How do I move the piston back during pad change????

Spranga · Postby **Spranga** » Sat Aug 05, 2006 5:17 pm

I tried to do a pad change today but could not get the brake piston back far enough to put the new pads in. I tried pushing it in with a G clamp but this did not work. Am I missing anything? In the past (with other cars) I have just been able to slowly push the piston back into position. Any ideas would be appreciated. I thought about bleeding the system but would prefer to avoid this.

Cheers

Dan

kula · Postby **kula** » Sat Aug 05, 2006 5:30 pm

take the cap of the master cylinder..
i presume u are doing fronts right?
they can be pushed back, while the rears cant, screw them:P

Spranga · Postby **Spranga** » Sat Aug 05, 2006 6:02 pm

doing the rears

Andrew · Postby **Andrew** » Sat Aug 05, 2006 6:07 pm

you need and alen key

adamjp · Postby **adamjp** » Sat Aug 05, 2006 6:48 pm

Go and buy a big syringe from a chemist (like 1\" thick ~ 100ml). Suck some of the brake fluid out of the resovoir first or run the risk of having it come out under pressure when you put the piston back in.

It is cleaner to suck it out first. I learnt this the hard way a few years back.

Spranga · Postby **Spranga** » Sat Aug 05, 2006 7:14 pm

Andrew wrote:you need and alen key

???

Spranga · Postby **Spranga** » Sat Aug 05, 2006 7:15 pm

adamjp wrote:Go and buy a big syringe from a chemist (like 1" thick ~ 100ml). Suck some of the brake fluid out of the resovoir first or run the risk of having it come out under pressure when you put the piston back in.

It is cleaner to suck it out first. I learnt this the hard way a few years back.

Great idea Adam. Thanks for saving me paint work!

Babalouie · Postby **Babalouie** » Sat Aug 05, 2006 7:17 pm

Spranga wrote:
Andrew wrote:you need and alen key

???

If you look at the back of the caliper, there is a little bolt (I think it's 12mm) that looks like it's directly behind the piston. Unscrew it, and it exposes an allen headed thingy. Get your allen key in there and as you turn it, you'll notice that the piston slides back.

Spranga · Postby **Spranga** » Sat Aug 05, 2006 7:39 pm

Babalouie wrote:
Spranga wrote:
Andrew wrote:you need and alen key

???

If you look at the back of the caliper, there is a little bolt (I think it's 12mm) that looks like it's directly behind the piston. Unscrew it, and it exposes an allen headed thingy. Get your allen key in there and as you turn it, you'll notice that the piston slides back.

Aaah the mystery is revealled! Thanks Babs. I sure could have used that advice at about 2:00pm this afternoon. I had wondered what that bolt was for but did not touch it as I thought it might be under pressure and I did not want to bleed the brakes.

Thanks for your help guys.

Dan