Rear caliper return spring (for e-brake) where to find!?!

tongsli

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Jan 31, 2000
Location
Baltimore, MD
TDI
2000 Jetta TDI, 2004, Jetta Wagon TDI PD
I have one caliper that just hangs up a bit so I put the springs on both sides.

Did nothing other than make the parking brake handle hard to pull up.

Will have to look at the lube trick.

I think my problem is my cables though.
disconnect the cable and squeeze the P-brake by hand. If it is the same, then it's not the cable.

I am in the middle of rebuilding a stock TDI caliper which was rusted at the stem below and underneath the P-brake and rubber boot. Last night I removed the rust and painted it with silver caliper paint.
 

stover954rr

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 14, 2012
Location
North NY
TDI
2010 JSW 2003 Jetta TDI Wagon... Oldman Tan soon to be FS
Hope you don't mind me stealing your pic but



Take off bolt 1 and get that lever off, take off bolt 2 and put it aside, there's a rubber seal below the lever under bolt 1, get it out carefully with a small screwdriver. Now put the lever back on and do the nut up, not fully, just enough to get hold of the pivot. Spray said pivot and work the lever back and forth, use the wind back tool and retract the piston then work the lever some more. Once it's all free put some kind of long term lube in there, replace the seal, the bracket and the lever and add the new spring. This will last a lot longer and give you one hell of a hand brake.
I know this is an old thread, but for search reference purposes.
This is exactly how to fix the issue. I too mine off and it was full of crusty white corrosion. Once I removed the rubber seal, I scraped it out with a small flat head, wire brushed it, and slapped antiseize in there. Put it back together and they are mint!
I only had to take off the one main 13mm bolt and pop out the cable from the hanger.

Thanks seatman!
 

tongsli

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Jan 31, 2000
Location
Baltimore, MD
TDI
2000 Jetta TDI, 2004, Jetta Wagon TDI PD
I know this is an old thread, but for search reference purposes.
This is exactly how to fix the issue. I too mine off and it was full of crusty white corrosion. Once I removed the rubber seal, I scraped it out with a small flat head, wire brushed it, and slapped antiseize in there. Put it back together and they are mint!
I only had to take off the one main 13mm bolt and pop out the cable from the hanger.

Thanks seatman!
Why does Seatman always get the credit! LOL.

I've also found that there is a metal reinforcement in the rubber seal and a set of calipers I was rebuilding had steel to aluminum contact with galvanic action. It caused the aluminum to weaken and it cracked on me while refurbishing.
 

duvs182

New member
Joined
May 20, 2015
Location
Montreal
TDI
2003
Just a little question about removing rubber seal. When I'll remove the rubber seal behind the bolt # 1, does brake fluid will come off. Do I need to remove and drain calliper.
 

Rembrant

Veteran Member
Joined
Oct 31, 2014
Location
Canada's Ocean Playground
TDI
2013 Golf TDI DSG
Just a little question about removing rubber seal. When I'll remove the rubber seal behind the bolt # 1, does brake fluid will come off. Do I need to remove and drain calliper.
I just removed mine this past Sunday. Did it with the caliper on the car and no brake fluid came out. I cleaned the crud out of the seal bore, lubed it and then worked the lever back and forth until it freed up. You can stick the lever on temporarily while the seal is removed to work it. I used a 13 or 14mm socket to tap the seals back into place, then stuffed them full of grease.

Drivers side is usually the worst...at least if you live where they salt the roads in the winter. In my case, the passenger side was worse but only because the drivers side caliper had been replaced previously and was still pretty clean.

Mine was working great once I cleaned it and lubed it. Gets a little more life out of the caliper at least;).

Rem
 

tongsli

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Jan 31, 2000
Location
Baltimore, MD
TDI
2000 Jetta TDI, 2004, Jetta Wagon TDI PD
I just removed mine this past Sunday. Did it with the caliper on the car and no brake fluid came out. I cleaned the crud out of the seal bore, lubed it and then worked the lever back and forth until it freed up. You can stick the lever on temporarily while the seal is removed to work it. I used a 13 or 14mm socket to tap the seals back into place, then stuffed them full of grease.

Drivers side is usually the worst...at least if you live where they salt the roads in the winter. In my case, the passenger side was worse but only because the drivers side caliper had been replaced previously and was still pretty clean.

Mine was working great once I cleaned it and lubed it. Gets a little more life out of the caliper at least;).

Rem
guys,

The fluid is sealed from INSIDE the caliper. There's an o-ring on the other side of that rubber boot.

 
Last edited:

duvs182

New member
Joined
May 20, 2015
Location
Montreal
TDI
2003
Thank you guys ! I'll try this next week. Passenger side caliper lever won't return back and driver side lever seem to be seized. I removed hand break cable and lever is really seized...I need to hit with hammer to make it move a little bit.
 

Lug_Nut

TDIClub Enthusiast, Pre-Forum Veteran Member
Joined
Jun 20, 1998
Location
Sterling, Massachusetts. USA
TDI
idi: 1988 Bolens DGT1700H, the other oil burner: 1967 Saab Sonett II two stroke
Lito's images show the culprit, and where the corrosion needs to be cleaned and lube (more of an anti-corrosion measure than anything) added.
No booster spring is needed when the REAL root cause is corrected.
 

duvs182

New member
Joined
May 20, 2015
Location
Montreal
TDI
2003
I planned to replace my 2 rear caliper because parking break lever was seized on both calliper but I saw this thread. I cleaned like mentioned in this thread and now they are like new. On one caliper cleaning was not enough...I needed to push piston back in to make the level moving. Everything is fine now. Thank you !!!!!!!!!!
 

tongsli

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Jan 31, 2000
Location
Baltimore, MD
TDI
2000 Jetta TDI, 2004, Jetta Wagon TDI PD
I planned to replace my 2 rear caliper because parking break lever was seized on both calliper but I saw this thread. I cleaned like mentioned in this thread and now they are like new. On one caliper cleaning was not enough...I needed to push piston back in to make the level moving. Everything is fine now. Thank you !!!!!!!!!!
You should keep an eye on it in the future. Glad you were able to sort it out!
 

trudub

New member
Joined
May 10, 2012
Location
worcester mass
TDI
09 JSW; 07 WE
Is there a trick to getting the lever off (the one that's under the 13mm nut). I've taken off the nut, but I can't get the lever to come off. Is it supposed to just slide off?
 

steve6

Veteran Member
Joined
May 25, 2010
Location
Beaverton, ON
TDI
2003 jetta tdi
Is there a trick to getting the lever off (the one that's under the 13mm nut). I've taken off the nut, but I can't get the lever to come off. Is it supposed to just slide off?
Just use a screw driver to pry it gently to get it started.. once you start moving it you should be able to rock it back and forth and will come off.. its on a splined section

oddly enough someone just made this thread

http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=455938
 
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