Uh-oh... could use some real time brake job help!

[brianinaustin]

Uh-oh... could use some real time brake job help! *Fixed*

Well, I finished & bled the rear w/o problems, the passenger side front is done, but I screwed up the ds front I think. I pulled both pads and compressed the outer piston and it forced one of the inner pistons all the way to the rotor. I got it away from the rotor, but only about 3/16. It feels pretty stuck. Maybe it came out of the cylinder and now it's cockeyed? Any options before I pull the caliper? Thanks...

 

[brianinaustin]

Whew! Fixed it. It was cockeyed. I'd been doing all my prying from the back of the caliper, so I put (gently) a screwdriver in from the top and pryed the back of the piston and got it pushed back in.

Thanks anyway! And... be careful!!! Watch those other pistons!!!

 

[cruiserdan]

At this point it is probably best to pull the caliper so that you have better access in order to square the piston back in the bore. If you try to force it you will probably damage the piston or the bore.


EDIT:

Nevermind, looks like you got lucky.

This is a good time to remind folks not to compress caliper pistons unless all the other pads are still in place.

D-

 

[brianinaustin]

Yep... got lucky. Thanks though. I read the warning in the fsm... but was thinking about the other wheel.. not the other side of the caliper!

 

[turbocruiser]

This is a good time to remind folks not to compress caliper pistons unless all the other pads are still in place.

D-

Also a good time to remind folks not to pry from only one end of the caliper!


Seriously, what works well with me is taking a large C-Clamp, leaving the old pad in place, and exerting slow steady pressure on the face of the old pad and the body of the caliper with the clamp. I sorta make a moment out of it to super slowly squeeze the pad to the stopping spot. HTH.

 

[cruiserdan]

I do something similar, substituting channel-lock pliers in place of the clamp.

 

[turbocruiser]

I do something similar, substituting channel-lock pliers in place of the clamp.

Takes too much wrist if you ask me, must save strength for socks!

 

[concretejungle]

Turbo, i use the clamp method also, accept i try to find a piece of scrap, flat metal to cover the entire piston Works like a charm and compresses the piston evenly.

 

[lacruiser]

This might be a good place to interject one other caveat:

When pushing in the pistons, don't forget to release the bleed nipple, so the displaced dirty fluid is ejected from the caliper, rather than forced back up into either the master cylinder or (if equipped) the (very expensive) ABS pump.



Dana

 

[brianinaustin]

Good point. I have heard of opening it, but never really considered why. Oh, and don't forget to close it... while I was typing last night about my stuck piston, most of the fluid drained out of the reservoir!