Having driven the Daewoo to the hospital recently, the front drivers side brake is binding a bit. The wheel is VERY warm to the touch after a 70mph run down the motorway (like too hot to touch for more than a second or two) but oddly it'll pull along at idle in drive, and doesn't pull to one side at all.

I decided to try and strip down and re-grease the sliders in case it was that, but oh no, this was much worse...

Full of optimism I went out, jacked the Daewoo up, put it on a stand, removed the wheel and dismantled the caliper. It was binding quite badly, I couldn't turn the wheel in neutral with the wheel off the ground so it definitely wasn't happy.

I got the caliper off the carrier with a crowbar and screwdriver, undid the brake fluid reservoir cap and then tried to push the piston back into the caliper with a g-clamp

And it wasn't having any of it. I should have stopped here in hindsight and put it back together again. But I didn't. I decided that the best thing to do was gently push the piston out by having my daughter press the brake pedal, this went fine, the piston slowly pushed out a bit allowing me to inspect the condition of it.

Thats not great is it? I didn't go any further than this, as I didn't want the piston to pop out entirely. Seeing the state of it made me think I needed at least an overhaul kit with piston and seal but this would need to wait for another day. I then tried to push the piston back in. NOPE

Because its come out wonky hasn't it? Give me strength... I spent about 2 hours wiggling, clamping, twisting, and using plumbers wrenches to try and straighten the piston up and get it to retract but it wasn't playing ball. I wedged both pads in against the U-shaped other side of the caliper and then used the brake pedal to push the piston out to try and straighten it up, but all that happened was the piston pushed out lop-sided again. WRETCHED THING.

I gave up, I put it all back together minus the pads on that side and needed to carefully consider my next move. I could have taken it to my local garage if I drove slowly and only use the handbrake - so possible if I either go late tonight or early morning. They may have had tools that will allow them to extract this piston and replace it with a new one, but I think its too far gone now (as the surface is pretty pitted and is clearly getting jammed on the bore of the caliper?) and its new caliper time? TBH the brake fluid could really do with being changed and the garage would have been able to do this at the same time with their gear but it'll not be cheap I fear.

Two days later, having started work an hour early to attend a webex meeting with people in the Netherlands and Austria I took an extended lunch to go and pick up the replacement caliper from my local motor factors. The shop was as busy as usual, with 6 of us in there at about quarter to one. I waited outside until I could stand 2m away from the next herbert to be on the safe side. I'd ordered both front calipers as they helpfully listed them in 'left' and 'right' sides without saying if those were from the drivers seat, or from outside the car looking at the front. I told the counter person I wanted the drivers side one which he duly provided and kept the passenger side one. I also got a small bottle of dot4 fluid. Anyway, recovered it all back to HQ and then spent an afternoon fixing a shambolic mess of a spreadsheet I'd hammed up last week, luckily before it got presented as fact* at a management meeting.

At bang on 5pm I turned the laptop off and strode out to the Daewoo like a boss, determined to at least get the new caliper on before it got dark. jacked up, wheel off, axle stand in

I'd only done it all up hand tight the other day as I knew it was all coming apart again so this was easy. caliper removed from carrier and bolts set aside

As you can see, my vactan and zinc primer treatment is holding up* well* in the background. The brake line is attached with a banjo bolt in 13mm flavour.

New caliper in old box.

I deftly undid this with my Rolson mini socket set, rapidly wiped it all off with a cloth and then screwed the banjo and bolt to the new caliper. Then remembered I'd forgotten to fit the copper washer so took it all off again and then did it back up properly. Leaving the scene looking like this

only minor brake fluid leakage all over the disc, and on the road

I sprayed the disc and general area off with carb cleaner and wiped it all up with a rag, leaving this

Looks alright. Next up was refitting the pads to the carrier which was painless. I cleaned them up with a wire brush so they fitted properly and copper-greased the anti-squeal shims into place. There is plenty of meat left on the pads and I didn't want to buy two new sets because I'm a mingebag.

Next up, fitting the new caliper over the old carrier and whatnot. Easy enough as the piston is fully retracted giving loads of space to play with

In place and bolted up to the sliders. As you'll be able to see, there is loads of gap between the new piston and the old pads, so I started the car up in P and gave the brake pedal a good squeezing several times to get the slack taken up. This pushed quite a bit of the manky old fluid down into the new caliper so I topped the reservoir up with fresh dot4.

Wheel back on and tightened up, and tools put away.

With the slack taken up, I went out for a tentative first drive to see what it was like. I'd not bled the system yet, so apart from 3" of pedal travel with no discernable effect (underpants in wash at time of typing) its loads better. No binding, car brakes nice and straight even under hard braking from 50mph on an A-road. Driving normally with hands off of the wheel it gently pulls to the left with the camber of the road and having got back from a 20 minute run all 4 wheels were still barely above ambient temperature, suggesting the bind was indeed only that wheel and its now fixed.

Next I needed to bleed this caliper, I was optimistic that the bleed nipple will cooperate as its brand new* (refurb) rather than rusted to a nub original. I also need someone to assist with the pedals end of this operation so it can wait for now.

I aim to do the bleeding and then be back to full working order. I'll take the totally b0rked old caliper back to the factors at the weekend for my £50 rebate. Incidentally, I'm astonished that if I get a £50 rebate on this caliper, Pagid can actually make money selling them to the public via the factors at £80 a shot. Considering refurb costs, new pistons and seals and stuff, distribution and the cut that ECP need to make on this stuff (nevermind delivery to the branch) £30 doesn't seem like very much? 

An hour later I had a helper, and managed to get the caliper bled and normal function restored, my father in law did the pedal while I opened and shut the bleed valve into a jar of new brake fluid. It farted out a big bit of air, then subsequent goes just pumped fluid out so I stopped after 5 goes. I topped the reservoir up afterwards and took it for a drive and the pedal feels fine now. Normal levels of travel to slow the car down. The car tracks fine on a run up to 60mph and slamming on the anchors from 60 > 20 and it braked in an absolutely straight line.

After the run the wheels were all only just above ambient temp so I'm calling that fixt.