rwa

Hello, I'm trying to DYI a Girodisc conversion from OEM Carbon Ceramic on the GTR. Does anyone know the caliper bolt torque and the Allen/hex bit size? Much appreciated!

user33

Which brakes, steel or CCB (though I'd bet there's no difference wrt bolts/torque)?

rwa

CCB as mentioned above 😁

user33

Ok, note to self ... engage brain and read properly before responding. As penance, I think the attachment has the info you need.

rwa

Wow that's so useful!!! MB WIS? Thanks a lot!!

rwa

I noticed a torn boot in my front calipers and I'm thinking of rebuilding it (new one costs $1k), but I cannot find the MB part no for the seals for the fronts. I found A0014213186 for what looks like 6 dust boots. Is there a seal that I can buy with that? What about rebuilding the rear brakes ... I could find no info on boot/seal.

user33

You may find that the boots come with seals. From my understanding, some do and some don't. Also ask the dealer whether there's a rebuild kit.

Maybe Stenzel has better info.

FWIW, I had the same issue with my C63 S and ended up just doing the boots. I did pop out the pistons and seals and they were fine (it had about 30K km and a number of track days on a track that's brutal on brakes). No leaks/issues (including track use) after cleaning and putting all back together.

Be sure not to use any lubes on the seals or they can absorb/expand and bind. There are special lubes, but I'd just stick with a little brake fluid ... but, just to make things difficult, don't get the brake fluid on the boots. It's lots of "fun." #;-)

rwa

Thank you sir. What happens when the brake fluid touches the boots? I heard they corrode caliper paint but haven't heard anything about the boots.

user33

AFAIK, the boots tend to be made of material that can be damaged by brake fluid. The caliper coating seems to be more of a baked-on powder coating, but I could be wrong. In any event, brake fluid is so "wet" that you will get it on brake calipers when disconnecting hoses (or at least I always do) and the finish on Mercedes calipers I've worked with seem relatively immune ... but I do always take great care to manage brake-fluid dispersion and always have a 50/50 rubby-alcohol spray handy and spray/wipe immediately (cluck like a chicken, here).

Generally, I try to keep brake fluid off everything (clean immediately, when required) and grease/oil off any brake parts (well, except for the MBZ spec'd little dab of anti-vibrate lube on the backs of applicable brake pads). I also don't use specialized cleaners for pretty much anything, relying upon 50/50 rubby/H2O for general cleaning and Palmolive (green) dish soap (with near-neutral pH) and water for car wash, etc. For really stubborn stuff, I'll use a soft rag with a light application of lacquer thinner, on surfaces I've tested and know won't be damaged (then rubby-rinse, immediately). Having things ceramic coated _really_ helps WRT keeping things clean.

supertanch

I've managed to get the paint on calipers fading/cracked off on multiple occasions (too many bleeding, some fluid will touch), so yes the only way is to keep a spray handy. But eventually they will fade around the bleed screws.

That's why I like the pro's calipers which are black, it doesn't really get noticeable in reality.

rwa

CRC brake cleaners safe to prevent this? Good tip thank you.

supertanch

You cant use brake cleaners on painted surface, it will damage the pain. Just use soap water. The brake cleaners are meant for cleaning brake internal parts.

descartesfool

Nonsense. I and everyone I know has been using brake calipers on all kinds of factory painted calipers for years, gold ones, red ones, black ones, silver ones from my Corvette to my AMG to my GT-R to my other AMG and other Brembo calipers and never ever had an issue. Check CRC's data sheet for example and they confirm it is safe for use on calipers.

Brake fluid is what damages paint, not brake cleaner.

"Simple to Use, Easy to See Results
Using Brākleen® is simple and effective. Just spray from about two feet away and let the solvent do its job. The formula is non-flammable and is safe to use on all components of your brake system. Avoid applying to plastic or rubber parts, and always be sure to wear gloves when using the product. Brākleen® comes in a 19-ounce aerosol can and is available for use in 48 states. Get rid of dirt, oils, grease, and other contaminants using CRC Brākleen® Brake Parts Cleaner. CRC is the #1 brand in brake cleaner worldwide, with years of experience providing safe, reliable products."

You can also spray water as said to clean off brake fluid

supertanch

I'm simply speaking from my own experience of using the CRC brake cleaner in the past - it does not "eat" the paint directly but it does soften the caliper paint (especially the clear coat). I've had issue with both brembo and stoptech while using it.

After a couple of occasions, I just changed to use soap water directly. Of course this is just my personal advise, YMMV.

rwa

One more question, are you supposed to apply brake grease to new pads? The service manual pages say no but I find that a bit odd. I usually use CRC ceramic grease.

supertanch

The grease are mostly for eliminating the pad noise. I have titanium shims so never bothered to use the grease.

thebishman

With the CCMs they will normally make a sort of grinding/rubbing noise that can be noticeable at very low speeds as you’re coming to a stop. If you are getting a high pitched squeal that isn’t resolved by 1: keeping the brake calipers; rotors, etc clean, and 2: you’ve already burnished the pads/rotors, then applying the high temp ceramic ‘anti-squeal’ paste only to the brake pad backing plates can help with that.