Posted by Ben on October 16, 1999 at 16:15:22:
In Reply to: Re: HELP! Doing front brakes on 1996 Sub 1500 4x4 posted by #1 Son on October 16, 1999 at 14:47:42:
Add that you can bleed/flush the caliper's fluid by having a bleed hose & catch bottle on the bleed screw while compressing the piston with the "C" clamp.
Place the screw anvil on the back side of the disc pad (caliper is open on this side) and the fixed anvil on the back side of the caliper casting. Install the bleed hose onto the bleed nipple, other end of hose in a catch bottle. Open the bleed screw and then crank the "C" clamp until it bottoms (not too much force). Close the bleed screw just before the "C" clamp bottoms.
If you want, you can fluch that line. Have a bottle of new brake fluid turned upside down into the master cylinder reservior (it will maintain minimum fluid kevek and not allow any air to get into the sytem all the while providing NEW fluid). Make sure the bleed screw is closed and the "C" clamp is removed and the old disc pads are STILL installed. Now pump the brake pedal until it feels solid (doesn't matter whether the engine is running or not). Do that whole above cycle a few times and you've just flushed the whole line (and whole front end if you do both sides like this).
Now do the "C" clamp one last time, but this time remove the old pad and replace with new. Pump the pedal aagain till solid and you've just finished flushing and installing new pads.
Make sure you reinstall the bleed nipple rubber cap. If left un capped, water will collect and rust out the seating surface, bind the bleed screw with rust and you'll never be able to properly bleed that caliper again...replacement is the only cure.
Good luck,
-Ben
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: : How do I retract the caliper piston?
: : TIA,
: : Mike
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: I've seen a Sear mechanic use a large C-Clamp. He placed the movable screw side on the center of the piston and the "anvil" end of the c-clamp on the back side of the caliper. Tighten the screw to press the piston back into the cylinder.
: A side note relating to the same subject is that to get the piston OUT of the cylinder, he used compressed air on the bleeder nipple to push it out.
: #1 Son
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