Just drilled 300 holes in my Porsche

[GT4]

Having attended the Coupe Health Clinic on Saturday, I was given some homework to do.

Both rear disc's ventilation holes were partially occluded with pad residue etc, so having been offered either £150 OPC solution or some sly advice by the techy, I purchased a 4mm HSS metal drill bit and set about routing the holes DIY.

Equipment:
Safety goggles
4mm HSS metal drill bit
Variable speed electric drill (low speed 500-600 rpm)
Wheel brace
Locking wheel bolt key (if applicable)
Wheel assist (locating peg) - in your tool kit.
Trolley jack
Wheel chocks
Box (to sit on)

Method:
Leave the handbrake off and out of gear and chock front wheels.

Loosen off bolts

Jack up just enough to remove tyre (ie 1cm etc of tyre clearance to ground)

Rotate so that one bolt is at the top

Remove top bolt and screw in wheel assist

Remove the other four bolts

Slide wheel off wheel assist (thus not damaging your wheel or brakes and not breaking you back in the process)

Drill each hole though to the rear of the disc.

There is a dust guard/protection shield just behind most of the disc, so I fitted my drill with a depth stop.

You can easily access about 1/3rd of the disc at a time (1/3rd is too near or inside the caliper, 1/3rd is too low for working on after Sunday lunch, leaving an easily assessible 1/3rd round the top/open side)

You can rotate the disc a 1/3rd at a time by using the wheel assist and pushing the outer edge of the disc round.

You should be able to tell which holes have been routed, but just in case, gently scribe a radius line so you know where you started and where you need to turn disc round to. Any surface scratch on the disc will get worn away almost immediately anyway.

Brush or hoover debris away.

Rotate disc so one bolt hole is at the top and screw in wheel assist.

Make sure the wheel/hub mating surfaces are clear.

Slide wheel back on and replace bolts in the other four locations

Remove wheel assist and replace with bolt.

NB: always remember to replace the locking wheel nut opposite the valve (otherwise you will loose concours points)

Tighten up hand tight, making sure the wheel/hub mating surfaces are square.

Drop the jack to allow tyre to make contact with the ground, fully tighten using the opposite in a circle routine:
1, 3, 5, 2, 4, 1 ... etc

When fully tightened to torque, drop fully and remove jack.

Repeat for other discs.

Job done - you may wish to add some bolt caps for cosmetic finish.

 

[c4srmsims]

...or you could just poke a bamboo satay stick through whilst wheels still fitted an save yourself a load of time and effort.

 

[Maxie]

...or you could just poke a bamboo satay stick through whilst wheels still fitted an save yourself a load of time and effort.

That's what I was advised at the same clinic! Will be doing that next weekend I guess.

~ Maxie

 

[GT4]

...or you could just poke a bamboo satay stick through whilst wheels still fitted an save yourself a load of time and effort.

Not if the debris has corroded and/or sintered itself in.

 

[GT4]

That's what I was advised at the same clinic! Will be doing that next weekend I guess.

~ Maxie

He's not wrong, I can see it from here! :wink:

 

[c4srmsims]

...or you could just poke a bamboo satay stick through whilst wheels still fitted an save yourself a load of time and effort.

Not if the debris has corroded and/or sintered itself in.

I'm not sure how hard you push your brakes, but I don't think you would find sintering to be an issue - even after track use the material in the holes can be pushed through with a satay stick.

I wouldn't let mine get to the point where corrosion was an issue (first the centre cap alignment, now abuse of brakes - what would the concours team say?).

 

[GT4]

I would say two minutes after you wash the car corrosion is an issue! :wink:

Perhaps a satay stick may have worked, but:

a) that wasn't what was recommended by the Porsche techy
b) power tools are far more fun

 

[mrfastbaz]

hey gt4 you forgot one important piece of safety equipment a mask to prevent inhalation of any dust you disturb from the discs and also a pair of disposable gloves to keep hands clean.....

 

[GT4]

I did think of a mask (given the possible asbestos content), but it seemed to all fall out like sand sized granules and I noticed no dust per se.

The work is not that dirty (well beyond lifting/moving the wheel), it was just dry dirt and certainly wasn't oily.

But if you prefer to wear gloves (and you would if you did this all day long), then fine.

The dirt just washed off with soap and water.

 

[Former User 1]

Asbestos? I thought pads stop using that back in the 80's. Thought it changed long before even the Reg 90 came in.

I just used a long nail and poked the crud out of disc vent holes.

 

[GT4]

Well quite, the thought lasted long enough for me not to bother.

 

[Roro]

I just tried a bamboo stick, no chance that will work! The dust seems caked in on my front brakes. I'm too lazy to get my hands dirty... A visit to the OPC is on the horizon methinks :roll:

 

[wizard993]

Carefully powerwash the debris out the disc face(don't go near the caliper ) just roll the car forward until the the holes are all done. Drive off slowly and dab brakes to clear water off......job done

 

[GT4]

I just tried a bamboo stick, no chance that will work! The dust seems caked in on my front brakes. I'm too lazy to get my hands dirty... A visit to the OPC is on the horizon methinks :roll:

You're kidding right?

OPC "estimate" was £144 per axle.

Where are you?

I'll do it for half that.

 

[wizard993]

£2 are your local jetwash :thumb: