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On 20 Mar 99, at 22:39, kevin gunter wrote: > Nice weather here in Missouri today so I set out to do the front > brakes. Brake hose changes went well. Tried to change the pads and > couldn't get the pistons to seat and allow the pads to fit. Is this > because of corrosion in the caliper? Should I try and rebuild or just > replace them? What did you do to try to push the pistons back in? How far did they go? My technique: remove the 2 caliper retaining pins and the anti-rattle spring, then use a large pair of channel locks to grab squeeze between one of the pad tabs and the body of the caliper to push the pad/piston outwards. Then insert a pry bar between the old pad and the disk to force the pad/piston all the way out. Leave the old pad in place during all this to protect the seal around the piston. DO NOT try to pry directly against the face of the piston: You WILL slip and pinch the seal making a rebuild necessary. Once you have forced both old pads/pistons all the way outwards, then you can pull the pads out, but be sure not to pull the piston retaining plate (anti-rotation plate) out. The new pads should then slide in. Be sure to watch the level of the brake fluid in the reservoir as you push the pistons out. If the reservoir has been refilled with the pad worn, the reservoir will overflow when the pistons return to their original position. New pads are almost always are too tight a fit in the caliper. I find that I have to put each one of them in a vice and file off a bit of excess on the top and bottom edges to allow them to go in. They should be neither extremely tight nor loose at all. It's okay if they need to be lightly tapped into place, but if you hammer them in they will not be free to move and the braking will be uneven. They will not retract è» remove your foot from the brake pedal and will drag on the disk and wear out rapidly. Jim - ******************************* Jim Adney, jadney@vwtype3.org Madison, Wisconsin, USA ******************************* ------------------------------------------------------------------- Too much? Digest! mailto:type3-d-request@vwtype3.org Subj=subscribe