I'm rebuilding the brakes on my '65 122 and I am having trouble getting the caliper dust seals installed. What is the best sequence for doing this?

I was able to get it done by using red rubber grease. The dust seal for the large piston was the most difficult. The dust seal would not stay in the groove without the piston in place. I found that using the piston to push the lipped part of the dust seal in in ahead of the piston worked best. Then I was able to work the parts of the lip into the groove.

For the 2 smaller pistons, I was able to get the dust seal into the groove first and then use a hook to carefully pull the upper part of the dust seal up around the piston so that the piston could be pushed into place. Using the red brake assembly grease worked better than brake fluid.

The red brake assembly grease is hard to find. If you go to an auto parts store, they will try to sell you the caliper grease that you use to lubricate the pads and retaining pins. I was able to find the correct "red rubber" grease on amazon. I now have enough to do a few lifetimes worth of brakes.

Where did you get your repair kits?

Are you having trouble with both dust boots are just the ones for the 2 piston side?

Back when I used to rebuild calipers myself, I ran across rebuild kits that had dust boots for the 2 piston side that weren't symmetrical. They were kind of kidney bean shaped and I refused to even try to install them.
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Eric
Hi Performance Automotive Service (formerly OVO or Old Volvos Only)
Torrance, CA 90502
hiperformanceautoservice.com or oldvolvosonly.com

I've had the kits for a few years in my spare parts box. They look like they will fit but I am not sure whether you put the seals in first and then the piston or whether you somehow jam them in after the piston is installed.

Install the piston o-rings inside the bores 1st, then the dust boots and then install the pistons.
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Eric
Hi Performance Automotive Service (formerly OVO or Old Volvos Only)
Torrance, CA 90502
hiperformanceautoservice.com or oldvolvosonly.com

When I rebuilt mine I installed:

1. Inner seals (after dipping them in brake fluid)
2. Pistons
3. Dust seals

That order worked out fine, but there is a bit of a knack to getting the dust seal rings on without bunching the edge of the dust seal. You'll get the hang of it.
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Current rides: 2005 Volvo S80 2.5T, 2003 Volvo V70 2.4NA, 1973 Volvo 1800ES (getting ever closer to road worthiness)

Hello Chris,

That works for 4 piston and 2 piston Girling calipers, but not the 3 piston Girling calipers.

The 3 piston calipers have a grove that the specially formed edge of the dust boot must be inserted. When the pistons are installed, it forces the edge of the dust boots firmly into the groove.

The later 4 piston and 2 piston dust boots are retained by a wire clip that are installed after the piston seal and piston are installed.
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Eric
Hi Performance Automotive Service (formerly OVO or Old Volvos Only)
Torrance, CA 90502
hiperformanceautoservice.com or oldvolvosonly.com

Interesting. Thanks for explaining.
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Current rides: 2005 Volvo S80 2.5T, 2003 Volvo V70 2.4NA, 1973 Volvo 1800ES (getting ever closer to road worthiness)