KH piston dust seal fixable?

-
C

Creedmoor

Recovering Fordaholic
Joined
Sep 21, 2011
Messages
219
Reaction score
41
Location
Zillah, WA
Finally got all the pistons out of the calipers. However, two of the rings that retain the dust seal boots came with them.

Are theses press fit?
Are they fixable?

Bores are pretty good until just past the seal, then they’re pretty rusty and that’s why the retainer pulled off.

FYI, to use a grease gun to force the pistons out, you can easily make a zerk fitting to thread in to the supply side. I just got a 1 inch long bolt in 3/8”-24, drilled a 1/8” hole all the way through it and then enlarged the head end hole to 3/16” about a 1/4” deep. Then just put one of those tap in zerk fittings in the head end. Note - the bolts only seem to be available in grade 5 or 8. So heat em till they glow and let ‘em cool before drilling. Otherwise, you’ll cook/snap a few drill bits. Not that I did that :)

4BD967B2-6EFB-4E30-9DBA-C2D686597920.jpeg
 
Last edited:
You are working with a 65-66 Kelsey Hayes, 4 piston calipers, aren't you.
It's been awhile since i got my hands on a pair of official 65-66 year, vintage, calipers, but i have rebuilt them.

I will be telling you to go online, and bring up all the vintage Mustang Restoration parts seller companies that come up when you bring up the search listing.
I know i got those items from some company, in the distant past, but can't remember which one(s)
Virginia Mustang comes to mind, for some reason or other, but i dunno.
Good luck.
Jim V.
hemi71x
 
hemi71x said:
You are working with a 65-66 Kelsey Hayes, 4 piston calipers, aren't you.
It's been awhile since i got my hands on a pair of official 65-66 year, vintage, calipers, but i have rebuilt them.

I will be telling you to go online, and bring up all the vintage Mustang Restoration parts seller companies that come up when you bring up the search listing.
I know i got those items from some company, in the distant past, but can't remember which one(s)
Virginia Mustang comes to mind, for some reason or other, but i dunno.
Good luck.
Jim V.
hemi71x
Click to expand...
Geez, I hope not! When I bought my 68 B’cuda about 15 years ago it came with what I was told were all the parts from a 67 Formula S disc brake setup. I’m just getting around to (possibly) swapping my front drums for discs. After some research, there were a few 1st gen brake parts in the pile like a single pot master and distribution block with the cylindrical prop valve.
Came with the spindles, hubs, dust shields, inner/outer bearings, seals and brand new lower ball joints still in the “Rare Parts” packages. Here’s a better pick of the calipers. Please tell me what I’ve got here. Thanks!

281D7947-87B6-4460-A828-55C59B8D8A57.jpeg


4CEE23FB-85C3-4DAA-9B0C-7D4DBCF867C3.jpeg
 
Last edited:
You do have 1965-66 Kelsey Hayes 4 piston, disc brake calipers.
That pad hold down plate, is another give away, to the years.
Used in 65-66.
 
Well crap. Guess I’m not going to be doing this swap. Maybe the parts have some value. Rotors and ball joints are US made parts too. Dang.
 
I know '69 calipers the dust boot has a lip on it that goes into a groove in the caliper; there is no ring used.

From what I see on rockauto.com they list the '67 as the same caliper as the '69. They are showing rebuilt calipers in stock for around $140 each.
 
340sFastback said:
I know '69 calipers the dust boot has a lip on it that goes into a groove in the caliper; there is no ring used.

From what I see on rockauto.com they list the '67 as the same caliper as the '69. They are showing rebuilt calipers in stock for around $140 each.
Click to expand...
That ring is the lip. It just rusted off. Moot point now that I know these are 65-66 calipers.
 
There's really nothing wrong with the calipers that you currently have, it's just the early design of the way the dust boot is attached in the bore of the caliper body itself.
In 67 to 72 the most common design was used, as most likely it cost a lot less in the manufacturing, machining, process to get the calipers made.

I got to thinking about this, and hope you wouldn't have to purchase whats knows as "A master rebuild kit" to get those parts that you need.

Not to toot my own horn here, or anything to detract from your posting, but i will soon to have a rebuilt pair of KH brakes ready for resale, when the replacement pistons get here thru the FEDEX people.
Keep an eye in the for sale section.
Jim V.
hemi71x
 
Well, I would say that those are even more so desirable (possibly).
If it were me? I would offer what you have up for trade for exact same that will work on your 68.
You have something hard to find, dont "get rid" of them until you have what you need!
Oh, $140 at RA? I would be all over those...
Creedmoor said:
That ring is the lip. It just rusted off. Moot point now that I know these are 65-66 calipers.
Click to expand...
 
4spdragtop said:
Well, I would say that those are even more so desirable (possibly).
If it were me? I would offer what you have up for trade for exact same that will work on your 68.
You have something hard to find, dont "get rid" of them until you have what you need!
Oh, $140 at RA? I would be all over those...
Click to expand...
FYI
Be very careful these days in what you think your getting from Rock Auto in the way of prices for the calipers they have for sale.
Those calipers go in an out of stock faster than babies go thru diapers.
You may think those prices are cheap, but if they don't come with the caliper hard lines, they are now costing in the $60.00 dollar range to get.
Then the cost of pad hold down clips, more $$$$$$.
Then the cost of pads, of your choosing.
Also the shipping charges these days are thru the roof, adding onto the cost.
These calipers are not cheap to rebuild, or purchase in this day and age, sad to say.

The calipers that i currently am working on, the replacement, rebuilding parts have gone up substantially, since the last pair that i went thru.
Sad to say, my next selling price, will be with a price increase. Can't do anything about it.
Jim V.
hemi71x
 
Last edited:
Will the 65-66 calipers bolt on, work the same on 67-69 A bodies?

I ”think” all I need to rebuild them is the bore seals, dust boots and possibly pistons. The crossover and supply lines look like they’d be ok.

Back to one of my original questions, that ring that holds the dust seal that came off, is it fixable?
 
Last edited:
Creedmoor said:
Sorry, still confused. Do you mean replace the rings or the calipers? Do new dust seals/boots come with new rings?
Click to expand...
The rings were PART of the calipers at one point. MADE ONTO THEM. They've rusted off. You need new (reman) calipers.
 
MAJOR REBUILD KIT, DISC BRAKE CALIPER - #2221-5BK - National Parts Depot


MAJOR SEAL KIT, DISC BRAKE CALIPER - #2221-5AK - National Parts Depot

In all the years that i have been rebuilding these Kelsey Hayes 4 piston calipers for resale, i can say that i have only come across two pairs of official 1965-66 year calipers, in the literally dozens of these calipers that i have gone thru.
And yes, i have done both Mopar, and Ford calipers with the small idiosyncrasies that they have between the two companies that used them, back in the dinosaur days.
It's been many years that i have had a pair of 65-66 calipers, in my hot hands to do my thing with.
And it's been many years apart between the two sets that i remember rebuilding, that they are pretty rare to find, come across, in this modern day and age.
57 year old parts are pretty much on the unobtanium lists these days.
I have forgotten what the caliper bore machining looks like on those 65-66 calipers, but i think the link to the master rebuild kit has all the parts to get the job done.
Hope it helps the op out, in his dilemma with his calipers, but I'm not there in person to take a peak at what the condition of his calipers would look like all disassembled.
Jim V.
hemi71x

KH Caliper Parts (Mobile).jpg
 
Last edited:
RustyRatRod said:
The rings were PART of the calipers at one point. MADE ONTO THEM. They've rusted off. You need new (reman) calipers.
Click to expand...
Man you’re up late or really early! Yeah I thought they were manufactured as part of the caliper too. Bummer———Until——— I saw hemi71x’s post below yours. That master rebuild kit INCLUDES the retainers. Wonder how they’re installed. Gotta be a press fit. Maybe drive em on like a bearing seal?
 
Creedmoor said:
Man you’re up late or really early! Yeah I thought they were manufactured as part of the caliper too. Bummer———Until——— I saw hemi71x’s post below yours. That master rebuild kit INCLUDES the retainers. Wonder how they’re installed. Gotta be a press fit. Maybe drive em on like a bearing seal?
Click to expand...
NO.
There's nothing "press fit" on a KH, 4 piston disc brake caliper.
Everything comes apart easily if the pistons aren't rusted pretty stuck in their bores, and goes back together with lots of manipulating your fingers, with the dust boots, and a small screwdriver.
The first one(s) that you do it's a learning experience, but after that it's easy peasy.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
-

Back
Top