Girlings Finally Installed

[blitzed310]

Well I finally got them in the car today. Well almost.

It was a long day but they are in. The job however is not 100% complete. First off I would like to thank all the guys who have done write up's on the following subject, it was a tremendous help, especially Josh and Jason for their information. I was going to do a nice step by step complete write up but I figured they did a good job already.

The install went well, minus the 2 trips to the hardware store to pick up some things. I tried to model my install as per Josh's picture but I was unable to find the tool that "flared" out the 3/16" brake lines. I bought 12" line with the hardware already on them, but I needed to have a 6" line as in the picture below showing Josh's install. Josh if you would be so kind to tell me the method that you went about this would be great.



What I did was go to a junk yard and pull the lines from a Volvo and just use those for now. I want to find the tool or method for flaring out the lines so I can make them to any length I please. So I will redo all the lines at a later date, even though it works fine, and you can’t see the lines, yes I am anal.

So I forgot my camera and had to use my dads POS Canon 2MP. So half the pictures look like shit and didn’t come out right. I'll get better pics up later. But for now:

I took off all the components off the spindle, repacked the bearings, cleaned the backing plate, and cut it accordingly with a cutting wheel.


After fitting the Girlings to the strut you can see the over hang without the method of slotting the holes.



After getting nowhere in 20min with a die grinder and a carbide bit, we went to the store, $30 later we walked out with this bad boy.


20 min later all 4 holes were drilled and ready for install. It’s always good to have an end mill in house!



This is what it looked like after the slotting.


Now, the pads would not fit correctly without slotting the holes on the calipers alone, you would either have to grind about 2-3mm off the spindle, or just take down the edge on the pad itself. I went with grinding the excess off the pad itself without taking any of the ceramic material off the pad, it worked out perfectly.
I also had to use 2mm washers to center the caliper over the rotor, without them it would rub conciderably.


So thats, it, theres a lot of details I left out so if anyone wants a complete write up, I'll do that at a later date. More pics to come....

[jjgbmw323]

Nice work.
I have a set I am thrilled to put on. Thats when I get my 323i back.

Question - did you change the master cylinder?

later,
J

[Dickfruster]

umm really nice

[jrcook320]

Hey CJ, it looks pretty good. Lucky bastard with an end mill. I'm sure your slotting turned out better than mine. To cut the lines you need a small tubing cutter. It will basically look like a C clamp with a sharp wheel on one side. You just tighten it up and roll it around the tube. Then to flare the lines you need a flare kit. Autozone has flare tool kits for rent (aka borrow for free). Its just a bracket that clamps onto the line, then you select the right "die" for the size of line you're working with, turn the screw and it will put a bubble flare on the line.



I kinda have a write up on my cardomain, page 6.
Volvo Brake Swap

[RDAvena]

Hmm strange, I did not have to grind off the brake pads.

Nice job though.

[blitzed310]

I knew I should have asked if they had that kit for rent. I have the cutter, basically same thing as a copper pipe cutter, so I got that part covered.

Ray, it's odd you say that since some people don't have to trim the pads down or the spindle. It might have something to do with the pad manufacture. I bought Axxis Ultimate Carbon/Ceramic pads

[jbob]

sweet sweet necta!

Yeah, I have those same Axxis Ultimates & i don't recall shaving them down either (maybe they recently changed the backing plate on the pads?).

did you get a chance to bed the new brakes in? how do you like that setup so far?

[slowe21]

Nice work, CJ.

Did you just do the front?

[blitzed310]

Nice work, CJ.

Did you just do the front?

Yes

[Echo]

To those of you that have done this, i have the same question as Joe, which master cylinder did you go with? Ive heard that the E12 MC is needed but is this necessarily true? In any case, what is the pedal feel like with whatever MC you are running?

CJ, looks good, just another notch on an already exemplary(sp) car.

Cheers,
Jonas

[blitzed310]

I used the already newly purchaes MC for mine. You do use the E12 MC. The benifit to that is that is has the 2 extra ports for the hard lines. This way you do not have to T it off by the calipers as what I did. I have heard that the pedal feel is not altered that much this way. Although I'm sure going with the E12 MC will be ideal. I have the E12 MC (thanks H3) and once I get it rebuilt I'll throw it in there and note the difference.

FYI Jason has done the swap with the E12 MC. Josh and myself have done it with the E21 MC.

[RDAvena]

The benifit to that is that is has the 2 extra ports for the hard lines.

Plus 2mm more in diameter. My brake pedal has still not softened after 2 years of doing the Girlings.

[jbob]

Ray has the E12 MC as well. The E12 MC has a 23mm diameter...about 2mm bigger than the E21's.
I have yet to 'feel' the brakes of an E21 car w/ the 4-pots & stock MC...so I can only compare the difference between stock & 4-pots w/ E12 MC:
It's a bit more sensitive & slightly harder to push down on the pedal because of the larger diameter (i briefly locked the front wheels up a couple times on accident when I was first bedding in the Axxis Ultimates)...but it feels more easy to control (like during threshold braking) & the pedal never get's close to touching the floor (unlike the stock E21's setup).

I was grining from ear to ear when I first tested out this setup because it brakes so much quicker & better than the stock setup...i love it

[blitzed310]

Ray has the E12 MC as well. The E12 MC has a 23mm diameter...about 2mm bigger than the E21's.

(i briefly locked the front wheels up a couple times on accident when I was first bedding in the Axxis Ultimates)

Thats great I wasn't aware of the larger diameter.

I'll switch to the E12 MC after bfest to compare the differece.
On that note where can I find a rebuild kit for the E12 MC, or is it just a matter of piecing the E21 MC kit together with a few extra o-rings?

Jason, I was with you when you locked up the brakes... it was not on accident

[jbob]

hahaha, yeah i remember that one . lol, i still remember my call to ron davis that morning too: 'my radiator cap won't hold pressure' "you gotta turn the cap on all the way" 'ohhhhhh'

i don't think i had the Axxis Ultimates in @ that time tho....it was still running on the PBR Deluxe (which are so crappy compared to the Ultimates)


Ray rebuilt his E12 MC....got the kit from europeanautomotive.com (i think?)

[RDAvena]

Ray rebuilt his E12 MC....got the kit from europeanautomotive.com (i think?)

I paid for the e12 MC new which is why I am using the "crappy metal master" pads


But CJ you are right. Undo the circlip and disassemble. Clean it out with brake parts cleaner and Assembly is the reverse of diasassembly.