Painting Calipers, do I need to bleed the brakes?

straightdraw84 · 03-26-2020, 10:13 PM

I've seen how to disassemble the calipers and take them completely off the car on youtube, looks straight forward. The deal is I'll be disconnecting the brake lines as well and sensors. Now I'll cap the brake line, but do they need to be bleed after?

Thanks

FaRKle! · 03-26-2020, 10:23 PM

Absolutely.

328iX · 03-27-2020, 12:08 AM

Yes and don't run the brake fluid reservoir dry. You can use a stick or something to depress the pedal against your seat, that way it won't leak much once disconnected.

straightdraw84 · 03-27-2020, 01:48 AM

Damn, well better safe than sorry

Thanks!

davidr3 · 03-27-2020, 02:33 AM

Or go literally insane with the masking and don't bleed

johnung · 03-27-2020, 02:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by straightdraw84

I've seen how to disassemble the calipers and take them completely off the car on youtube, looks straight forward. The deal is I'll be disconnecting the brake lines as well and sensors. Now I'll cap the brake line, but do they need to be bleed after?

Thanks

You don't need to remove calipers. Paint them right on the car (just the visible areas) Use G2USA Caliper Paint. Brush it on and it dries and levels out to a sprayed on finish. It's a two part epoxy like paint that is much harder. Still looks like new 18 months later.

Gen13 F36 · 03-27-2020, 02:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by davidr3

Or go literally insane with the masking and don't bleed

You gonna mask the what now?

Billfitz · 03-27-2020, 08:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by johnung

You don't need to remove calipers. Paint them right on the car (just the visible areas)

+1, although I removed mine to change pads, without disconnecting the lines, and while I had them off painted them. I used PlastiKote caliper paint. https://www.plastikote.com/products/...per-Paint.html

I hung the calipers from the springs with a section of coat hanger wire, masked off the undercarriage from over-spray with newspaper. In the two years since I've touched them up without removing them when I had the wheels off to rotate the tires. I used the same paint to do the rotor hubs. This is what they looked like a week ago, five months after the last time I touched them up.

zole2112 · 03-27-2020, 08:39 AM

I painted mine on the car without disconnecting, turned out great! Masked the shit out of it!!

kpgray · 03-27-2020, 11:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by johnung

You don't need to remove calipers. Paint them right on the car (just the visible areas) Use G2USA Caliper Paint. Brush it on and it dries and levels out to a sprayed on finish. It's a two part epoxy like paint that is much harder. Still looks like new 18 months later.

+1
I have used this G2 Caliper Kit, it does a great job! My 2014 335i was painted gloss black and retained its glossyness without pealing or chipping for 4 Michigan winters! I just pulled the wheels, masked the discs and other items and go! Just must have all wheels removed and be ready to apply to all calipers at same time. When you get done with first coat it is time to apply second coat to the first caliper. I will do same to new 440i as soon as weather warms up!

chowser51 · 03-27-2020, 04:14 PM

i didn't really mask off too much. painted easily enough.

didn't even mask off the clip.

just masked off the rotor.

davidr3 · 03-28-2020, 01:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gen13 F36

You gonna mask the what now?

If you take your time masking with painters tape, and trashbags you can get just as good as a finish. Might be a little more of a pain getting hard to hit areas but I just bled my brakes a week ago so I don't feel like re bleeding them already when i paint them in two weeks

Gen13 F36 · 03-28-2020, 06:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by davidr3

If you take your time masking with painters tape, and trashbags you can get just as good as a finish. Might be a little more of a pain getting hard to hit areas but I just bled my brakes a week ago so I don't feel like re bleeding them already when i paint them in two weeks

I understand you. But the OP was removing/ disassembling his brake calipers off the car

hence the comment

Billfitz · 03-28-2020, 09:03 PM

He said that he was removing them, true, but if the reason for removing them is to paint them there's no need for it. If he removes the lines then he has to bleed them, adding an unnecessary step.

straightdraw84 · 03-30-2020, 05:52 PM

I ended up just doing spot touch up for the chipped paint, thought it would be a better use of my time.

Worked out pretty good:

I also removed the black paint from where the rotors touch the rims (paint gets all chipped there and looks awful.

03-26-2020, 10:13 PM	#1
straightdraw84 Private First Class 26 Rep 179 Posts Drives: 2014 428i xdrive Join Date: Aug 2019 Location: Vancouver, Canada iTrader: (0)	Painting Calipers, do I need to bleed the brakes? I've seen how to disassemble the calipers and take them completely off the car on youtube, looks straight forward. The deal is I'll be disconnecting the brake lines as well and sensors. Now I'll cap the brake line, but do they need to be bleed after? Thanks
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03-26-2020, 10:23 PM	#2
FaRKle! Brigadier General 4017 Rep 3,540 Posts Drives: 328d Wagon, M2 Comp, i4 eD35 Join Date: Sep 2016 Location: Bay Area, CA iTrader: (4) Garage List 2023 BMW i4 eDrive 35 [0.00] 2017 BMW 328dx Wagon [0.00] 2021 BMW M2 Competi ... [0.00]	Absolutely. __________________ -328d Wagon Build Log (with helpful reference links) -My YouTube Channel for some of the best DIYs and in depth information Please don't PM me for suspension recommendations unless interested in paid private consultations.
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03-27-2020, 12:08 AM	#3
328iX David 786 Rep 2,009 Posts Drives: 2015 328iX F31 Join Date: Nov 2018 Location: Temecula, CA iTrader: (0)	Yes and don't run the brake fluid reservoir dry. You can use a stick or something to depress the pedal against your seat, that way it won't leak much once disconnected.
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03-27-2020, 01:48 AM	#4
straightdraw84 Private First Class 26 Rep 179 Posts Drives: 2014 428i xdrive Join Date: Aug 2019 Location: Vancouver, Canada iTrader: (0)	Damn, well better safe than sorry Thanks!
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03-27-2020, 02:33 AM	#5
davidr3 Captain 448 Rep 909 Posts Drives: 335i Join Date: May 2019 Location: Riverside iTrader: (1)	Or go literally insane with the masking and don't bleed
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03-27-2020, 08:39 AM	#9
zole2112 Modder of everything I own 147 Rep 491 Posts Drives: 2013 335i Xdrive Join Date: Mar 2017 Location: Appleton, WI iTrader: (0)	I painted mine on the car without disconnecting, turned out great! Masked the shit out of it!! __________________ 2013 BMW 335xi F30 N55 PWG/VRSF DP/ER CP/Injen CAI/AA FMIC/JB4 map 7/Fuel= E50 w/ E85:93oct/Stock LPFP & HPFP/CATuned coilovers/Megan Racing Rear Swaybar/Powerflex Rear Subframe Bushing Inserts/Dual aFe Power Mach Force Mufflers/Resonator Delete/MHD & BMS Race BEF
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03-27-2020, 04:14 PM	#11
chowser51 Colonel 2025 Rep 2,806 Posts Drives: F33 430 and F39 M35i Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Cleveland, OH iTrader: (3) Garage List 2018 BMW 430i xDrive [0.00]	i didn't really mask off too much. painted easily enough. didn't even mask off the clip. just masked off the rotor.
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03-28-2020, 09:03 PM	#14
Billfitz Lieutenant General 8245 Rep 16,088 Posts Drives: '15 328iX GT Join Date: Jan 2015 Location: New Hampshire iTrader: (0)	He said that he was removing them, true, but if the reason for removing them is to paint them there's no need for it. If he removes the lines then he has to bleed them, adding an unnecessary step.
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03-30-2020, 05:52 PM	#15
straightdraw84 Private First Class 26 Rep 179 Posts Drives: 2014 428i xdrive Join Date: Aug 2019 Location: Vancouver, Canada iTrader: (0)	I ended up just doing spot touch up for the chipped paint, thought it would be a better use of my time. Worked out pretty good: I also removed the black paint from where the rotors touch the rims (paint gets all chipped there and looks awful.
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