of the coating, so I have to paint.
Oven cleaner is the ticket for these things. Easy off will strip that brake dust off really fast.
If the calipers are anodized then the oven cleaner will strip that off too. I have had great success with Meguire's wheel cleaner in the pink bottle. May take several applications, let it sit before scrubbing.
The easy way is a silver high temp paint after you do your best to clean them. I really like DUB wheel cleaner (turns purple as it works) as a more gentle cleaner. If you are in fact going to paint though, go with the oven cleaner and make sure you do it in a well ventilated area.
Silver caliper paint.
All of my newer Fords have it from the factory, actually. Looks good even after years of being kept outside in the elements.
+1 for clean and paint. If you use oven cleaner, be careful not to get it on the rubber bits.
If the calipers are that old just get rebuilds? Unless the cost of them is so high that it's cheaper to do it your self? I rebuild my own only because I have a blast cabinet that makes cleaning up items like this a 30 minute job.
On cast iron oven cleaner is your friend and on steel too but not aluminum!
27 years old? Get new calipers.
Why get new calipers if they work fine? The car only has 117k on it and there's nothing wrong with the brakes besides the fact that they're dirty. As far as I can tell, the fronts are on their 3rd set of pads from the factory and rears on their 2nd.
Send them to me. I'll powdercoat them.
parts washer?
KyAllroad wrote: 27 years old? Get new calipers.
While you still can.
Knurled wrote:KyAllroad wrote: 27 years old? Get new calipers.While you still can.
As spares, sure, but there's no reason 27yo calipers can't be fixed up. Mine are almost that old and work great and look decent, because they're rebuilt and repainted.
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