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I have a set of rear calipers off a 914 that I'm going to use on my Ghia( I know, I know) but the calipers themselves have no numbers on them, at all! I was wonderign if anyone knew how many different manufacturer's worked with VW/Porsche for these, and if someone had part numbers for them...

Any help will be appreciated.


E

AFAIK, only ATE (Alfred Teves E-somethingoranother) made brakes for the four-cylinder 914s. There are two different front calipers, and they mount on slightly different planes. (In toward the centerline versus out away from the centerline.) I think part numbers are found somewhere on them, but I don't recall where.

--DD

Ok, so all of the rear calipers are the same. Great news.



E

And for the BEST rebuilder of these, go to

http://www.goldlinebrakes.com

Yep, they were all ATE on the rear....and the front. Ray

Thanks again guys for all of the help.




Ephry

Only difference on the rears is that some have upper and lower bleed nipples, while others only have upper ones. I guess the lower ones were intended for when you flushed the system?

--DD

Thanks so much...... Mine only have the upper one...
E

Dave, Just noticed you are in Sunnyvale. I will be there for the week starting Decmber 1st. I am going to work for a company based in Sunnyvale starting the first. Maybe we can meet and say hello! Ray

tom, did you get a set rebuilt there?

how much did/would it cost from the company you suggested? do you know?

i installed a set on my ghia a few years ago but the car has been sitting apart (body off) for most of this year under a tarp. i noticed a good deal of rust on the piston so i'm guessing i should just rebuild the entire deal before putting th car back together.

another question,
why are these calipers so looked down upon? especially for a ghia they seem to balace the fronts almost perfectally -- isn't this ideal? are there other calipers that would "bolt-on" to the barckets we made that would be a better choice?

sorry for all the questions but this was the only brake post the search found that was closest to my problem.
thanks
seth

Seth, did you ever get an answer about the Volvo Brackets? I hope you're the same guy, if not, my apologies.


The calipers seem very good, and definitely would not overpower the fronts. if the whole thing with the brackets comes out too hard, I will just rush the 944 brakes that I have on all four corners.



E

yeah, hey E tis i -- too lazy to go all the way back to the main page to login.

sorry i didn't respond yet, i'm still waiting for his reply -- if he doesn't see the email by tomarrow i'll just give him a call.. no biggie, i just thought he'd have written by now.

i hadn't had a problem with the calipers and uneven braking i was just wondering why all the 914 guys dislike them so much. yeah, i guess they are pretty basic ... well - if you own a 914 you'd probably take it to the track more often than a common beetle or ghia.. GOTTA take advantge of that suspension, so that pretty much explains the bmw or mercedes swaps. works alright for our lowly vw's

i will really let you know in the next couple days.
seth

No problem man. I gotcha.

wel, the beauty of the 914 (from what i hear) is the ability to swap all of the suspension parts for 911 ones.


E

Only the fronts, the rear suspension is a completely different design.

The reasons that many 914ers dislike the rear brakes are two-fold. First, Porsche kept telling us for years that the calipers were not rebuildable, so that if they needed work all we could do was buy a new pair. ($$$!) Therefore, they never supplied a rebuild kit. Eventually, some bright soul figured out a kit from a similar caliper that worked, mostly. It was missing a few of the seals, though, like for the adjusters or the e-brake lever. Finally, some other bright soul has figured out where to source the other seals, so complete rebuild kits are available. But for years, the kits you could get were only partial ones, and if one of the seals that wasn't included leaked...

The other reason is likely the proportioning valve on the 914. It seems to trap air pretty easily and be tough to bleed well. In addition, it is spring-loaded and contributes a springy feel to the pedal even when bled most of the time.

--DD

Timely post. I just finished bleeding my system tonight. Purchased ATE 320I calipers (just prior to learning about the volvo 240 option). Had my machinist mill the mounting surface. Fitted up very well. Metal pads inserted. New stainless steel braided brake lines. Filled with Valvolene DOT5 fluid. Flushed out old fluid to clear fluid. Still fill spongie.
Anyone know techniques to bleed the propotioning valve? Or should I just repalce the valve with an T?
Also, the burning question, How do I tell if I have a 17mm vs 19mm master cylinder? I do not see an identifible part number. What should the outside diameter of the primary cylinder be for a 19mm ( I will assume that 19mm describes the diameter of the piston/cylinder)?

Thanks,
L. McChesney
[email protected]
Porsche 914/72 ??????
Thats the problem. When someone asks, "What year?" I have to respond, "What part?"