Yes, as tempting as it is to force a solution, those "fixes" tend to come back and bite us in the butt when we least expect it!

 

The O.P. is back. By the time I received BOTH rear calipers/read in the news about UPS being swamped and running behind!/ we had been hit with the rainy, cold weather front. I was doing this in my driveway, so I decided to wait until we got better weather. It has stopped raining, but still cold for Carolina. I have all the parts and am hoping for Monday to be at least sunny and the driveway to dry out. Back to work. Can't wait to get the Law and Order SUV back on the road.

 

OP to catch you up to date. The driver's side rear caliper went on perfectly. I gravity bled the caliper and started on the passenger's side. The entire brake job seemed to be going smoothly until I got to the gravity bleeding of the brake caliper. I wasn't getting all the air bubbles out of the system. I ran out of light and had to stop and finish the next day. I finally got the air bubbles out and tightened the bleeder screw down. When I came back to the job, there was a puddle of brake fluid under the new caliper! I traced it to BANJO bolt. The new caliper came with a new banjo bolt and two new steel washers. Eric the Car Guy prefers the steel washers over the copper style. I decided I would change out the two steel washers for two copper ones to see if that would help the leak. It did slow it, but didn't stop it. So i still have a slight leak at the banjo bolt. The copper washers were Dorman's Help line washers from Auto Zone. Any ideas on how to stop the banjo bolt from leaking?

 

Could there be an imperfection in the surfaces that the washers face (cap of bolt and on caliper) that could be responsible for the leak?

 

Yes, I was thinking that the caliper surface where the banjo washer seats could be scratched allowing the leak. Either that or the washers themselves are the only things I can come up with as a possible cause. .....assuming I have torqued them properly. The reman. calipers installation kit that was supplied came with a new banjo bolt and two steel washers. I was tempted to put the original banjo bolt back in yesterday when I swapped out to the new copper washers , but didn't. The two steel washers were machined with concentric circles just like the original washers. The two copper washers from Dorman were not!

 

What do you think about me trying a combo of hardware to re attach the banjo fitting? How about re using the original 'banjo bolt' and the two new steel washers with the concentric circles matching the con. circles on the banjo fitting? I am going to have to 'pinch off' the brake hose once again. I dislike doing that because I feel like I am weakening the hose internally and could possibly crush the inner layers of the hose so it collapses. When and if that happens, it would be difficult to see. Any ideas or suggestions?

 

Hey, it's 33* and sunny, so it is warming up. But we have plenty of time. So get a second cup of coffee and write down your thoughts on this situation. Thanks, Jim with the leaking Blazer in Carolina.

 

I see the original Banjo bolt washers had the concentric circles, but only on one side. How should the concentric circle side face? Toward the brake hose fitting or away from it? The square hose fitting attached to the end of the brake hose also have the concentric circles.

 

Gee, I don't know the answer. How do the mating surfaces look on the new caliper and each of the banjo bolts? Any distortions or scratches?

Are the concentric circles raised ridges or just shallow grooves? I raised, do they mate with another surface with the depressions?

Maybe someone else knows.

 

The conc. circles are shallow grooves. They seem to match the same groves on the fitting for the banjo bolt. They are duplicates, not designed to interlock, but are the same pattern. I guess i was hoping some one with a Blazer FM would have the answer.