ST205 - Replacing all 4 rotors & front caliper rebuild, DIY - I did it. Options

[Jeebus]

Hey folks,

So when I last took my GT-Four to get my new wheels (to a performance garage), the mechanic told me one of my front calipers was seized, and my rotors were not in the best condition (pads looked new though).

I've gone ahead and bought replacement rotors and received my caliper rebuild set in the mail today, but I'm not quite sure whether this is a task I should do on my own with my limited mechanical experience, especially working on something critical like the brakes.

I've phoned the garage, and they've quoted me 4~5hrs of labour.

I've also looked around the web to see some FAQs and have found these two DIYs:
GT4dc.co.uk
GT4OC.net

Now the question comes to this, should I save myself $350 in cash and attempt this on my own, or get it professionally done?

The part I'm most unsure about (since I've never done it before) is working with the brake-line (bleeding and such).
What will be the most difficult & critical part if I decide to do this task myself in my own garage?

This post has been edited by Jeebus: Feb 13, 2014 - 2:31 PM

[playr158]

I have always opted to buy remanufactured calipers rather than try to rebuild myself.
For the most part you just un bolt the caliper and putt new one on. Then get a friend to help you bleed it.
But watch a couple bids on bleeding it, if you mess that up you could be in big trouble.

Also you generally need to flush the old fluid all the way through if it looks old and dirty, bad fluid is what causes caliper failure in the first place.
You just keep putting more fluid in and bleeding it out, until the new stuff is squirting out the hose.
But you would need to bleed all four wheels, starting with the longest brake line.
Also be sure and regrease the slider pins with some bearing grease

Or you may not even need a caliper.
Take a little strip of wood and a C clamp and try to slowly push the piston in, if it will go all the way back in then it's just fine.
It may be that it's dragging just because the slider pin is seized cause the grease is gone.

I'm thinking reman GT4 calipers are rather pricey and a rebuild (seals) is pretty easy.
GT4 calipers also do not have a slider pin like the USDM brakes do.

[Jeebus]

GT4 calipers also do not have a slider pin like the USDM brakes do.

I found this out as I finally took my one caliper off. I now have a can of silicone spray that I probably won't use anymore.

Status update, it took me 5hrs of labour to do my front left caliper from start to finish..... Haha. Mind you, I'm working in my dad's garage for the first time as they just moved into a new home in Dec. I didn't know where anything was, or what tools I had available, plus doing this for the first time. I thought this project was going to be a son & father afternoon, but he had other plans and left me.

Biggest challenge for myself was getting all 4 pistons out while being as clean as I could, and bleeding the brake. It's dark now and I'm working in a cold garage. I'm trying to decide whether I should do the other caliper now, or replace the rear rotors under a floodlight, or whether just to hold off until tomorrow.

I'm trying to take pics, but my hands are getting covered in brake fluid (no plastic gloves), so I'm trying to limit using my camera. I'm sure there's enough pics on this whole subject though.