Help!..........I intended on replacing front vented rotors and brake pads
and in the process SPLIT the Girling Caliper apart without realizing the warning in the Haynes manual that cautions against it. Do I now have to purchase a complete assembly, or can I put the halves together and hope that I have no hydraulic leaks?
85 240 DL Wagon 192k

If your rebuild kit includes the seal used between the halves of the caliper, then use it to reassemble the caliper. Be carefull that the two surfaces of the caliper halves are absolutely flat and have no burrs. You won't have a problem. You must replace the small seal though.

Thanks for your response RHYS.
I loosened the 4 caliper bolts first on one side of the wagon before I realized thatI had broken into the Hyraulic line....I did not have a re-build kit so I cleaned the small washers and put the halves together. I was worried that I would have air leaks....because the manual warns that breaking the calipers in half is a big no-no and that they could only be put together correctly "under factory conditions" with the "right tools"
I was too broke to buy new calipers.
I finished the job by using Chinese made rotors(16.99) and cheap brake pads
( 9.99) ....I am thinking that the calipers are probabbly going to wear out the pads prematurely anyway...........next year I'll do the job right..when there's money in my bank account. BUt I have all the respect in the world for the Swedish Engineers....I was impressed with the design of the brake system......
You don't know how much I appreciated your response.....I have no friends who are mechanics...and sometimes rookie mechanic wanna-bees...need silly questions answered...........and this website is a vast resource that I will utilize and support. Thanks again.

This is a great website - I have learned a great deal myself here.
As you are dealing with brakes, one must be very carefull. Be sure to inspect the caliper for leaks after bleeding and test driving. Also check for free rotation of the wheel (s) after a hard brake application. That will prove the caliper pistons are retracting properly.
Depending on the caliper, the engineers in question were either British (Girling) or German (Ate "Alfred Teves"). But the Swedes chose well.
Good luck with it.