Ok, hopefully Monday my new rear rotors will be in and *maybe* i'll have that foliatec caliper lacquer. I have this digi cam just sitting around, so I thought, why not make a faq?

A few questions.
Do I have to worry about bleeding the brake system when I take off the rear calipers?
Should I remove all the existing paint on the rear calipers?
If so should I go with sandblasting the existing paint off or is there an easier way?
Should I primer the rear calipers before painting?
Do I need to buy any tools to make things easier? (besides C-Clamp)

Thanks, hopefully I'll have it done by thursday.

 

Yes and no. If you take off the calipers you can do a better job but then you will want to bleed them. Sanblasting / primer - I'm not sure, seems like it would turn out better. I did mine the easy way. Took off the wheels, wasted a can of break cleaner and spent about 45 minutes masking off everything except the caliper (everything) then did about 3 coats every 45 minutes and let them dry over night. It turned out great and I didn't bother taking off the calipers. I used white to match the color of my car and 3 coats did the job well.

My approach was that they will get dirty after a day anyways so why make it a huge project.

Just make sure your paint can stand hi temp - you don't want it comming off after braking alot.

Show us a pic after you do it - if I find a camera I'll show you mine.

Good Luck.

 

Hey i'm bout to under go a similiar project, i jus got my new rotors in and i wanna paint my calipers red. My question is do it really matter what kind of paint u use? My roomate told me he used regular krylon spray paint and that can withstand high temp. Is there a difference in quaility b/w caliper paint and regular spray paint?

 

I used so called break caliper paint. I tried to touch up a scratch mark on one of the calipers with thouch-up paint and that didn't hold for more than a day. If you know someone that has used a certain kind of paint and it doesn't come off then I would assume it's safe. Brake paint is a little more expensive I paid $20 a can and needed 3 so $60. I don't think the quality is any different, as long as it stays on the caliper.

BTW, what kind of rotors did you get, I need new ones for the back and I'm debating getting slotted ones but not sure what brand to get.

 

I bought my RT cross drilled rotors from Steve @ Carsons Toyota. I talked with him a couple days ago and he now offers cross drilled/slotted rotors... tempting but I don't want to mix and match.

I know, I know, I've heard about cracking on cross drilled rotors but he has them on his high hp Supra and not one crack. That convinced me.

mrKophee, if i keep the brake line attached when i remove the caliper do i still need to bleed the system? I'm thinking of just hanging it with string (so i don't damage the line) and painting it that way. Needless to say, sandblasting is no longer an option, I think i'll just use some sandpaper and then primer.

The foliatec caliper paint and laquer is applied via a brush, it's not the spray on kind. Supposed to be one of the best looking kits out there and can do 4+ calipers... it's a ***** to find though Handles 800+ F. Any old paint will NOT work on painting the calipers. You will notice that it will begin to bubble and discolor if you use regular paint (is Krylon high heat temp paint?). High heat engine paint will work though, but I can't comment on how it will look.

on a side note, have you guys seen the EBC rotors? slotted with dimples... very impressive, too bad they don't have the rear for our cars.

 

Thanks for the info on the rotors, however I still have the stock calipers so Supra rotors will not fit. I assume you have the TT calipers. I'll look around. I found some place online that sells all 4 rotors for the SC400 for $350. I'm just not sure about the quality.

As for as painting the breaks go, yes you can take them off and no bleeding is required as long as you dont disconnect the lines. Just hang them on a wire or in your case set them on a box (may be easier for painting).

 

I got my rotors from this guy tony i met here on the forum. He was very cool and i got the rotors within a week and 1/2 of ordering them unlike some other things i've tried ordering through other companys. The total price i paid was 300 for front and back and they look pretty good. I cant really comment on the quality b/c i haven't installed them yet. These rotors can work w/ factory calipers. If you're interested, the go to irotors.com and you can see what they look like. they also sell the same kind on sc400.com

 

think about putting a clearcoat on them too

 

ForNGoods: Let me know how those rotos for for you. I was thinking about purchasing the same ones. Do yours have like 15 mounting holes. Seems like they are design for many different bolt patterns. Do you think that makes they weaker. Let me know how they work. Thanks.

 

sure thing mrKophee. but to be honest, i'm a busy person and wont have enuff time to do it anytime soon so i'll let u know after i have them on and use them for a couple of weeks. most likey i'll put them on in two weeks when i get out of school. I'm tying to buy new pads before i change them out as well so hopefully i can get the funds together in time.

 

...I used a $5 can of engine paint that I bought at Pep Boys. The instructions say to "cure" the paint by placing the painted part in an oven for an hour, otherwise, the paint won't fully cure and might rub off. I left the calipers on my car and used it anyway. The paint dried, but it did not fully cure.

And they're right- the paint does rub off if I mash my finger in it, but here's the rub (sorry): how often do you touch the calipers?

The paint only comes off if you rub it hard- otherwise, it does not come off in regular use. Washing it, hosing it off, etc. does not seem to harm it. Even brake dust does not cling to it- it remains shiny (I used 3 thin coats of silver).

Not bad for $5!

 

Don't take shortcuts in painting your calipers with paint
that is not applicable for high heat temp. And DO NOT apply
clear coat. Spend the extra money to do it right the first time. Otherwise, it's going to cost you more valuable time and money to do over again.

Check out this site for caliper paint,
http://www.legend5.com/caliper/
they also have a variety of colors. The paint goes for $29.00 a spray can. This product is specifically design for the high heat temp. that is generated from from braking.

 

ToeJam300, thanks... I was just looking for some good hi-heat paint to paint my calipers..... Thanks..

Mike..

 

How about if you paint the caliper then let it dry for a little while (like 30 minutes) and then go do some hot canyon runs. That should heat up the calipers to oven temperatures...getting throughg Angeles Crest can take up to an hour...

 

I just went to pep boys and got a $5 can of red brake caliper paint. Then i got a steal wire brush and attached it to my power drill, and i just grinded away all the brake residue. Then i cleaned off the surface with some degreaser and then applied a few coats and they are looking tight!! and it was worth every penny.