How To Paint Brake Calipers
Article by Mark Trotta
You don't have to disassemble brake calipers to paint them, but it will give neater and cleaner results.
The calipers in this article are from my old 1966 Corvette. While rebuilding the calipers, a quality paint job seemed worthwhile.
Painting is all about surface preparation. To prevent chipping and peeling, you need to start with immaculately clean calipers.
Although these were initially cleaned during disassembly, more cleaning was done before painting.
I sprayed the calipers with brake parts cleaner, then scrubbed them with a wire brush. For the tight spots I used scuff pads, followed up with more brake parts cleaner. After blow-drying with compressed air, I allowed all the parts to dry thoroughly.
The piston bores and bleeder valve holes are not to be painted, and need to be covered up during the painting process. I put old bleeder screws and stuffed rags in the bores, then reinstalled the old bore seals.
Brake Calipers Ready For Paint
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Caliper Paint
Brake caliper paint is heat resistant to 900 degrees. It is easy to apply, dries quickly and is remarkably resistant.
If instructions are followed, caliper paint will not chip, crack, fade or rust, even under extremes of operation or road and weather conditions. Available colors include black, yellow, red, silver, gold, green, purple, and clear.
Several light coats of paint achieve best results.
The reason behind spraying several light coats is to eliminate runs, and allow it to dry before the next coat. For the first pass, spray lightly and aim for the hard-to-reach areas.
Although you could respray as soon as 10 minutes, what's the rush? Remember changes in temperature and humidity are not always known. Take your time. You're not painting a barbecue, you're restoring a classic car.
The four coats I applied took me four days. Each morning, before work, I went out in the garage, changed the position of the calipers on the cardboard, and sprayed on another light coat. I sprayed the last coat a little heavier to smooth out the finish.
After the painting was done, any over-spray on the mating surfaces of the caliper halves was sanded off with steel wool.
Heat Cures The Paint
If you're painting calipers on a warm, sunny day, you can leave them outside in the sun for a few hours.
For best results, allow to sit overnight before reinstalling.
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