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.
After disassembling, cleaning, and overhauling these 1966 Corvette calipers, they were painted with spray cans.
To prevent chipping and peeling, you need to start with a clean surface. Although they were initially cleaned during disassembly, additional cleaning was done before painting.
The parts were sprayed 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 and shop towels. After blow-drying with compressed air, all the parts were allowed to dry thoroughly.
Since piston bores and bleeder valve holes are not to be painted, they are covered up during the painting process.
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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