Date:         Thu, 28 Oct 2004 07:46:32 EDT
Reply-To:     THX0001@AOL.COM
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         George Goff <THX0001@AOL.COM>
Subject:      Re: brake piston adjustment/pliers
Comments: To: manikmike@YAHOO.COM
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"

In a message dated 10/27/04 5:50:41 PM, manikmike@YAHOO.COM writes:

<< 1) How to move the pistons without disassembling the calipers and without
the spiffy piston position-correcting VW tool (US 1023/2)? >>

Depends on how much ca-ca is in the caliper.  But first, I have been taught
that it is verboten to split a caliper body.  I've never been told why, but I
imagine it is because the bores in the caliper halves must be in precise
alignment.  And, I've never seen a garage with the time, the jig nor the desire to
maintain this alignment.

At various times all of the following have worked for me with various degrees
of difficulty:

1/  Use a pair of battery terminal spreader pliers with jaws cut short enough
to fit between the caliper halves.

2/ A piece of 1/8" flat steel with a width sized to just fit the ID of the
piston, can be bent into almost an "L" shape.  The short arm of the "L" is just
long enough to fit between the caliper halves and it is inserted into the
hollow of the piston.  Then, while pushing on the long arm so as to cock it in the
piston hollow, this lever is used to rotate the piston to its proper position.

3/  If you like some risk and have a steady hand, just push tangentially with
a flat bladed screwdriver on whichever corner of the piston cutaway that will
rotate it in the correct direction.  The risk is that this method can
puncture a dust boot if the screwdriver slips.  This is the real animal approach, but
doable.

George