Gordon R Posted January 14, 2019 Report Share Posted January 14, 2019 A friend has a Saab 95 Aero and one of the rear callipers kept sticking - not on the slide, but the piston sticking. He bought a new calliper from Ebay - brought it round this afternoon - simple swap ahead. The handbrake cable was seized into the old calliper and wouldn't budge. It wouldn't knock out so we cut the calliper to release it with no damage. He had already checked the new calliper was identical and that was when the fun started. The blurb in the box said it was made exactly to manufacturers spec and should fit exactly. I then noticed that there was no hole in the new calliper to thread the handbrake cable through. In the end we had to drill a hole from scratch - no real hardship except that it had to be 13.43mm. Drilled it several times - increasing diameter each time. In the end we had to file the last 1.43mm. What should have been a twenty minute job turned into a couple of hours. It would have been easier to send the calliper back, but we had trashed the original calliper so it was the proverbial or bust. Sorted now, but a lesson learned. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oowee Posted January 14, 2019 Report Share Posted January 14, 2019 Pretty impressive work 👍 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TIGHTCHOKE Posted January 14, 2019 Report Share Posted January 14, 2019 A valuable lesson learned! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
figgy Posted January 14, 2019 Report Share Posted January 14, 2019 Yes go get the right size drill 😋😉 They're never perfect unless they come from the same machines that made them for the manufacturers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tweedledee Posted January 15, 2019 Report Share Posted January 15, 2019 Original parts are hard to beat..little more expensive but will last longer... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bruno22rf Posted January 15, 2019 Report Share Posted January 15, 2019 Go for the Vauxhall equivalent part if you buy bits for the 95 aero - far cheaper than Saab - usually same part number on box and the only difference is the word Saab. Brilliant cars - got one on my drive that I don't use now I have my Rangie. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gordon R Posted January 15, 2019 Author Report Share Posted January 15, 2019 bruno22rf - decent suggestion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davyo Posted January 15, 2019 Report Share Posted January 15, 2019 11 hours ago, bruno22rf said: Go for the Vauxhall equivalent part if you buy bits for the 95 aero - far cheaper than Saab - usually same part number on box and the only difference is the word Saab. Brilliant cars - got one on my drive that I don't use now I have my Rangie. Same with Mazda parts, i needed a thermostat for my MX5.Mazda wanted £72, guy in the parts department told me to get down the road to Ford.Same identical part £21. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Westley Posted January 15, 2019 Report Share Posted January 15, 2019 12 hours ago, bruno22rf said: Go for the Vauxhall equivalent part if you buy bits for the 95 aero - far cheaper than Saab - usually same part number on box and the only difference is the word Saab. Brilliant cars - got one on my drive that I don't use now I have my Rangie. I would keep it in running order IF, you have a Rangie. You may just need it ! 😉 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bruno22rf Posted January 15, 2019 Report Share Posted January 15, 2019 Ssssssh - had my Rangie (14 year old) over 18 months now and it's been ,pretty much, 100% reliable - parts are ridiculously expensive but then most car parts are - I buy BMW equivalent parts for the engine - about 50% cheaper than RR. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paddy Galore! Posted January 19, 2019 Report Share Posted January 19, 2019 just snapped a drive shaft today, didn't look that old compared to the rest of the workings when I was under there doing the brakes etc, I wonder if that was an ebay special once upon a time. it's only a civic so hardly a performance car. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gordon R Posted January 23, 2019 Author Report Share Posted January 23, 2019 A couple of years ago, I bought some brake discs off Ebay for my wife's Suzuki - cheap, but warped after less than 5k miles. I have stuck to well known brands since. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bruno22rf Posted January 23, 2019 Report Share Posted January 23, 2019 I guess you "pays your money" - bought 2 Drive shafts from the Bay for my Saxo - came with CV joint and gaiter, £34 inc postage for the pair (shipped from Germany) - now done 7K+ miles and look like new. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ditchman Posted January 23, 2019 Report Share Posted January 23, 2019 i re-built a seized Mariner outboard engine...couple of years ago........i needed 2 special crankshaft ball bearings....original ones.......... price...£187.00 for the pair...... went somewhere else got them for £13.00 for the pair...once i got the stickers off...underneath them....they were original ones........... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Papercase Posted January 23, 2019 Report Share Posted January 23, 2019 I have this issue every time I buy a "Britpart" AKA "****part" bit for the landy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gordon R Posted January 23, 2019 Author Report Share Posted January 23, 2019 About ten years ago I went into a bearing stockist - Arrow Bearings in Salford from memory. I wanted some 1" wheel bearings for a small motorbike trailer. I bought some and found they were too slack on the axle. I went back and me and a lad from the firm searched through a large bin - measuring them with digital micrometer for bearings with the correct dimensions. Some were actually about 1mm out. His explanation was that one village in China might not have the same idea as the next village as to what 1" was. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ditchman Posted January 23, 2019 Report Share Posted January 23, 2019 1 hour ago, Papercase said: I have this issue every time I buy a "Britpart" AKA "****part" bit for the landy. some of the britpart stuff is utter carp................the other stuff is usually very good ...it is just by word of mouth and experience you find out what is good and bad .......... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
la bala Posted January 23, 2019 Report Share Posted January 23, 2019 1 hour ago, Papercase said: I have this issue every time I buy a "Britpart" AKA "****part" bit for the landy. Its the old old story, you get what you pay for. The last time i did the brakes on my landy. Brake shoes from ====part, £12, and from Mintex £33. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gordon R Posted January 24, 2019 Author Report Share Posted January 24, 2019 la bala - Bought some Mintex pads and discs for my motor - fitted front last month. Rears are in garage for next summer. Mintex have been good for a really long time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
la bala Posted January 24, 2019 Report Share Posted January 24, 2019 1 hour ago, Gordon R said: la bala - Bought some Mintex pads and discs for my motor - fitted front last month. Rears are in garage for next summer. Mintex have been good for a really long time. Have used Mintex all my life, when it comes to brakes i wouldnt touch the blue box parts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gordon R Posted January 24, 2019 Author Report Share Posted January 24, 2019 I can remember Mintex "Green" appearing in the 1960s. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Budice Posted January 24, 2019 Report Share Posted January 24, 2019 Most major aftermarket parts manufacturers supply to the OEM, just buy a known recognised brand. Ferodo brakes, Wix, Mahle or Fram for filters, Valeo, Sachs and LUK for cluthc kits, Gates or INA for timing belt kits. Us your local motor factor as well or Ebay if they have a prescence there Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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