Date: Sat, 20 Mar 2010 14:41:26 -0700
Reply-To: Scott Daniel - Turbovans <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Scott Daniel - Turbovans <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
Subject: Re: Question about caliper, was Replacing front brake pads
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hi,
yes, that rotor looks quite bad all right.
re the caliper ...
See how easily the pistons push back into the caliper.
If one piston is stuck or very, very hard to push back in ...( or both
pistons )
a new rebuilt caliper is on order.
If wishing to keep cost down - good used caliper is an option, of which I
have many.
a trick... ( warning, for creative back yard types only - all others install
high quality rebuilt brand new calipers and pads )
for sticky caliper pistons , on any car.
You 'exercise' the pistons.
One piston at a time ( keep a pad in the other piston so it won't move or
pop out. )
have someone push the brake pedal down gently while you watch the piston
move out some.
After it moves a short way, like 1/4 inch ..
have them let go fo the brake pedal...
you carefully lever the piston back in with a large bar or lever.
Do that like 20 times ...moving piston back and forth. - best down with
fresh brake fluid in the caliper.
Full travel is aobut 3/8 of an inch, up to a half inch, but don't push it
too far distance travel-wise.
*always* ...always, always change brake fluid to any brake you work on.
When pushing the piston back in the first time ..
it's best to have a hose on the bleed valve and valve open ..
so the old crudy BF isn't pushed back into the system, but is ejected
overbaord instead.
not many people exercise their brake caliper pistons though !
but it can help some if you don't mind spending time rather than money ,
and it it's not too badly stuck yet.
New rebuilt caliper is the proper repair of course.
hey ..you might need this trick to get home from mexico sometime.
scott
turbovans
----- Original Message -----
From: "B Feddish" <bfeddish@NETREACH.NET>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Saturday, March 20, 2010 1:25 PM
Subject: Question about caliper, was Replacing front brake pads
> Hey, thanks everyone for the help with the front pads this morning. It
> took
> awhile to get spark plugs into my wifes A4 this morning so I was a bit
> behind.
>
> Anyway, here is a photo of my right front brake rotor:
> http://www.feddishbasses.com/vw/brakes.html . It looks pretty rusty and
> very
> little smooth wear. The pad on that side looked almost new and the pad on
> the inside had about 3/16"s of pad left. I'm no mechanic but this does
> not
> look right. Is the caliper bad?
>
> Thanks,
> Bryan
