kevie88

I went to the junkyard today and picked up some Acura Legend twin piston brake calipers for 80$ -- for those that don't know, these calipers are functionally identical to the calipers found on an NSX, and are a hell of a lot cheaper than NSX calipers !!! (cheapest I've seen NSX calipers go for is 300 US..)
here's a write-up on the installation: http://www.hondaprelude.com/resource...ermarket&id=30

and a pic of mine before I disassembled them:


I'm looking forward to this.. I can barely lock up the front brakes right now.. It takes SOOOO long to stop from high speed..


[Modified by kevie88, 12:40 AM 2/27/2002]


[Modified by kevie88, 7:55 PM 4/3/2002]

0Mike95lude

sweet
I am very interested in this mod...might want to do it sometime.

Honda318dx

Sweet dude, I wish that mod was legal for the honda-challenge.. For pads, look into a set of Carbotech panthers at http://www.carbotecheng.com Trust me, its a true performance pad.

kevie88

Cool, thanks for the info, I'll look at those!

Accord94DX

very nice!

akkording

I wonder if I can do this mod on my 90 accord. What is the diameter of that rotor?


[Modified by akkording, 3:04 AM 2/25/2002]

976

Ride on! You might as well update your pads and clean them bitches...

BTW, vtec rotors? WTF are you talking about?

kevie88

Sorry, a little more explaination would probably be a good thing!

I have a 93 Prelude S (the base model Prelude) which I picked up for a good deal.
I recently picked up a JDM H22A, and I thought I had better do something about the brakes before I jammed the motor in! It comes stock with some of the most pathetic brakes I have ever used, the damn thing will barely even lock up with me standing on the pedal! To be fair, it probably just needs some new rotors and deglaze the pads, but never replace, UPGRADE!
The stock rotors are 262mm with a single piston caliper. ( I think these are exactly the same as what comes on the 90-93 (am I wrong? Someone correct me!) Accords, and I think the 94-97 Accords are the same)
The new rotor is 282 mm taken from a 94 Prelude SRV (VTEC in the states) It's just a Brembo OEM rotor cuz I'm too broke for crossdrilled. Should work almost as good, tho, and only cost me around 30$US a piece.
I took the calipers apart and they are currently soaking in some GUNK parts cleaner, and I will be picking up some EBC Greenies from the EBC pad rep here. I will post some pics of the install when I get it all done!

Honda318dx

Good choice dude, Cross drills won't do ****.. Keep getting the brembo blanks, thats what all us road racers use... Cross drill will warp, don't provide any better braking, and are stupid expensive..

kevie88

Yes, that's exactly what I thought too.. and I gotta love Brembo, I've had Brembo brakes on my last two race bikes.


[Modified by kevie88, 11:13 PM 2/24/2002]

akkording

I was going to do an Accord Wagon brake upgrade causes of the larger calipers compared to my 90 Accord coupe calipers I have now. If Legend calipers fit I'll do that then. Thing is I don't know what else I have to replace besides the rotors and caliper brackets. I'm calling all junkyards in my area tomorrow.

kevie88

Take a look at the link in my first post. The NSX install is identical to the Legend install, and I think the brake setup is identical on your Accord..
does your car have 4x114 wheel studs?
if so go for it!






[Modified by kevie88, 12:41 AM 2/25/2002]

TimeRacer

Actually I thought the Legend's mounted different and made it a pain in the *** to bleed correctly. Or maybe that was just the rears. I actually bought the NSX setup but can't install it since my autocross class doesn't allow caliper upgrades. If anyone wants it it's for sale (look at my sig).

Honda318dx

you have the wrong link in your sig..

TimeRacer

Damn, thanks. I fixed it now

kevie88

*edit*
Come to think of it, now that I look at the pictures on HP.com, the Legend calipers bleed nipple will be sitting at the bottom when I mount the calipers.. but the mount bracket is the same as the NSX for bolting it on.
I have a vacuum brake bleeder, so bleeding won't be a problem, I'll just leave them unbolted and suck fresh fluid into them.. no worries, but maybe a problem if someone didn't have a vaccuum bleeder.












[Modified by kevie88, 7:14 PM 2/25/2002]

kefka

iTrader: (1)

damn i dont have a lude or anthing but i have to say thats one of the coolest honda to honda upgrade i have ever seen,thats really cool!!

Honda318dx

The one problem I would have about the bleeder screw being in the bottom is that it would be hard to flush air bubbles out, since they "float" up to the top of the calipers, where on most normal calipers, the bleeder sits.. But since the bleeder is on the bottom, you might not be able to get all the bubbles out.. Just a theory though... how are they mounted on Legends?

kevie88

they mount on top of the hub as opposed to the front of it like on my lude.
looking at it from the side, the O being the rotor and the line is the caliper


Acura: _
.......... O
----------------> front
Prelude: O|


When I bleed the brakes I will clamp the calipers to a board and turn them 'proper' way up, bleed the system with my vacuum bleeder, close the bleed nipple , unclamp calipers, and reinstall them. There should be no air in the system, that bleeder kicks ***.





[Modified by kevie88, 1:14 AM 2/26/2002]

Honda318dx

Great discription... good idea on bleeding them

TimeRacer

Before you install those calipers, make damn sure you get rid of all that rust. Make sure that there's no cracks or "cancer" (rust that's gotten deep). Brakes = your life.

~Doug

kevie88

Don't worry, that's why they're apart!

kevie88

I just learned that the Legend calipers are 38 and 42mm pistons. The NSX ones are only 36 and 40 mm ones, so these should be even better!

I am in the process of getting the calipers sandblasted. Paint and completed items to come!

kevie88

MUAHAHA!!!! ... I needed to take the calipers apart, but screw paying someone to do it, I want someone to pay ME to do it!! What to do?

I needed:

1: A 12 hour night shift alone at a local power company

2: A lot of free time, and a desire to waste it!

3: 2 Acura Legend Gs/Ls calipers (substitute calipers of your choice!)

4: Trisodiumphosphate (TSP) coffee pot cleaner

5: A computer 'air duster' compressed air can

6: a large sink and dish soap

7: A can of alcohol Brake/contact Cleaner

8: A stapler

(note that all of these 'tools' are readily available in a corporate office!)

Here's how I did it: First I took the calipers off of the brackets and set them aside. Then I filled the staff sink up halfway with hot water and most of a bottle of coffee pot cleaner called 'sparkleclean!' which is an insane TSP degreaser. I took the caliper brackets and placed them directly into the sink, immersing them in the degreaser. I returned to my desk and took a look at the calipers, deciding if I was going to paint them properly I needed to disassemble them..

But to do that, I needed compressed air.. hmm.. where to find compressed air in a computer lab??.. Oh yeah! Those compressed air computer duster thingys! I hoped that they would have enough jam to blow the pistons out.

I put the original banjo bolts that came with the calipers back into their holes in the calipers, and placed a piece of scotch tape around the dusters plastic tube to make a 'gasket' to seal against the hole in the banjo bolt.

Well, as luck would have it, it was just enough pressure to blow the pistons out of the caliper, and I used a stapler to keep the pistons from launching across the room. After letting the calipers, pistons, and other hardware soak in the degreaser, I used a wire brush to clean up the calipers a bit. I still need sandblasting before I paint, but not a lot!

I was amazed at the pistons and the caliper body, there is almost NOTHING wrong with them. I mean I can not see a single mark, nick, or groove --NOTHING. I got pretty lucky with these calipers.. other than a little rust and scale, they are PERFECT!! woo hoo!

I cleaned the all the rubber parts in dish soap and water, and rubbed them a little to get the crud off of them, and everything came back mint!

Somebody just paid ME to do my brakes.. kick ***.


Here's a page with some NSX caliper rebuild info: http://www.danoland.com/nsxgarage/br...l/overhaul.htm

[Modified by kevie88, 1:54 AM 2/27/2002]


[Modified by kevie88, 2:03 AM 2/27/2002]

kevie88

A pic of everything clean!