Brake caliper dust boot - Toyota Nation Forum : Toyota Car and Truck Forums

daler · 08-07-2007, 08:01 PM

Our Camry is a 1995 V6 LE. I recently re&re'd the brake rotors with ATE Premium rotors and noticed one of the caliper piston (dust) boots was damaged (a cut in the folds). I doubt it will affect the integrity of the piston and sleeve for a little while, at least until the crappy weather starts up. The caliper is a dual piston type.

What I would like to know is if anyone has repaired/replaced these rubber boots ..or if it is feasible to do it at all? And if so, what's involved and can parts be ordered for it? I have a Haynes manual but it doesn't get into this particular repair process much.

Thanks. Dale, in Victoria, BC

Stillrunning · 08-08-2007, 06:25 AM

I repaired my torn boot. A little trouble but no big deal. NAPA was the only supplier I could find with a kit. You will probably need to buy a piston kit to get the boot and retaining ring which also comes with a piston seal you will not need. You will have to pump the pistons out a little and use a small pick to remove the old boot. Don't pump the pistons too far or they will pop out. Use a little anti-seize to install the new boot. If you leave the torn boot in place rust will form on the caliper bore and piston. As the pads wear the advancing piston could leak due to the rust. If there are quite a few miles on your calipers and you need new pads soon you could wait and just buy a rebuilt caliper when you change the pads, unless the cost difference is an issue. Boot kits are about $8, new calipers over a hundred. I bought my car with new pads and didn't want to spend on a new caliper. So I cleaned the slides and caliper at the same time I repaired the boot.

Yanpapa · 08-08-2007, 09:23 AM

This is not your car but will give you some idea of how to fix/replace it:
http://www.lexls.com/tutorials/brake/fbcaliper.html

daler · 08-08-2007, 10:33 AM

Thanks for the tips, guys.

I did check the Toyota dealer and they want c$200 + core per caliper or c$70 for a repair kit

Seems a shame to spend all that money for just one itty bitty dust boot

I'll try some local parts jobbers and see what they have for parts, otherwise it may be something online instead ..any good suggestions there are appreciated..

From your advice and parts pictures it seems pretty straightforward: am I correct in that the outside edge of the boot attaches with a ring to a notch in the bore after the piston is fully retracted, and the inner lip of the boot pops into a notch on the piston after it's partially exposed ?

Also, I plan to do a complete bleed of the system once the fix is in place. I have a vacume hand pump that I've used successfully on my '55 Chev pickup and will try it on the Camry. Has anyone had success with using these on the Cams ? How much fluid should I buy to do a full flush (how much does the system hold) ?

Dale

Stillrunning · 08-08-2007, 11:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by daler

am I correct in that the outside edge of the boot attaches with a ring to a notch in the bore after the piston is fully retracted, and the inner lip of the boot pops into a notch on the piston after it's partially exposed ?

Yes. But you install the retaining ring when the boot is extended.

Quote:

How much fluid should I buy to do a full flush (how much does the system hold) ?

I've only used a pressure flush. If your fluid is discolored then flush until it is clear. Do wheel farthest from master first, working to wheel closest to master(front left). At least a quart on hand. Any unopened fluid can be returned.

daler · 08-08-2007, 01:47 PM

"Install the ring when the boot is extended"

..hmm.. so I take it that I extend that bare piston, pull the boot over its notch then put the outside of the boot into the bore notch and secure with the ring? ..if that's the case and having not actually seen the device apart, how will the ring fit into the bore when the piston is slid past it (covering it)? ..or do you mean keeping the piston retracted and stretching the boot out by hand and then attaching the outside of it (with ring) into the bore notch?

haha, a picture has got to be worth 1000 words here. Dale

Stillrunning · 08-08-2007, 02:12 PM

It's pretty self explained once you extend the pistons. The dual pistons may present an access problem but I would extend both (no choice there) and then push back one to give better access. Just be careful you don't push one out while you push the other in, I'm not sure how they're connected hydraulically. You need to extend the piston to get the old boot off and the new one on. The retaining ring is a split ring that you insert one part at a time from one edge to the other. A small pocket screwdriver will help. I had rebuilt calipers before but never repaired a boot and I got through it OK - you will too with some patience. Sorry, I can't tear down my caliper now and rebuild it just to get some pics. Maybe a Google search will turn up something.

steppinthrax · 08-08-2007, 02:25 PM

The lexus uses dual piston calipers (shit) that's pretty impressive. I imagine the camrys use single piston right..

A caliper rebuild kit shouldn't cost no more then 14 dollars a caliper at autozone.

daler · 08-08-2007, 06:55 PM

Well, hell

Checked all the local jobbers and repair kits no longer available in Canada ..only reman calipers for $100 a pop or a dealer kit (few rubber parts) for $65+ ! Seems silly to spring for any of that for just a little torn dust boot. Tried the few US online stores that seemed to carry the kit, but alas no shipping to Canada!
Anyone with a spare they can part with would sure be appreciated

Dale

daler · 08-10-2007, 06:47 PM

Well heck, that was easy! Took all of 1/2 hr, including jacking up the car. As luck had it I managed to source a kit locally for $9 ..a great counter partsman at work there.
Thanks everyone for the tips on putting the boot install picture in my mind

Afterwards I tried a one-man bleed of the brakes using a handheld vacume pump at each bleeder screw. The process works so well on my '55 Chev truck, but not good luck in suctioning much fluid out of each line on this car. It's as if there is some sort of valve that closes when the brakes are at rest. Is this true with ABS brakes on this car? Will only a 2-person purge-into-a-bottle be the answer?

Thanks for any thoughts on that process.

Dale

Stillrunning · 08-10-2007, 07:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by daler

It's as if there is some sort of valve that closes when the brakes are at rest. Is this true with ABS brakes on this car? Will only a 2-person purge-into-a-bottle be the answer?

I have never used a suction bleed, only a wife-pumps-the-pedal bleed and a pressurized bleed. I have one ABS vehicle and it presents no problems with either the wife or pressure bleed. I use about 15psi on the pressure bleed. On a suction bleed the air pressure will push about 14psi so I can't say why the problem unless you are collapsing a brake line somewhere. Did you remove the master cylinder cap first?

daler · 08-10-2007, 07:13 PM

Yeah, I did remove the cap. However, using the hand-vac it seemed to be pulling a lot of air in around the bleed screws, but with hardly any fluid flowing into the vacume jar. I don't have a pressure rig so I can't really check that process out. I'm by myself at the moment (wife's away) but have my son coming over for a visit tomorrow ..I guess I can leave it up in the air until I get help. Still, it stumps me why fluid cannot be suctioned out, even with the bleed screws open wide.