Not to question what you've stated but, you do know that the brake fluid reservoir is a split design with the rear section feeding the rear brakes correct? And if the rear section runs dry you've got problems.

The fluid over flows the internal divider from the front larger section to the smaller harder to see rear section. When bleeding or working on the rears you need to keep the fluid level in the front section very near the maxomum level to ensure the overflow into the rear section.

If you already knew this, forgedaboutit!

You are on the right track weird ! If they dont have a core charge (change over), you will be able to clean up the old ones, get them working & sell them on fleabay !!

__________________
Grumpy Old Diesel Owners Club group

I no longer question authority, I annoy authority. More effect, less effort....

1967 230-6 auto parts car. rust bucket.
1980 300D now parts car 800k miles
1984 300D 500k miles
1987 250td 160k miles English import
2001 jeep turbo diesel 130k miles
1998 jeep tdi ~ followed me home. Needs a turbo.
1968 Ford F750 truck. 6-354 diesel conversion.
Other toys ~J.D.,Cat & GM ~ mainly earth moving

can't go wrong with that.

__________________
________________

punkinfair

Another factor in the rebuild vs. buy rebuilt: apparently the original OEM calipers on many models were powder coated for rust resistance (or so my indie, Mike Burback, tells me). The cheap rebuilds that you can buy at the discount auto parts store never are.

Kurt

__________________
- '79 240D - engine swap complete! Engine broken in! 28-31 mpg! Lovin' the ride!
- '86 190D (W201-126) - 2.5 NA engine, 5 speed, cloth interior, manual climate controls, 33-34 mpg (sold to forum member).

I think the original rear calipers on my '84 TD were zinc chomated - kind of a pale gold finish. After 26 years, there wasn't anything left of the original finish. Only rust. One of them eventualy siezed and overheated causing uneven braking at first, then a low pedal after the fluid started boiling!. The pedal rturned to normal after the caliper cooled off.
The rebuilds I installed had some sort of grey finish, so I painted them with aluminum paint.

Happy Motoring, Mark

__________________
DrDKW

I don't know that they ever worked. I only have had the car for a few months. I just did some minor repairs and safetied it myself. It has never had good braking since I got it, guess I know why now.

__________________
1982 300sd, new project car to restore

It doesn't matter if you know what you're doing, as long as you look like you know what you're doing.

you safetied it with frozen rear calipers?

__________________
________________

punkinfair

sometimes, you can get a big c clamp- assuming the pistons are not all the way retracted- and force the pistons back. once you break them loose they will work again. take a wire toothbrush and clean the calipers where the pads ride, sand the ends of the pads down a rch and apply mb bremklotz (sic) paste to em. this will get your brakes working again, no guarantee they won't freeze up again though. new calipers are a better fix, but i'm a cheapskate.

__________________
1984 300TD "MAX" 303K+ still going...
fast '70 Chevelle 200k+
home built Shovelhead chopper