A '54 named Busty

[Gregski]

brake parts trickling in, while I wait for the weather to cool down, it was 110° F today and it will be that again tomorrow, that with smoke in the air from all of our state fires forces me to stay indoors

and this is why I don't chase pricey "genuine" parts any longer, AC Delco was/is supposed to be the good stuff... yeah right!!!

[Gregski]

so parts be showing up, be it out of order

Hecho en China.... lol gotta love that

[Gregski]

looks like the rear drumulators

[Gregski]

so some updates for you all, began putting the front brakes back together, while still waiting on parts

[Gregski]

and things went South right quick, ending up in one of the most frustrating days in the garage I had in a long time

for the life of me I could not get the bleeder screw out of the passenger caliper, and I swear I had it out about a month ago, yes I tried the proper brake wrap around wrench first then a socket then a six point then vice grips then I tried welding on not one but two nuts then I tried to drill it out with Left Handed drill bits and managed to break three of them, and still it won't come out

[Gregski]

What else went wrong?

let's see the stupid brand new replacement upper control arm rubber bumper on the passenger side will not stay in, it snaps out every time I lower the control arm, the other side is honkey dorey

[Gregski]

Wha whah? Cry me a river is that all?

Nope, I am 100% certain that the lower control arm ball joint zerk fitting threads are metric yet I am 90% sure those nuckleheads gave me a standard thread zerk fitting, it just won't screw in, and that piece is crucial as I need it to grease that ball joint!!!

and of course the other side screwed right in!!!

[NorCalGal]

It’s all this smoke sucking the oxygen out of the air so nothin works right including us.

[Gregski]

Originally Posted by NorCalGal

It’s all this smoke sucking the oxygen out of the air so nothin works right including us.

ha ha, that must be it, it was so hard for me to get my butt out there, plus it is so windy today it is cray cray

[dsraven]

man tat sucks.
take a deep breath, hold it, exhale. you got this.
some zerk fittings are made to self thread, maybe thats what you got.
a new caliper may be the mental break you need.
you came a long way in a short time, maybe a beer and a sit down checking out your handiwork would help.

[Gregski]

Originally Posted by dsraven

man tat sucks.
take a deep breath, hold it, exhale. you got this.
some zerk fittings are made to self thread, maybe thats what you got.
a new caliper may be the mental break you need.
you came a long way in a short time, maybe a beer and a sit down checking out your handiwork would help.

thanks mate I needed that, and yup I slurped a beer and walked away

[Wide Open]

Sorry you’re having troubles. Stay safe with the fires.

[Gregski]

Originally Posted by Wide Open

Sorry you’re having troubles. Stay safe with the fires.

thank you, we are a safe distance away but it is raining ash and the sky is brown

[8man]

Now that just sucks! When you get to that point you don't expect that sort of stuff. I hope the rest goes well.

I was in Alaska several years ago when they had a massive wildfire a blazin'. I know the ash in the air and dark skies. That is very depressing too.

Hope today is a better one for you.

[Gregski]

Originally Posted by 8man

Now that just sucks! When you get to that point you don't expect that sort of stuff. I hope the rest goes well.

I was in Alaska several years ago when they had a massive wildfire a blazin'. I know the ash in the air and dark skies. That is very depressing too.

Hope today is a better one for you.

Thanks Robert have you all heard that one of the biggest fires in California history was caused by a Gender Reveal Party, I swear to baby Jesus I was born in the wrong decade I would have fit right in in the 50s where we respected our elders, our veterans, laws, rules and regulations, and things were made to be fixed, washers and dryers, cars, vacuum cleaners, etc... I would have loved it, and oh yeah the Cancel Culture wasn't invented yet and gender reveals were limited to the doctor handing you your kid and going he's got a dingaling ha ha

yes the smoke has gone to my head!

[8man]

Amen!

[daddyjeep]

I have fought that same battle with the caliper before. There is no winning that fight. Go get a new caliper. I have also learned (been taught) to always heat the caliper with a small torch before cracking open a bleeder.

[Gregski]

Originally Posted by daddyjeep

I have fought that same battle with the caliper before. There is no winning that fight. Go get a new caliper. I have also learned (been taught) to always heat the caliper with a small torch before cracking open a bleeder.

Yup threw in the towel and ordered two new calipers, and here are some fun facts:

the Centric 141.62032 Semi Loaded Caliper (front left) was $18 bucks

meanwhile the Centric 141.62031 Semi Loaded Caliper (front right) was $53 bucks

and although both Rock Auto and Amazon claim these part numbers work on the '77 Camaro, take a look at the pic do these even look right?

[dsraven]

4 piston caliper looks corvette-ish to me. haha.

[texxxan]

Things will get better. They always do.

[Wgesnerjr]

Just the fact that we are all on this site tells me we were all born in the wrong time. Tinkering and fixing things is totally out of style in this modern throw-away world. When I was a kid, nothing in the house got thrown away until I took it apart. I remember fixing my mom's clock radio with a paper clip. She was amazed I could do that.

I often find myself giving up items just because I cannot get parts any longer. Our gas range is 23 years old and is slowly falling apart. I can get parts but the cost is outrageous. Wish I could fix it with a paper clip!!!

[Gregski]

so first the Bad News: I fought the law and the law won!

I needed some new drill bits anyway so I bought some and tried to drill a relief hole all the way through the bleeder screw to take the pressure off of it's walls, it's done did work before, but nope not this time I went all the way through the caliper casting, adjacent to the normal bleeder hole

Fun Level = minus 47

[Wide Open]

Originally Posted by Gregski

so first the Bad News: I fought the law and the law won!



Fun Level = minus 47

I knew that was you I saw on the news the other day!! Dang that looked like it hurt!

[Gregski]

Originally Posted by Wide Open

I knew that was you I saw on the news the other day!! Dang that looked like it hurt!

yeah ha ha, I can see the headline now: "Florida Man..." ha ha

[dsraven]

is this the page you're looking at? pics look right on this one, today.

https://www.rockauto.com/en/catalog/...b,caliper,1704