Cleveland Brake calipers

[Jeff]

I have been having brake fluid leakage at the bottom of each caliper on my 1966 PA-30 Turbo Comanche. Today while running up an engine before departure the right brake failed and fluid was running from the bottom of the caliper. I was advised by a local mechanic that over time these calipers wear out and replacing the "O" rings only rectifies the issue in the short term. He also stated that purchasing new calipers would be the best option for reliability issues. If anyone has experienced this I would appreciate your opinion and also a vendor for the Cleveland calipers. Thank you. Jeff

[Kristin Winter]

OK! I am not really buying that. The calipers will be hugely expensive. They list for around $1,700, ea. Replace the o-rings and see how long it lasts. You might be pleasantly surprised. I don't know how a mechanic can make that recommendation until they have taken it apart and looking at it. Mine hav 4,000 hours on them and when I rebuilt the landing gear three years ago, I replaced the o-rings. Still going strong a couple of hundred hours later.

[md11flyer]

Ditto Kristen's reply, Calipers don't wear out, the "o" rings do. Maybe the calipers "wear out" because of water finding its way into the system and corroding
the parts, but if you reverse bleed the system yearly or every 2 years, you won't have that problem. (For the folks that say that not necessary, I just say the $10 dollars for fluid once a year is
nice insurance).
Pull the calipers apart if the pistons and calipers are still good and not corroded beyond use, replace the "o" rings and for a couple of dollars you are on your way.

Gary

[Jeff]

[Kristin Winter]

Well that is a first. I have never heard of the calipers wearing out. Now if they were pitted from corrosion, that might be a different deal, but you haven't mentioned corrosion. So no, I have never heard of anyone boring them out.

[Jeff]

Thanks Kristin, I have the calipers in my possession and I have cleaned them and without being a mechanic I observed no corrosion or pitting to the piston or sidewalls. I suspect a mechanic who worked for the shop over 1 year ago installed new "O" rings 2 years ago and never cleaned the calipers out and possibly foreign material was left on the sidewalls causing the "O" rings not to seal properly. Needless to say no one in the shop inspected them when they were taken off. I will speak to the shop this week. This could be an expensive mistake on my part. Jeff

[Kristin Winter]

It sounds like you have a legitimate beef with the shop.

I wish I had a dollar for everytime I was told that such and such plane was just fine as it was maintained by a mechanic who owned and knew Comanches, and yet turned out to have significant problems. My respect for the overall quality of general aviation aircraft mechanics has been eroding for years.

Kristin

[Kristin Winter]

It sounds like you have a legitimate beef with the shop.

I wish I had a dollar for everytime I was told that such and such plane was just fine as it was maintained by a mechanic who owned and knew Comanches, and yet turned out to have significant problems. My respect for the overall quality of general aviation aircraft mechanics has been eroding for years.

Kristin