ALFAGTV6.COM

Hello! I am just looking around for some brake parts for my GTV6. I had some problems with the rear calipers sticking over the long Summer trip and now the pedal goes straight to the bottom of its travel. Having gone through my receipts, the last time I spent money on the hydraulics was in 1999 so it is time to get the whole lot replaced! A supplier has offered me cast iron front calipers. I am pretty sure that the car came with alloy front calipers. My questions are: Will they bolt on? and do they make any difference? My car is used on the road but there are lots of mountains around here so I need good brakes. Thanks! My GTV6 is a 1985 Euro RHD model.

This may sound like a stupid question but are the pads the same on the GTV6 as on the 75 2.0,2.5 and 3.0?

Thanks!

Cast iron and alloy calipers are not identical (most obvious the discs are of different thickness), also use different pads. The Alloy calipers are more desirable, do not buy cast iron ones.

Did the Euro models have alloy to start with, if so this is what I have now. Is it better to get them rebuilt? Are the rear calipers always alloy or is there something going on there too? I've been getting much better prices for all the brake stuff in the USA, is this because the brake stuff over there is lower spec? I am going to need the following stuff:

Rebuilt rear calipers (necessary as old ones are sticking)
Rebuilt front calipers (precaution, as far as I know their ok, they were working fine but they haven't been touched for years)
Master cylinder (necessary; last one was changed in 1999 and the pedal hits the floor!)
The discs are pretty new and shouldn't be too worn (1st set of pads)
Of course I will also get the pads changed and everything else checked out.

Scarily, I also smoked the clutch a bit trying to free off the brakes so it could be toast too!

Any advice on this is welcome before I buy the wrong things and waste all my cash on a deathtrap! Getting work done in France is quite expensive so I need to know what I am asking for here.

Cheers for your quick reply Mats!

Hi, i've always bought stuff at Garage Quadrifoglio in Paris, they offer rebuild kits. I would stay with the alloy calipers (I have those in my Giulie), if your brakes were working you are probably ok with a rebuild kit.

your master cylinder may be fine too. if your pedal goes to the floor, do you have fluid in the resivoir? If you don't have fluid in the resivoir where is it leaking out? If its leaking out at the rear brake on the left side (next to exhaust) then that caliper is what you need to have rebuilt (instead of replaced). If your carpet is wet with brake fluid THEN you need to rebuild or replace your master cylinder.

Check your flexible hoses where they go from the calipers to the body in front and from the body to the transaxle in the rear. Those will go bad in time if they are the rubber ones.

hth,

The easy way to know is that all 5-bolted cars (wheels) have alloy front calipers and ventilated discs, all 4-bolt have solid discs with cast iron calipers.
Rears are always cast iron.

Thanks again guys, I was just panicking over the huge amounts of cash I am about to spend...
The master cylinder has fluid but pedal is oh so soft so I think my 1999 master cylinder has finally gone. The brake hoses are aeroquip and not too old so are probably ok.

I think I understand what is going on now...

If you havent bled out the old fluid since 1999 you would do well to start with trying that...Fresh fluid may solve your problem. Most factories recommend changing brake fluid every 2 years and its cheaper that rebuilding / replacing everything....and...your going to do it anyway when you remove and of the components to rebuild or replace. Try bleeding / fresh fluid first!

I have got the fluid changed a few times but haven't changed any of the seals. I think the problem with the rear calipers is hand brake related as it doesn't always release immediately, this has been an intermittent problem for a few years, the first thing I changed was the hand brake cable which didn't solve it. I also got an advisory about the rear brakes in the last inspection. I just think that the rubbers in the whole hydraulic system have probably gone or are about to go. I think I'd rather get them all replaced now rather than wait for them to pack up on a hairpin bend on the way down a mountain pass! Following Mats and Fedezyl's advice I will get the front calipers rebuilt instead of replacing them with cast iron ones. Then I don't have to change my lovely Red Dot front disc brakes either! I just want it to be ready for Milan in June! No excuse not to go this year as I am only 3.5 hours away! Some of you guys in the US probably go that far to the shops. MR2 Zig, thanks for the helpful advice, if it is just the fluid I am just about to waste a lot of money!

Will these fit the GTV6? The guy at Demon Tweeks says it isn't in the listings but AFAIK the brakes are the same...

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? ... TQ:GB:1123

PS please don't buy it before me as I need to save every penny!

Cheers

SimonB wrote:Will these fit the GTV6? The guy at Demon Tweeks says it isn't in the listings but AFAIK the brakes are the same...

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? ... TQ:GB:1123

PS please don't buy it before me as I need to save every penny!

Cheers

It's a gamble, the 75 2.0 had the cast iron calipers... Maybe they mean the 75 TS though. But as I said, it's a bit of a gamble.
If it's for the TS/2.5/3.0 they will fit.

I'm told that the rear pads (rear!!) from the Lancer Evo fits the front alloy calipers on alfetta chassies... Maybe that's a way to get cost effective pads?

But the rear brakes are the same as the GTV 2.0? At least thats what all the websites selling Red Dot and Tarox stuff say as the prices for GTV6 are the same as the GTV 2.0 while the 75 rear brake pads are a different price. E.g. Tarox strada 27.70 pst for GTV6 and GTV 2.0 while 36.70 pst for 75 2.5, 3.0 e.t.c. I know I'm being a pain here but I'm sure that the guys selling them won't know!

No the Lancer Evo rear pads are the same as the alloy caliper front pads.

How expensive is it to get the front and rear caliper rebuild kit sent to france from IAP??
I must say when I got the rebuild kit for the front aluminium calipers for my Giulie (I have 75 V6 front calipers) from Garage Quadrifoglio I don't remember it being expensive.
Also you can save quite a bit of money on labour by doing the work yourself, removing the front calipers is very easy, not so much the rear ones but it's feasable.
I rebuild my calipers myself about a year ago so I can tell from experience.