Leaking Hi-spec calipers :(

[A6 AVANT]

It seems general consensus that you nail your brakes!!!
If Hi-Spec make brake calipers for racing teams then it's obvious they shall put large customers first but as the racing season has ended you would have thought you would have been dealt with better than you were. As with all customer relations, the customer hates lies and mis-information. If you were not going to get your caliper until today, they should have told you that. People don't mind waiting for something if they know when they are going to get it.
Anyway, at least it is sorted and you have a new caliper that we all hope will work fine!
Just a quick note on your clutch, have you tried allowing your left foot to come off the clutch pedal totally before fully applying the throttle?!:nana:
You might find it lasts a bit longer!

[audiman]

Shut up :nana:
The caliper works fine, took it out for a good blast to 'bake' the painted finish on it!! Clutch is all good. Havent abused it yet will wait for a few months. Dads getting pissed off with me, new gearbox every year and two clutchs a year!! Glad the labour is free. 6.5 hours for the clutch job!!:wacked: X3!!!

[Dr H]

The caliper works fine, took it out for a good blast to 'bake' the painted finish on it!

Tom that's the worst excuse I've ever heard. They are anodised aluminium not a drop of paint in sight that needs 'baking'.

[audiman]

I know
But they needed a good testing anyways! Oh and they got it!! LOL

[Lee]

http://homepages.nildram.co.uk/~richw426/brakes/brakes.htm

Just got this link from RS246. Read it to the end! Seems you are not alone Tom!

[martinjs]

I saw that too lee, doesnt look very good does it.

[Lee]

I was dubious about them when users reported receiving 'shim kits' to allow them to fit the brakes. You and I both know Martin that there isn't that much variation in the S2 setup. My custom were ****-on first time, well within 0.1mm.......measure twice, cut once blah blah.

Lee

[Sidspud]

That makes very interesting reading. In other words - stay away from Hi-Spec!

[Greg_S]

Im not sure that it can be used as a sweeping statement on the hi spec brakes. My boss is well into his MkII escorts and alot of the guys at his club swear by the hi spec brakes and haven't had any problems so these may be isolated cases and since Hi Spec havent had a chance to represent themselves on this matter it doesnt seem fair to tarnish the straight away.

Greg

[Lee]

Agreed Greg, but a LOT of people have reported very poor customer relations which I understand can be attributed to too much demand for their products. All companies suffer growth pains if they offer good products but some of their cases and reported staff attitudes was quite shocking. I am not going to judge them at all.

[audiman]

With all due respect to Hi-spec they do have a large demand for their product and i think that there isnt the amount of staff needed at the moment. They have a large number of customers out there using there stuff, and if they had that many problems then they would be in a very bad situation and would possibly not be trading.

They did sort my car out so fair play to them. I would use them again too. The product seems a good one, i think that maybe i just had a poor batch, it does happen with every product.

[Alistair C]

i think that maybe i just had a poor batch, it does happen with every product.

fair enough..... it does happen every now and again - but thats what quality control is for.

And when it comes to items of critical safety such as brakes - should 'bad batches' ever get through to the customer?? If Tom wasn't so vigilent, how long would it take the average customer to spot a leaking caliper?

[Graham]

Billet aluminium can be like all other cast products an have minute floors within the metal which without great expense cannot be found, porosity is a big problem inherant with aluminium and brass. Suppose it is just a chance people take. With all the work i have had done to mine i had them porosity checked and crack tested with ultra sonics at work to proove the work done on them. I had a cylinder similar to this one which had big porosity issues, ended up getting the manufacturer to replace all the components made out of that batch of steel at massive cost to them (£12k).

[Graham]

And here is the endcap:

[Graham]

And here is the gland: