brake job help

[Anubis]

i replaced my rear brake pads, but i can't get the piston to push back into the bore to clear the new pads. I tried turning it clockwise but its very difficult. Does anyone have and ideas? thanks.

[slideways240]

try taking the cap off the brake master cylinder, if that doesn't help then it's gonna get messy. loosen the bleed valve and quickly turn and push the piston back in. then tighten up the bleed valve and replace what fluid you lost with new stuff.

[240Stilo]

I just kept turning the cylinder till it was flush. It took me FOREVER but I finally got it in. I used some needle nose pliars but I was also curious if there's a better way to do it because I was kinda messing up the cylinder with the pliars.

[birdy01]

try using a little flat screwdriver and jus push it and it will turn unless it is really really bad. but then I thought mine was bad but it turned out easy. worth a try.

[thelinja]

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!! Don't use screw driver's and needle nose pliars!! You can damage the pistons and **** up your calipers. First off, release fluid pressure by opening the master cylinder. Next, get a C-clamp and a paint stirrer, or something else that will distribute the force of the C-clamp equally over the piston. Put the stirrer, or whatever you use on the piston and put the clamp in the center of the piston. Tighten the clamp in small doses, this prevents the fluid from spewing out of the top of the MS. Do this until you can fit the new pad into place.

[lVll2. S14]

u all are misinformed...........ur supposed to undo the little cap in the rear brakes then as u let it bleed use the needle nose pliers to grip the piston by the little indentations on the sides of the pistons...there should be four of them....rotate in a clockwise motion ....im pretty sure it was clockwise.....the piston should go back into teh caliper slowly...just do this slowly not to damage the seal or the piston. keep on doing it until there is enuf clearance for the caliper to fit back onto the pds and rotor.

[lVll2. S14]

the c clamp/bleeding method is only used for the front calipers. this will not work for the rears as i have tried and broken two of my best c-clamps

[Dousan_PG]

yep

rear: pliers or the tool (you cna get it auto store, its a cube shaped unit)

front: c-clamps

[96SEChick]

The rear pistons screw in--you cannot push them in with a c-clamp. We used a beefy pair of channel-lock pliers, and carefully gripped the outer edge of the piston--staying away from the design that grips the pad--and slowly and carefully turned. We didn't have to bleed the lines at all. I don't remember which way we rotated the piston though. But try and if it goes in, it's the right way--if it comes out more, just rotate the other direction.

We didn't damage the edge of the piston in any way--we were very, very careful.

[240Stilo]

Originally posted by dousan36
yep

rear: pliers or the tool (you cna get it auto store, its a cube shaped unit)

front: c-clamps

YES! I was wondering if they made a specific tool for it. Do you know what exactly it's called so I can know my stuff or should I ask for "the tool to turn the 240sx rear piston"? Is there anything wrong with turning it without bleeding the system? Because I did it that way, only thing was that the initial turning was a little difficult but it got pretty easy near the end

[Mark & Irena]

I don't know of a specific name for it. It just looks like a little cube, about an inch in size on each side of it. You can find it in the brakes section of your auto store. They cost like $5. IIRC, all six sides of it do something.

I.M.

[Anubis]

Originally posted by Mark & Irena
I don't know of a specific name for it. It just looks like a little cube, about an inch in size on each side of it. You can find it in the brakes section of your auto store. They cost like $5. IIRC, all six sides of it do something.

I.M.
so its like a socket that fits into the 4 grooves of the piston face?

[Phlip]

Originally posted by dousan36
yep

rear: pliers or the tool (you cna get it auto store, its a cube shaped unit)

front: c-clamps
THE TOOL, USE THE TOOLL!!! I've done it twice with needle nose pliers and the c-clamp, but the tool was a million times easier than that way, and it was only 9.95... The front can be done with a screwdriver before you even take the brakes off the car.