Leviathan

Just got my new AP brakes with the 4pot callipers.
All very nice but after all my 'research' ive noticed that there isnt any dust seals/boots on the pistons! Is this going to be a problem or what? I thought it was only willwood $h!te that had no dirt seals. The car wont be used in the wet but this is abit worrying, will they be ok?
Cheers for any replys people!

ozzy

There's two versions of the 4-pots; race (no seals) and road (dust seals). Did you specifically order the race version?

I think brake dust maybe your worst enemy with the pistons. Personally, I wouldn't risk it (but I've no first-hand experience) and you can never gaurantee the car won't get wet.

Stefan

Leviathan

Cheers Stefan, didnt bloody know that til now, i shall have to swap them.

Gary

pdqrs2000

its not the end of the world.
for years 'performance' calipers never had dust seals.
AP do loads of calipers and there is only one range (out of about 10) which have seals.
I have bremsport calipers on mine and these have no seals. Fitted by dialynx (audi specialist) who have been using them for years. They tell me they have customers with the same calipers who have had them on their cars for 5+ years with no probs.
You just need to make sure you clean the pistons well when you push them to put new pads in.
Alternatively you can treat the piston seals as servicable parts and just change them every few years.
So like I said - not the end of the world - but if it was me & the shop was ok with it, I'd change them for fully sealed too.

Leviathan

Cheers mate, thats made me feel abit better about it, il have a chat with them and see what they say.
The car isnt an every day car anyway and the last scoob i had only covered 8000 miles in 2 years and only went out in the wet a hand full of times, from what you say, i may get away with it if the calipers are looked after and kept clean with a carefull spray of W.D around the pistons every now & again.

hammy

My AP race 4pots lasted 9 years before seizing and I beleive they only seized due to using DS3000 & PFC83 pads! Less aggressive and low dust DS2500 pads would have helped (if been invented then).

The reason why "****e Wilwoods" (as you put it) won't last as long as race AP's is because the piston bore coating is low spec' anodising compared to hard anodising which is very corrosion resistant. My mates Wilwoods (hard anodised by me) simply get 0.68mu (DS3000plus) dust wiped straight off it, no prob's!

Lev', I would definately ask for the AP kit to be swopped for a Road spec' kit to save you trying to explain (educate) that they are ok!

Good luck, Stuart

Chelspeed

Why do you say they have no dust seals? Because you can't see any seals around the business end of the piston presumably.

I'm pretty sure that for their road going 4 and 6 pots, what they call their Formula Brake Kits, AP must fit the dust seals within the bores so they're not visible without popping the pistons. Quote from their web page "All Performance Road Brake Calipers use conventional seals in conjunction with a dirt seal...". Do you know what model caliper it is?

So if you have a road brake kit it should have dust seals.

Leviathan

Yes, they are road calipers m8! Ive since found out.
Im to used to seeing bloody great rubber boots around the pistons i think.
It would appear that AP use a second seal 'inside' and infront of the fluid seal, so now im happy!