CAMARO6 - View Single Post

Mountain · 06-17-2022, 09:25 AM

To add some additional insight: Regarding the boots, when I went to order parts a few months ago for mine, I could not source the GM boots easily. They were quite a bit backordered. Maybe they aren't anymore. It may actually have been due to the supplier, Hutchinson having some fire in one of their plants. So I ended up ordering the EPDM boots from RB (pieced together the seals, otherwise the entire RB kit is expensive and you get more than you need). I almost went with the RB silicone boots, but 1. if you get any brake fluid on them, it will destroy the seals and 2. the reviews I read on them, it didn't seem that they were an upgrade worth the hassle. To not get fluid on the boots, you not only have to be very meticulous on how clean your hands are and all surfaces, but if you aren't using the proper brake part lube, instead of brake fluid/regular brake assembly lube, on the pistons/seals upon assembly, it's nearly impossible to not get whatever assembly lube you are using onto the boots through piston assembly/insertion.

As far as ordering several sets of vented pistons. I had to do this as well. I actually went through three (3) places: RockAuto, GMPartsDirect and my local dealer. The set I got from GMPartsDirect came very well packaged. Maybe I have a picture somewhere... but every single piston had plastic wrap over it, the pistons sat in a plastic tray and all was enclosed in a plastic bag and tapped fairly tight. None of the pistons were damaged. The set I got from RockAuto was packaged similar, but the plastic bag wasn't tight and allowed the pistons to move around and one of them came out of their little plastic sleeves. I looked at probably 3-4 sets at my local dealer and none of them were well package - all were in various degrees and some actually looked like either people had gone through them, as well, or the parts department were using the sets as footballs in their spare time. Honestly, it was pretty appalling, especially considering you'll pay a PREMIUM to order these through the dealer. You CERTAINLY don't get a "premium product" at all. If I had to guess, over 90% of the pistons had fairly deep scratches or gouges in them and some had mis-matched or missing piston seals.. If I had to do it again, I'd probably just ordered through GMPartsDirect or RockAuto.

06-17-2022, 09:25 AM	#4
Mountain Drives: 2017 SS 1LE, 2016 1SS (previous) Join Date: Apr 2016 Location: Metro-Detroit Posts: 1,863	To add some additional insight: Regarding the boots, when I went to order parts a few months ago for mine, I could not source the GM boots easily. They were quite a bit backordered. Maybe they aren't anymore. It may actually have been due to the supplier, Hutchinson having some fire in one of their plants. So I ended up ordering the EPDM boots from RB (pieced together the seals, otherwise the entire RB kit is expensive and you get more than you need). I almost went with the RB silicone boots, but 1. if you get any brake fluid on them, it will destroy the seals and 2. the reviews I read on them, it didn't seem that they were an upgrade worth the hassle. To not get fluid on the boots, you not only have to be very meticulous on how clean your hands are and all surfaces, but if you aren't using the proper brake part lube, instead of brake fluid/regular brake assembly lube, on the pistons/seals upon assembly, it's nearly impossible to not get whatever assembly lube you are using onto the boots through piston assembly/insertion. As far as ordering several sets of vented pistons. I had to do this as well. I actually went through three (3) places: RockAuto, GMPartsDirect and my local dealer. The set I got from GMPartsDirect came very well packaged. Maybe I have a picture somewhere... but every single piston had plastic wrap over it, the pistons sat in a plastic tray and all was enclosed in a plastic bag and tapped fairly tight. None of the pistons were damaged. The set I got from RockAuto was packaged similar, but the plastic bag wasn't tight and allowed the pistons to move around and one of them came out of their little plastic sleeves. I looked at probably 3-4 sets at my local dealer and none of them were well package - all were in various degrees and some actually looked like either people had gone through them, as well, or the parts department were using the sets as footballs in their spare time. Honestly, it was pretty appalling, especially considering you'll pay a PREMIUM to order these through the dealer. You CERTAINLY don't get a "premium product" at all. If I had to guess, over 90% of the pistons had fairly deep scratches or gouges in them and some had mis-matched or missing piston seals.. If I had to do it again, I'd probably just ordered through GMPartsDirect or RockAuto.