| Author | Message | ||
     David Sibthorpe Yet to post message Username: s1bby Post Number: 1 Registered: 03-2020 |
Seeking a supplier for caliper piston seal sets for front and rear. 1976 shadow. EBay have a US supplier, but surely a 43mm piston seal is available locally? | ||
| Brian Crump Experienced User Username: brian_crump Post Number: 184 Registered: 02-2007 |
I suggest you contact Spur Parts. A Google search will take you right to their website. Regards, Brian | ||
| Brian Vogel Grand Master Username: guyslp Post Number: 3021 Registered: 06-2009 |
SpurParts also R.A. Chapman Automotive | ||
| David Gore Moderator Username: david_gore Post Number: 3646 Registered: 04-2003 |
I suggest our long-time forum member Richard Treacy who has established a business in Sydney supplying R-R/B parts as mentioned above: http://www.spurparts.com.au/ . | ||
| Tony Mitchell New User Username: tony_mitchell Post Number: 5 Registered: 11-2019 |
Are R.A. Chapman Automotive still in business? | ||
| Brian Vogel Grand Master Username: guyslp Post Number: 3022 Registered: 06-2009 |
The only thing I have to go on is that their website appears to be fully operational and maintained. If there's any question, I'd suggest using their "Send Enquiry" page to see if you get a response. I was just mentioning it as a second option that still appears to be around. Since I live in the USA they're not a business I've had reason to give my custom, as they're "not local" for me. | ||
| David Balfour Experienced User Username: sidchrome Post Number: 195 Registered: 02-2009 |
Hi David, having just watched on Youtube part of Ronny Shaver's rear brake overhaul of a Corniche to see if he mentioned a third party supplier of the seals for your situation, he mentioned that the seals all come in a kit, and don't lose one because you cannot buy them separately. That would tend to indicate the seals, at least for Corniche, are not an off the shelf configuration - sadly. So there may be other piston seals available for a 43mm piston, but maybe not with the same section dimensions. Ronny mentoned that the seal is square in profile, and the lip is created by the shape of the recess, if I understood correctly. When I last made an enquiry with R. A. Chapman's, last year I think, Robert Chapman said he had closed/was closing his workshop, but would continue to operate his parts business in retirement via the website, email, and phone. Brian is right, send an email or call him on mobile. The number is listed on the Contact us tab of the website. | ||
| Jeff McCarthy Frequent User Username: jefmac2003 Post Number: 660 Registered: 05-2007 |
Tony, Robert Chapman retired last year. He's is still supplying spares to the trade, presumably until his stock runs out, but unfortunately that fantastic resource is no longer available to us. | ||
| Brian Vogel Grand Master Username: guyslp Post Number: 3024 Registered: 06-2009 |
I would be shocked if the seals were not AS568 standard seals. As someone who used to frequent these parts once said to me on the subject of seals: Engineers engineer to standards for virtually everything, and especially seals. I have put together kits over time as I have had to work on various parts of the system. Some I figured out by measuring the seals I removed and going to the closest (and always ever so slightly larger) AS568 size, as the seals compress and take on the shape they're squished in to, at least to some extent. I was also kindly assisted by many who sent me kits they had obtained for their own rebuilds so that I could document exactly what seals were in them and determine the actual A568 size and quantities for those kits. There are O-rings, square rings (think a piece of hose that you carefully sliced a piece off of, round overall but flat on all sides), X-rings (used in the height-control valve), among other shape variations. See the Marco Rubber & Plastics O-Ring Page. This is where I sourced the X-rings for the height control seal kits when I was rebuilding my own and creating kits for others. We should really be trying to determine the sizes and exact seal style for all of these seals over time as we work on these systems. It is less expensive, by far, to source these rings and create even one kit "by hand" (and toss the rest, though why do that?) than it is to buy most of the single kits from any of "the usual suppliers" of RR parts, whether Crewe Original or special aftermarket. Brian | ||
| David Balfour Experienced User Username: sidchrome Post Number: 197 Registered: 02-2009 |
I do agree with Brian that is important to have a source of economical parts too. I tried to get some interest in establishing a register for Silver Clouds that might record this information, but it received a less than luke warm response from all and no positive responses whatsoever. I said at the time, and will say again, I don't want to pay $500 for a part that sells for $50 everywhere else. The argument was that we need to support specialist dealers. I argued that specialist dealers need to support us- you know the old story of not biting the hand that feeds. There appears to be willingness, indeed eagerness, to pay way beyond commercial rates for some items to an extent I have never understood or seen anywhere else. At least Rolls-Royce had enormous development costs associated with the relatively low volumes in procurement and sales compared with most manufacturers, and were selling to customer's for which cost was no object. But that is not the mantra of the classic Rolls-Royce owner. We are mostly just ordinary folk who are custodians of an extraordinary asset/liability on 4 wheels (very occasionally 6 wheel equipped) and a desire to celebrate the marque. At least that's me. | ||
| Brian Vogel Grand Master Username: guyslp Post Number: 3025 Registered: 06-2009 |
Thank you Mr. Balfour. I have been trying to get this point across for years. And I am greatful for the specialist dealers when it comes to reproduction of truly special parts. I am absolutely enraged when a collection of O-rings that in total cost less than $2 are being retailed at over $50. That's gouging, pure and simple, even when storage and kit assembly costs are included. The only way we are going to keep the older cars on the road is if those of us who own them, and that's not the class of people who purchased them new, can afford to keep them running. It is in our own best interest to stop pretending that we owe fealty to the specialist dealers for every blessed thing they do, because we don't. I will continue to make it my mission to document anything I can that allows custodians to buy what are, in actuality, dirt common parts from local or online sources at reasonable prices. I've corresponded with individuals from virtually any corner of the earth you can name, with most asking for help finding something locally by having information on what it actually is. I remain convinced that what I'm doing is critical, and has meant that many cars that would have been "uneconomical to service" by DIY owners now are. I could be doing more, but I do what I can. Brian | ||
| Patrick Lockyer. Grand Master Username: pat_lockyer Post Number: 2285 Registered: 09-2004 |
Be careful with spurious parts just because the are cheaper! The car may then end up with many failing parts and stand siting in the garage unused for many years! | ||
| David Balfour Experienced User Username: sidchrome Post Number: 198 Registered: 02-2009 |
Hi Patrick, I don't want to turn this into a tit for tat discussion about the merits and pitfalls of buying genuine or aftermarket parts as this is the For Sale section. However, I am just an ordinary man, a mechanical engineer by profession, with a young family, so we are not flushed with money to say the least. Parts are not really spurious, or select, they are just parts. If I can buy a part that is FFP (fit for for purpose) for 1/10 the specialist dealer price, I will do it. I can then make the budget go 10 times further, which helps me insure I don't have the car sitting in the garage unused for many years. There are some things I will choose to pay more for, but bearings, O rings, seals, hoses etc. and thousands of other things can often be had at normal commercial rates at an appropriate level of quality if you know the correct supplier and reference number for it. Just a word of warning. just because you are buying from a specialist retailer is no guarantee the parts are correct. The specialist parts vendors are typically not professional engineers (some are), and they will buy and resell parts without any detailed understanding of whether they really are correct or not. A great example is the aftermarket copper mechanical servo cover for my Silver Cloud and Bentley S models. I had to purchase one from a specialist retailer, a very well known one. The original was NA at the time, and many times the price when available. I bought an aftermarket one from them that does not spring as it should, because the base material properties are different from the original. It performs like and old one. An example of what I mean can be found, demonstrated by Ralph Curzon, on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=knOQuKYJ41Q starting at 25:35 - ending 26:50. I advised the specialist retailer that their product performed like an old one. They mentioned a couple of high end restorers that buy dozens of these each year, either unaware, or happy to pay a ⅓ of the Bentley price for the same thing and live with the compromises- which was my situation as well. This is about making ownership affordable for enthusiasts, not the captain's of industry who bought these things new. The problem is that many owner's perceive some level of correctness in paying a shedload for something for a Rolls-Royce. This is born from the same mystique tat I think surrounds the marque from a public perspective. . | ||
| Adrian Jump Unregistered guest Posted From: 92.25.132.226 |
A bit late to the party but in the UK there is a company that does seal kits with or without pistons. They are called Bigg Red in Worcestershire. They quoted me around GBP425 to recondition all six calipers on my Shadow 11 which I will be having done shortly. Alternately you can just buy the seal kits if you wish with either standard or stainless steel pistons. If interested I'll get their contact details for you but you should get them easily yourself on the internet Regards, Adrian (Message approved by david_gore) | ||
| Trevor Hodgekinson Experienced User Username: wm20 Post Number: 171 Registered: 11-2006 |
The problem is David that if the specialist aftermarket suppliers can not make a living out of selling RR parts then they will stop doing it. I have been playing with BSA motorcycled for 50 years. Ten year ago there were better than 20 people in OZ why made tinwear for these motorcycles. Ten some one started making vastely inferiour parts in India which rarely ever fittied properly but were 1/4 the price of the quality hand made item. And you all know how this story ends The local sheetmetal workers moved onto other field, sold of or tossd out all of their dies & patterns so now the only tinwear available is the garbage sold on ebay which funny enough is now 5 times the price than it used to be. While there is an element of fun and even skill in sourcing the cheapest possible parts from all over the planet, it is much easier in the long run to get them all from a local supplier, particularly if you can be sure he has used them himself so will both fit and be suitable for the end use. I could not count the number of times I have been called out to a non starting ride on mower to find the owner had bought a "cheap" tap from ebay or amazon that had a neoprene seal which of course works great, till the fuel attacks the rubber & turns it into jelly. Particularly with things like brake seals getting some from a vendor that actually supplies seals is both the correct size and the correct rubber is worth paying a few extra dollars for. | ||
| David Balfour Experienced User Username: sidchrome Post Number: 200 Registered: 02-2009 |
Trevor, you have missed the point entirely. I have no issue buying bespoke parts from specialist parts suppliers at bespoke parts prices. What I am not interested in doing is having to pay $150 for an off the shelf FAG bearing (for example) that costs $30 retail at the bearing supplier down the street. As I have said ad nauseam, if I can buy the same commercially available product at a normal, rather than inflated, retail price, I will have more money to spend on specialist bespoke parts from specialist suppliers. Our cars contain both bespoke and non-bespoke parts. | ||
| Adrian Jump Yet to post message Username: adrian Post Number: 1 Registered: 04-2020 |
A case in point. An outboard headlight unit for a Turbo R, £30 in a Cibie box or £130 in a Crewe box. | ||
| Mark Luft Frequent User Username: bentleyman1993 Post Number: 307 Registered: 10-2016 |
Adrian, your headlight example is spot on. | ||
| David Balfour Frequent User Username: sidchrome Post Number: 201 Registered: 02-2009 |
Yes, very illuminating! |
