My Fristrating Day & Rear Brake Advice.........

[PembsPanther]

Afternoon All http://www.fgoc.co.uk/forum/Smileys/default/smiley.gif

My old Gal still going strong however after nearly 12 months it is me who is letting it down and now have a long list of things to fix, great!

Today it was the turn of the rear brake pads, passenger side started grinding a couple of days ago so got replacement pads this morning and then set out on an adventure, why do the simplest of jobs ALWAYS turn into a nightmare?? Anyway here we go http://www.fgoc.co.uk/forum/Smileys/default/smiley.gif

First thing, get the wheel off, this is where the nightmare begins, crappy Ford locking wheel nuts arghhhhhhhhhhhhhh! My "key" had one of the pins missing so has been a total pain to use since I got the car, tried everything to get the damn bolt off, hammered sockets on it, hammer and chisel nothing would work and of course I have none of the removal tools, in the end I cut about 1 inch off a tent peg and bashed it into the empty hole of the "key" then bashed this onto the bolt, unbelievably it worked! Wheel off http://www.fgoc.co.uk/forum/Smileys/default/smiley.gif

Next caliper off, bolts released with no issues, took the old brake pads out, got my Laser rewind tool out, the square one and it was too small by I would say less than 1mm and the piston was stuck solid just to be helpful, again after much tooing and frowing decided it would be easier on the bench so disconnected the handbrake cable, the handbrake mechanism seems seized solid however I have read elsewhere that if your pads run too low it can do something that causes it to appear seized?? Any info appreciated something to do with an adjusting screw?? Cannot find the thread now! Anyway finally got all that disconnected the went to remove the brake pipe, seized solid blah blah got it off in the end. Took the caliper into the garage and the piston point blank refused to move, so I sprayed the rubber boot both ends with Gas Pro so it would not rip and then got some stilsons on the edge of the piston, managed to rotate it a bit lots of jiggling got it rotating 360 degrees but would not rewind, got it in the end by rewinding and applying a LOT of pressure to the piston at the same time, it went all the way back with no boot damage http://www.fgoc.co.uk/forum/Smileys/default/smiley.gif

Re-assembled it all but now have a spongy brake pedal so need to bleed it, problem is the bleed valve is totally seized, anyone have any words of wisdom? http://www.fgoc.co.uk/forum/Smileys/default/smiley.gif

Thanks in advance

[sparky Paul]

Here's the thread PP

 

http://www.fordgalaxy.org.uk/ford/index.php?/topic/27313-rear-break-pistion-would-not-depress/

 

Ideal thing for bleed nipples is one of those small high temperature gas torches. Get the nipple hot, let it cool for a few seconds then have a go at it with a hex socket. Take care to apply pressure squarely, so you don't snap it off.

 

The heat expands the nipple and cracks the corrosion in the thread.

[PembsPanther]

Thanks for the replies, after a day driving round with a very spongy pedal on Wednesday night at 9pm off came the wheel, WD40, heat, socket voila it submitted, bled lovely got rid of lots of yucky looking brake fluid as well pedal back to being lovely and firm now.

Thanks for that link looks like I will have to take it off again and dismantle it to see what is going on, will have to see if I can find a diagram somewhere of how things should look inside. Thanks for that link it has been driving me crazy trying to find it!

Thanks again http://www.fgoc.co.uk/forum/Smileys/default/smiley.gif

[xavier]

For anyone following this, getting the caliper moving back can require a lot of torque, I used an impact gun to get mine moving, or maybe it was a long ratchet on the socket end, once it was moving I could use the handles on the tool though.

 

On using heat, "something" needs to be open. Either hose off one end or bleed nipple open, you don't want the flex hose bursting, but heat is awesome stuff for getting stuff moving.

 

I purchased a new caliper from ebay which negated a lot of the above, though I would also recommend purchasing a new flexi hose as when I fitted my new caliper it tightened up 180 degrees the wrong way round!

[sparky Paul]

With the small torch, you shouldn't need it on the nipple long enough to boil the fluid - just use common sense.

 

If anyone's interested what's inside the rear caliper, there's some very useful pics on this German web page here which shows a strip down and rebuild.

[Ben g mon]

Pour boiling water over the brake nipple area and undo with a hexagon not serrated socket and ratchet

[Az2102]

re your handbrake. just did mine 3 weeks ago. euro car parts do the cables cheap as chips. (for a 1.9tdi 130). the cable was seized inside the sheathing bit when you removed the cable it moved ok, or so it seemed. cleaned up and left it on. 2 weeks later buckled new rear Brembo discs and grooved the pads. swapped under warranty and renewed the handbrake cable (also cleaned the springs on the back of the caliper using brake cleaner and a good old wiggle and then doused in wd40 before fitting new discs and pads) and all has been ok since.

 

the heat generated by the rear brakes binding actually melted the glue on the badges of my alloys and dropped a few sticky on weights off the passenger side rear wheel. hope this helps

Edited June 28, 2016 by Az2102