6/22/14
365 Brakes

I needed to figure out why the front brakes were locking up on the 365GT 2+2 at the shop. Through the process of elimination, I found the pistons in the calipers were not retracting, so I pulled the offending caliper to take a closer look.

I used one of the brake pads to hold the pistons in place while I used compressed air to pop out the pistons.

Luckily all the pistons in the first caliper came out without much difficulty, but the brake fluid inside the caliper was not looking very new, or very clean. Old brake fluid absorbs water over time, and will cause the pistons to rust and I was seeing evidence of this all over the place.

The pistons had lines of rust where the rubber brake seal touched the pistons. The pistons were seizing inside the calipers, and it was only a matter of time before the seals would start leaking as well. New seals and pistons would have to ordered, but I think I can clean up the caliper bodies enough to put them back into service.

Reminder: If you have a Ferrari related project, car, or idea you’d like to explore, I’d love to talk to you. I can also help if you’re thinking of buying or selling. This website represents what I love to do, and now it’s how I make a living, so if you’d like to do something together, let me know. It all begins with an e-mail!

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