Classic Obsession: Restoring a Rolls-Royce Corniche | Rear Brake Caliper Rebuild | Video Tutorial

Gary Mavers (Classic Obsession) is back on his Corniche Convertible starting with a total rebuild of the rear brake callipers. Replacing seals, brake cables and giving the steering the attention it needs. ⁠ Enjoy this tutorial from Classic Obsession - we are so grateful to be able to support Gary making these videos!⁠

Gary has a new set of pistons, small and large, which will be fitted along with various springs plus a solenoid which he believes will fix an issue with the door. Armed with all the parts he needs it's time to commence work on the car...

First up is the light seals and it’s normally the indicators and lenses that suffer most. A job that is often left or overlooked.

Next it's on to the rear brake calipers. Despite the car currently braking perfectly, Gary had an incident a while back which has led him to this necessary job. He replaces the seals, pistons, and dust covers in the rear brake callipers, as well as the cables for the rear handbrake.

He then demonstrates how to depressurize the high-pressure hydraulic system before working on it to ensure safety.

Gary uncovers a lot of damage within the calipers once inside with the dust covers melted into hard plastic and the clips just floating about. The pads were glazed due to being overheated and were shot. On the piston he uncovers rust and corrosion due to water ingress. 

The all important journal seals are important - if you don’t replace them then after a few hundred miles they can start leaking fluid everywhere which would mean stripping down and going through the whole process all over again.

TOP TIP: "It's also a good idea to put a little smear of copper grease on the back of the brake pads just to stop any squealing. Oh and just so you know, these pads come complete with new pins and clips."

Next up are the handbrake cables. If greased up at regular intervals theses shouldn’t give any trouble, but after years of sporadic use they will eventually fail and seize up and the only option is to replace with new.

On to bleeding the brakes! First the low pressure system driven off the master cylinder: so its engine off, somebody in the car as usual, pumping the brakes, bottom nipple on the calliper. Then onto the high pressure system which is a bit more tricky.. watch the video for the full process!

As Gary replaced both calipers he bleeds the whole system in sequence. 

The last job he tackles in this tutorial is the wonky steering wheel on the Corniche, which has been bugging him for some time!

Throughout the video, Gary emphasizes the importance of using high-quality parts from trusted suppliers to ensure that the repairs are done correctly and last for a long time. 

IntroCar supplied all the various parts used in the video, including:

• CD3116-X Light Gasket (https://www.introcar.com/gasket-cd3116)
• CD6283-X Caliper Piston (https://www.introcar.com/piston-rbcaliper-cd6283)
• CD4074-X Caliper Piston (https://www.introcar.com/piston-rbcaliper-cd4074)
• CD5847-X Rear Caliper Seal Kit (https://www.introcar.com/rear-calipers-seal-kit-cd5847)
• UR73500-X Rear Handbrake Cable (https://www.introcar.com/assy-handbrake-cable-swb-ur73500)
• UB19140SX-R Central Locking Solenoid (https://www.introcar.com/solenoid-ub19140)
• RH2577 Complete LH Rear Caliper for Early Models (https://www.introcar.com/left-hand-rear-caliper-rh2577)
• RH2578 Complete RH Rear Caliper for Early Models (https://www.introcar.com/kit-caliper-rh2578)

All Prestige Parts® products shown in the video are supplied with a 3 year warranty. 

This video tutorial is a valuable resource for classic car enthusiasts looking to understand more about how to maintain and restore their Rolls-Royce or Bentley. 

If you're looking for parts for your classic Rolls-Royce or Bentley, head over to IntroCar's website and use the code "MAVERS" for a site-wide discount on your purchase. All parts are sold with a minimum two year warranty, with a 3 year warranty on all parts sold under the Prestige Parts® range.

Be sure to stay subscribed to our channels for updates on more of Gary's video tutorials to learn more about maintaining and repairing your car.