Replacing brake caliper ?-'87 900

[onespeaker]

I'm about to replace the right front brake caliper on my 87 900. I've never done this before. Is it fairly straight forward ? Could anything possibly go wrong ?
Also is the brake fluid hose on the caliper end crimped or screw on ?
Thanks in advance for your help.

[Si]

The hose is screwed in, if i remember correctly the bit it screws into on the caliper turns independantly so you can unscrew it without twisting up the brake line.

I have'nt replaced the caliper itself so not sure on the exact process, i only had to replace a brake line.

[Matthew]

There are a few pictures here that may help you:
http://www.saabcentral.com/phpgaller...ivetrain_work/

That URL will change soon, but an updated one will be in my sig so you'll still be able to find the pictures.

[ejenner]

Could it be a rear handbrake car if it's a 1987? or did that change in 88' ?

If it's a rear handbrake model then the front caliper will be fixed to the hub with two bolts (17mm if I remember rightly) I think you can remove the calliper without taking off the frame that holds the outside pad. (I used to remove the whole calliper when I replaced pads but have since discovered that that wasn't necessary )

I would try and clamp the rubber brake hose with a mole-wrench so you don't loose too much fluid. If you push the piston back into the calliper before you do this then that will help keep more fluid in the system. After clamping the hose you can unscrew it from the calliper. Once you've loosened the thread on the hose you will need to rotate the calliper rather than the hose as the hose is fixed at the other end.

It is a good idea to apply thread-lock to the calliper bolts before you bolt the calliper back up to the hub. Once the calliper is back on the hub you will need to bleed that calliper so there is no air in that line. Better still would be to bleed the whole system and replace the fluid but that may be further than you'd need to go if only replacing one calliper.

Edit: use the same brake pads in the replacment calliper as the ones you removed from the old calliper. Unless your replacing the pads on both sides.

[Matthew]

You're right. The changeover year was MY87 IIRC, so unless it's a MY86 registered in 1987 then it'll be rear-handbrake.

[kemosaabey]

Late '87 was the changeover so it could be a front handbrake....

2 19mm bolts (with locktab) is all that holds it on....

[Matthew]

Originally Posted by kemosaabey

Late '87 was the changeover

So those will be MY88 cars then...?

[deniss]

Model year 87 was the last year of the front handbrake design. My 87 SPG has front handbrake, for instance. They revised the braking system for the 88 model year, as evident from the parts catalogues, and that's when the handbrake was moved to the rear.

[ejenner]

The car I just had scrapped was an 'E' reg delivered on 24/02/88 - that had a rear handbrake. Another 'E' reg I worked on recently had a front handbrake. So I guess it would be somewhere between August 87' and Feb 88'

Late in 87' - like someone said earlier.

[cdaly]

Originally Posted by deniss

and that's when the handbrake was moved to the rear.

It's lucky they thought of doing that at the same time!!

[deniss]

Originally Posted by cdaly

It's lucky they thought of doing that at the same time!!

yea, lucky, but not for me!! i am stuck with a front handbrake and no fun to be had! if only my car's original owner waited a year or two.....