Hi,

My neighbor has a 1986 Volvo 200 Wagon, and she says the right rear caliper is stuck according to a muffler shop that looked at it. A burning smell was coming from that area so things got pretty hot.

My questions are:

What do you guys usually replace after this happens?

Do you change the calipers on both sides, and should she change the pads or rotors to be safe? Can the rotor warp from overheating?

Also, how is the quality of remanufactured calipers? OK ?

Thanks,
Randy

The reman calipers that FCP Groton sells are good enough that the local Volvo dealer uses them. How's that for an endorsement? Never had a problem with a rebuilt caliper. Good used ones that are 100% free-moving should work fine as well, as long as you can get the bleeder screws to move.

Try to bleed as little as possible and do it slowly. It's not uncommon for the "Brake Failure" switch to apparently get stuck and you DON'T want to deal with that little distribution block under the master cylinder.
--
Rob Bareiss, New London CT ::: 86 244DL, 87 244DL, 88 744GLE, 91 244: 808K total

All things considered, if cost IS an object I would have no qualms replacing just the offending caliper with a rebuilt. However, if the rotor on that wheel has been chewed up because of the frozen caliper, then I would turn or replace BOTH rotors on the same axle, and put on fresh pads and shims (shims are the steel backing plates between the piston and the brake pad backing plates; Teflon coated these days to minimize brake squeal). Since calipers are fundamentally simple hydraulic devices, I don't think that one rebuilder is head and shoulders above another. However, as long as you deal with a reputable retail outlet who stands behind their stuff, you shouldn't have any problem.

If it's YOU that's going to do the work, then be aware that Volvo 240's without ABS have a peculiar bleeding sequence due to their dual-diagonal brake system. Chances are, you won't have to bleed more than the one corner you're working on; pop the cap on the master cylinder and put a piece of Saran wrap over the opening and reinstall the cap - this will stop the reservoir from venting to atmosphere and limit the amount of brake juice which will piddle out when the old caliper is removed. I would also squirt some brake fluid (DOT 4, of course) into the caliper before installing on the car. And give the brake line fitting (where it screws into the caliper) a shot or 2 of PBlaster a day before you do the job, just to help prevent dealing with a frozen connection.

Could even be a hose swollen shut. See if the bleeder valve drips when
opened. If not, the hose is swollen shut and a new hose will probably
fix it.
--
George Downs, The "original" Walrus3, Bartlesville, Oklahoma

Not an uncommon problem on older cars. The piston in the caliper that forces the brake pads against the rotor has a rubber boot linning on it to prevent contamination [dirt and crud] from entering the pistons port. When the boot develops a hole, accumulated dirt, sand, and moisture will cause a corrosive process that prevents the piston from retracting when the brakes are released. Consequently, the caliper piston will be forced outward when the driver applies braking power but may not retract when the brake pressure is relaxed. The resultant effect is a partialy applied brake on the rotor with the bad caliper piston liner.

When this happens the associated rotor will exceed normal operating temps and will experience warping in a very short time. Depending on a the rotor's condition and the temp it is subjected to will influence the ability of a shop to true [turn to limits]a warped rotor. Because the front brakes on a volvo carry a higher precentage of the braking effort, the front brakes often need truning before the back rotors do. Vented rotors can extend the operational life because they dissipate heat in a more efficent manner.

As a GENERAL RULE OF THUMB, always replace the pads, rotors, calipers on paired systems at the same time, I.E. front or back. This will ensure a more even braking action. Though in a pinch you can get by with just doing one side, however, be particularly aware of the problems you can ecounter with mismatched braking systems, most noticabally on slippery surfaces.

With the information you have provided, I would replace or turn the rear rotors, replace the pads with quality units, and seriously consider replacing both rear calipers with new or rebuilt units. Also, at this point I would I would flush and bleed the system with DOT 4 brake fluid. If you are somewhat mechanically inclinded, get a Bently manual to do this. There are plenty of pictures and explanations. To do the rear brakes with a helper should take about 4 to 6 hours for a novice. Pay particular attention to the brake lines and bleed screws. On older vehicles they have a nasty habit of stripping or braking off when trying to open them up. Feel free to ask more questions, as I expect you will get several different opinions on this.

before you go and replace the caliper make sure its not the emergency brake that is seized on. The symptoms are almost identical.

oty,

Thanks for the info. That's exactly what I suspected but I was looking for confirmation from someone that has seen this problem before.

regards,
Randy

i would replace the rear rotors if you can supply the parts yourself. why bother turning them when it is only $17.50 per rear rotor ($35 total for both)? you'd probably have to pay close to that much to turn them.
--
Kenric Tam
1990 Volvo 740 base sedan (B230F)
My Volvo 'Project'