Real quick --

I just replaced both rear brake calipers. The caliper kit came with all sorts of goodies, including two copper crush washers for the banjo bolt.

There was only one on there before -- I decided to use one for each side of the fitting for an extra seal. Put them on in this order - washer, banjo, washer, bolt.

Now as I'm sitting here, I'm wondering if using both was a bad decision, and they supplied one extra for safety.

(For the benefit of those who don't know, the banjo bolt has a passageway drilled through it, pretty much making a 90 degree path through the shaft then down it, allowing the fluid to pass through it.)



By adding this second washer, the bolt head lost a certain degree of clockwise travel. Am I betting correctly that this will lead to problems because that hole in the side of the bolt shank is not lining up with the opening in the banjo?

What thinks you?

 

you are supposed to use both washer as you did... whoever replaced those calipers before was a complete moron and should have not work on brakes.

 

Interesting...

OK, so let's look at it from another angle.

With that washer missing, my banjo bolt was able to turn that extra x degrees, thus not lining up the holes...

I'm wondering if that is why my rear braking was so lackluster...

 

/\ maybe they don't have to line up....
Just like the powerssteering hose bolt

 

I don't think the position of the bolt and that hole in it matters because the shaft of the bolt is recessed where the hole it, allowing the fluid to flow all around the bolt.

 

Cool.

When I do the fronts I'll take a look and see what the bolts look like

 

Correct.

 

Wow...does anyone read anymore?

 

No.

 

A little off topic. Where did you find the banjo bolt?

I did my brakes last night and the bolt snapped in half when I was loosening it. I went to 5 different auto stores and not one of them had it!!! I didn't think this part would be so rare, but I can't find it anywhere!!

 

Dealer. Annoying isn't it?

BTW...make sure you use proper torque on that thing. It likely snapped off because you were over-torquing the bolt, or when removing it you found it was seized/cross-threaded.

 

Are you SURE there was only one copper washer? They can get very stuck on and hard to see. If a washer was missing, it is almost assured that it would leak. There must have been one there. You did the right thing, but you must make absolutely sure there was not one already stuck on either the caliper, the hose fitting, or the banjo bolt.