The brake piston has to be turned as its pushed in , clockwise or anti clockwise depending on what side your working on as there is a screw type adjuster behind the piston which self addjusts itself as the pads wear to keep the hand brake lever on the caliper in its correct position.
Theres a tool you can get which locates on the piston to help you turn it as you push it in. Theres a few threads in the brake section on how to do this with or without the tool.
Goodluck
I have been turning the piston as i push it in, but it just won't go in. I had the special tool as well, but the piston bent the tool!!!
I can't work it out!!!
crack the nipple and try it,this should not make a difference on this system but it does,also to make it easier i pop the disc off( 1 screw if it is still there) and mount the caliper back up without the disc it is so much easier to hold, i also dont use that s#@! tool, i use a large flatblade screwdriver with a spanner fittng under the handle and it goes back. i change alot of these pads and one in three i have to crack the nipple.(give it a quik bleed if you crack it also) i have 3 different special tools for this caliper, it is not the tools fault it is the piston that you cant get a good hold of
I have never had any luck with the tool i use a big flat blade screw driver and a G clamp you get someone to turn the clamp as you turn the screw driver usually works ok.
Hi, I'm stuck with changing the rear brake pads on my EB Fairmont 1992 - it has a crazy sort of system that won't let me push the caliper piston back the usual way - thanks to your comments I now realise it needs to be wound back somehow - I've tried using a big screwdriver and G-clamp, that didn't seem to work, so next was tapping the slot both clockwise and anti-clockwise directions with hammer and screwdriver, no joy there also.
I tried removing the caliper completely by removing the hose - but 17mm nut at one end and 10mm at the other both were so tight my open ender spanner rolled the flats round.
Buy the correct ABW brake tool from Repco or where ever. It works a treat especially if you spray WD 40 or similar first. At worse it might have rusted and seized (it happens if the fluid isn't changed or bled periodically and water accumulates and rust the thread - it's a good idea to bleed the system every-time you change the pads. Try and unscrew the piston completely (noting if you do this you'll need new rubber seals etc) so you can clean it and lube it with brake fluid - if it doesn't come it's time for a new caliper assembly.
Buy the correct ABW brake tool from Repco or where ever. It works a treat especially if you spray WD 40 or similar first. At worse it might have rusted and seized (it happens if the fluid isn't changed or bled periodically and water accumulates and rust the thread - it's a good idea to bleed the system every-time you change the pads. Try and unscrew the piston completely (noting if you do this you'll need new rubber seals etc) so you can clean it and lube it with brake fluid - if it doesn't come it's time for a new caliper assembly.
Thanks Blue, I managed to wind the pistons back out after a bit of a struggle, one caliper had to be removed from the car and put in the vise to get the piston moving again.
The strange thing is, after bleeding all the brakes twice, is it still feels spongey like there's air in the system, or the pistons aren't winding the slack back out to the discs.
The hand brake pulls a long way out now and doesn't do much to slow the car down, perhaps the pistons aren't very free yet?
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