Looking for a set of Sumitomo calipers MK63

[Gav240z]

I'd love a set of these calipers for my cars. Apart from rebuilding the calipers, finding appropriate discs etc.. is there any other modification required to the braking system? I assume they work well with the rear drum set up?

[JLPurcell]

2 hours ago, Gav240z said:

I'd love a set of these calipers for my cars. Apart from rebuilding the calipers, finding appropriate discs etc.. is there any other modification required to the braking system? I assume they work well with the rear drum set up?

Gav, I don't believe that others installing this system are considering brake bias (balance), but I had a set on my race car years ago and did have an inline system to balance the system. I still have those and will see if I need them in this application. These calipers are rare, reproductions are now available. I did not want reproduction calipers and was lucky in finding a set of NOS along with NOS rebuild kits for the future. The nice thing about the fact that these are being reproduced is that reproduction rebuild parts are now available and like the microprocessors for rally clocks this has driven up the value of the original rare calipers. 

Edited March 17, 2017 by JLPurcell

[Carl Beck]

As I recall - the rear wheel cylinders were a different size - with the Ventirated Type..

 

1978 Sports Option - 

Edited March 20, 2017 by Carl Beck
Add 78 info. and note

[Gav240z]

Awesome that's the kind of information I was looking for Carl.

I wonder if those larger wheel cylinders are still available? Or if a machine shop could enlarge them to suit?

Does anyone know if you can still fit the 14" Topy steel wheels on the car when using the ventilated MK63 calipers?

[HS30-H]

9 hours ago, Gav240z said:

Awesome that's the kind of information I was looking for Carl.

I wonder if those larger wheel cylinders are still available? Or if a machine shop could enlarge them to suit?

Does anyone know if you can still fit the 14" Topy steel wheels on the car when using the ventilated MK63 calipers?

Gavin,

You'll find that - in practice - you don't need to do anything with your rear brakes except make sure that they are working perfectly. Both the solid rotor and ventilated rotor MK63s are plug and play for street and mild sporting use and you don't need to worry about F/R bias. I have used both solid and ventilated MK63s on all my cars and can tell you from experience that unless you are going racing you don't really need to worry.

The 13/16" rear cylinders were same size as those used stock on some of the C10-series Skylines, so parts are available but I wouldn't bother personally. If you get that serious about (period correct) brake performance you'd be fitting MK63s on the rear too, as per homologation...

The TOPYs might need a thin shim type spacer between hub and wheel, as used on the C10-series Skylines:

   

[Gav240z]

Thanks Alan,

All very helpful as per usual, since you use these brakes on all your cars I'm assuming you find the upgrade worthwhile over the stock twin piston calipers then? I once owned a set of the Toyota S12 and S12W calipers and found them absurdly heavy compared to the stock rotors and you could really feel the difference in the steering (with the additional weight). I drove someone else's car with them on before fitting them to my own car and after that decided to sell them (S12) and keep the stock calipers.

I asked someone recently to weigh these and it turns out they are lighter than the standard calipers.

http://www.jdmjunkies.ch/wordpress/2015-12-11/240z-the-super-rare-sumitomo-mk63-ex-works-brake-delivery/

If they are indeed lighter or the same weight as the stock Sumitomo calipers then it's a no brainer in my book to do the upgrade. I really didn't want to do a brake upgrade that would rule out fitting the standard Topy steel wheels or other period wheels. There would be nothing worse than getting a puncture, going to the boot to fit the spare wheel and then realising it won't fit over your nice shiny aftermarket brakes.

[JLPurcell]

The modified backing plates are complete. I am happy with the results, they look factory. I believe having backing plates along with my MK63 caliper upgrade will enhance the overall upgrade. 

Edited March 29, 2017 by JLPurcell

[JLPurcell]

Suspension back with Eibach Progressive springs and I am dry fitting my MK63 parts. I want to thank a member for his help with locating the needed parts for the caliper and rotor upgrade. I dry fitted the modified backing plates, calipers, and rotors tonight. It all goes together flawlessly. I like the way the modified backing plates fit to the MK63 calipers. 

[dmorales-bello]

Well done Jerry. Looks great!

[kats]

Jerry, fantastic job ! Vented roter looked super cool, you made a good decision.

Kats

[Jason240z]

Thats a very 'clean' looking setup there.  Does look great. 

Is the backing plate a part or did you modify the plate to fit the caliper?

[kats]

Here is a MK63 fitted on PS30-100006, the 3rd from the last Z432.I do not know it is vented or not, just for your reference.

Kats

[JLPurcell]

On 4/15/2017 at 3:19 AM, Jason240z said:

Thats a very 'clean' looking setup there.  Does look great. 

Is the backing plate a part or did you modify the plate to fit the caliper?

Jason, I took a solid set of backing places made a pattern and had a metal shop modify them. I could have simply cut them down, blasted and painted them, but I wanted them to look factory. They cut and welded a lip on them for strength and to maintain the factory look. I then blasted them to prepare them for the black finish. 

 

Edited April 16, 2017 by JLPurcell

[JLPurcell]

7 hours ago, kats said:

Here is a MK63 fitted on PS30-100006, the 3rd from the last Z432.I do not know it is vented or not, just for your reference.

Kats

Kats, thanks! I am at the lake this weekend doing some maintenance on the cabin. Can't wait to get back on the project when I get home. This will be helpful. I will post more pictures once I get more complete. I am also excited to see the car's stance with the Eibach progressive springs installed. Thanks again for all of your support on this project.

[Gav240z]

I'd imagine a scribe and a pair of tin snips (used skillfully) could create that cut out. At least I'll give it a go if I ever source a pair of MK63 calipers. Brake backing plates are thankfully not uncommon to find.

[JLPurcell]

Once the NOS MK63 calipers were dry fitted I removed them and rebuilt them. When I disassembled them I found that the old assembly oil had gummed up in them. Cleaned and rebuilt them. I have now completed the suspension project, new progressive Eibach springs, rear sway bar, NOS emergency brake cable, and MK63 upgrade. I am waiting for the front brake lines and rear sway bar link so I can put it back down on the ground and re-fit the front sheet metal. Progress! I did find time tonight to wipe the bottom down and wax the drive shaft.

[moelk]

Good job!

Would love to have my car as clean as yours.

[Earnsbarger]

Rb25

Sent from my Pixel XL using Classic Zcar Club mobile

[Captain Obvious]

11 hours ago, JLPurcell said:

I did find time tonight to wipe the bottom down and wax the drive shaft.

Seriously... You can say that with a straight face?

If I told my wife I'm headed out to the garage to wax my drive shaft, I'm not sure she'd be home when I came back in. 

[JLPurcell]

9 hours ago, Captain Obvious said:

Seriously... You can say that with a straight face?

If I told my wife I'm headed out to the garage to wax my drive shaft, I'm not sure she'd be home when I came back in. 

Where this is going is Obvious Captain!Maybe a little time in the garage to bore and stroke my engine? 

[Captain Obvious]

Lol!  

Seriously though, the work looks great. One question I meant to ask a long time ago and never did though... Could you have separated the two halves of the calipers for the vented rotors and milled off some material from the mating faces to bring the two halves closer together? Like close enough to use them on a solid non-vented rotor instead of the vented variety? I know it's water over the dam at this point, but I just kept forgetting to ask.

[HS30-H]

8 hours ago, Captain Obvious said:

One question I meant to ask a long time ago and never did though... Could you have separated the two halves of the calipers for the vented rotors and milled off some material from the mating faces to bring the two halves closer together? Like close enough to use them on a solid non-vented rotor instead of the vented variety? I know it's water over the dam at this point, but I just kept forgetting to ask.

Apart from "why would you...?" (you'd be better off buying the cheaper non-vented type in the first place) there's a potential problem in that the fluid passage drillings in each half are at such an angle that they won't necessarily line up again if you start milling material off the mating surfaces.

[Captain Obvious]

Well the answer to the "why would you" is... "Because I have 'A', but what I really need is 'B' and even though I understand that it might not be a financially intelligent solution, and one that some people might consider foolhardy, (if it works) it could get me out of my current bind."  I'm not suggesting it's a financially viable solution. I'm just curious.

About the angled fluid holes... If the angle is the same (mirror imaged) on both halves of the clamshell, then the angle doesn't matter. If you take the same amount of material off both sides, both holes will move the same amount and still line up with eachother in the end. New O-ring counterbore in the new location, and you should be good. And since the O-rings and their counterbores are larger than the fluid holes, they also compensate for some amount of misalignment of the fluid holes. I suspect they utilized that fact in the original design to account for manufacturing tolerances.

[HS30-H]

10 minutes ago, Captain Obvious said:

About the angled fluid holes... If the angle is the same (mirror imaged) on both halves of the clamshell, then the angle doesn't matter. If you take the same amount of material off both sides, both holes will move the same amount and still line up with eachother in the end. New O-ring counterbore in the new location, and you should be good. And since the O-rings and their counterbores are larger than the fluid holes, they also compensate for some amount of misalignment of the fluid holes. I suspect they utilized that fact in the original design to account for manufacturing tolerances.

(in bold) That's the point though. The drilling that leads to the bleed nipple is straight, but the other drillings are angled. You'd end up with the angled drilling that leads to the bleed nipple missing it by quite a margin when the halves were re-joined, and the O-ring counterbore not big enough to cover the difference.

Feel free to give it a try though...

 

[JLPurcell]

When I purchase the NOS MK63 calipers I did not know they were for the vented rotors. Once received and additional parts sourced I am happy as a clam! I had a set of the non vented on my race car back in the day and boiled the fluid more than once. Black Hawk Farms was famously hard on brakes. I wish I had a set of vented back in the day, but will have to settle for being lucky enough to have sourced a set now and lucky for having a member who sourced the additional parts in Japan for me.