Machine shop to fix threads on STi brake calipers?

I'm the latest victim of the Brembo steel-bolts-through-an-aluminum-caliper saga, and my STi's calipers - all four - need to be replaced after 10 years of ownership and 115,000 miles.

Since the price is steep, about $2,800.00, I'd like to either recoup some of the cost by repairing and selling my old calipers, or by putting them on my '00 2.5RS to help me at least feel a little bit better about it all.

Either way, the stripped threads will need to be repaired/replaced. I've heard of some methods to fix them, but step #1 is to get them drilled out and then have TimeSerts installed. I don't have the equipment to do that at home, unfortunately, so I'm going to have to hire it out to a reputable shop. Morrie's Minnetonka Subaru isn't willing to do it.

Does anyone have suggestions for a reputable shop (one that stands behind their work) in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area that would do this work?

...Or, alternatively, should I have that shop do it on the existing calipers, and save myself the $2,800.00?

Suggestions?

 

All you really need is the right size bit the helicoil kit and a hand drill to do it.

 

I wouldn't buy new ones. I'd repair and reuse the old ones. Bar that, I'd buy larger aftermarket brakes for not much more than OEM will cost you (depending on whom you buy them from!).

Any pictures of the threads on the old ones? I have a set of thread restorers (similar to taps and dies, but different) that depending on how damaged the threads are, may just fix your problem quickly and easily.

EDIT: You'd get about a grand at most for your old calipers. Probably less going from the last time I looked.

 

I'll give you three fiddy for the old ones.

 

JasonoJordan, thanks for the suggestion, but I'm not going to tackle fixing those threads without a drill press.

Nhibbs, thanks for the offer, but they'd sell for a lot more than that.

Shancaldazar, I agree that I should re-use the existing ones. It's tough to justify putting bigger brakes on my 2.5RS, and frankly I'd rather just pay for repair than replace the calipers.

Hence, my question - where is a good shop to have the work done? Morrie's has said that they won't help unless I want to replace the calipers. I need to find a shop!

 

@Matt is a machinist and works (or owns, can't recall) at a machine shop - maybe they could help you out. I know there's other machinists on this forum too - maybe @Terry Ammerman is another if my memory serves?

 

Also what about these guys, they're in Minneapolis and seem to specialize in brake-related machine shop work?
brakeandequipment.com/index.php/machine-shop.html

 

If you have access to a drill press (maybe a friend has one) and a heli coil kit, you'd be golden

 

Metro engine in new brighton can help with this, they will actually put threaded inserts in that are stronger than helicoils.

 

You can also do these yourself...the op can do as he wishes but I've installed hundreds of these and never used a drill press to drill out when I was puting thread kits into.

 

I agree, as long as you drill square/straight its not too conplicated, big serts, time serts, helicoils, etc, any will work, just get it in there straight!

 

Another key is have good bits.

 

Work at a machine shop in Plymouth, shoot me a PM if your interested. Do you know what size and pitch the bolts are?

 

Thanks for the suggestions, everyone!

UPDATE: I got several recommendations for Leighton's Garage in Eden Prairie, so I brought it there. Leighton's has had the car for just over a day, and has already extracted the bolts without stripping out any threads; their assessment is that - so far - no re-threading is necessary after 3 out of 4 calipers. All they've done is chase the threads to clean out any gunk and corrosion.

The car will have new caliper mounting bolts, and plenty of anti-sieze. The bolts will also be torqued to the Brembo-specified 80 ft. lbs., rather than the Subaru specified 114.3 ft. lbs. (which, according to Brembo, is a disaster waiting to happen).

 

PS, apparently the Permatex copper anitseize is best to use on the bolts because it apparently has a higher temp range.

 

Pulled the threads one of my brembos. Would prefer to have a machine shop helicoil it as well as turn a flywheel for me.
Anyone can recommend a good machine shop in the southern metro? Willing to drive up North if need be.
I had a BAD experience with a machine shop in Burnsville so rather not take risks again....

 

What is it with the machine shop posts today? Lol.

Headwerks in Bloomington. Not the cheapest, but they do great work.

 

Dont judge me

 

If you are north metro go over to Metro Engine, thats who I use!

 

lol it's all good man