dslchome

Replace them when they start to leak.

also if you use the correct tool you wont mark up the piston.

They sell the a cheap tool that can go on a 3/8 ratchet for like 3$ at any part store.

I did my Honda rear brakes with Wagner ThermoQuets Ceramic with no problems.

make sure you use the pad with the round tab on the INSIDE...
some people use it on the outside

Eric the Car guy shows you on you tube how to do this job perfect online free

varocketry

Here's the Link to Eric the Car Guy replacing Honda Accord rear brakes and this damn caliper issue.

What a great find!

Thank you all. I've been screwing with these calipers for three hours this afternoon. Broke a tip off a new ADVANCE AUTO Impact Wrench, too. SO another trip to AA.

BLKFLSH

You can get a lot of good tips from Ericthecarguy.com. But, I don't like the idea he has about pinching the brake line with a vise-grip. I've always been able to turn the pistons in without doing that. If you are going to change your own pads, I would suggest you also learn how to bleed the brakes. The old fluid should be flushed out every 3 years or so.

varocketry

Went back to Advance Auto and they swapped out the Impact Wrench.

SO i tried again, and on the fourth whack, a tip broke on this new wrench.

I guess I'll button things back up with new pads BUT not new rotors installed and ask a local shop to break loose the screws.

I bought the $11.79 square caliper tool at Advance Auto [it wasn't $3 here] and it worked well in getting the piston fully retracted. I never would have known that was needed except for this forum..... at least for a while until I stumbled onto a Youtube video.

varocketry

Any other ideas how to remove those darn rotor retention bolts?

johnsc2235

Yes. Hit them with a punch...center punch a hole between where the screwdriver would go..like a tic tac toe kinda thing then angle your punch and work it off. If I get a chance tomorrow I'll take pics of what I'm talking about. It also would help to heat up the screws with a map gas torch.

BLKFLSH

Or, take a drill, and a bit about half the diameter of the screw head, and drill the heads right off. You can then pull the rotors off, and the remainder of the screw will come out easily. I use a craftsman impact driver now. You don't want to try an impact driver from Advance Auto, they are crap and why I had to drill the screws out the first time.

varocketry

What? Easily? If they're so frozen they won't turn out with an impact wrench, how will cutting the heads off help?

Sounds like you've read too many posts without actually having experienced this problem. There is a good Youtube video where a guy drills out a frozen bolt on a Porsche 936 rotor after heating and punching. But it's far from "easy."

Most videos show heating the ROTOR hat body , not the bolt, to break loose the rust bond. I'll try that today with an acetylene torch.

BLKFLSH

After I drilled the heads off the screws, and took the rotors off, the rest of the screw came out by hand. The heads of the screws are what is tight against the rotor, so after that is gone, there is no pressure on the threaded part. And Yes, I've done this MYSELF. Don't knock it, till YOU'VE tried it. All you need is a cordless drill and a 1/4" bit. And by the way, I did use new screws to install the new rotors. If you don't put screws back in the holes, a lot of water can get in between the rotor and hub and I don't like rust.

Originally, I had bought an impact driver from Advance, but one hit with the hammer shattered the fragile bit. Then I drilled the heads off, and that worked like a charm. I have since bought a craftsman impact driver and did the front rotors with that. I could have easily drilled the heads off the front rotors too, but I figured I could use an impact driver for other things too.

DCFIVER

Agreed. Although occasionally rust will work its way down the threaded portion of the screw, at that point the screw/bolt will get stuck as well, even with out the head.
The Craftsman drivers are the best IMO. Ive had mine for 15 years now. When the bits break,buy Lisle bits as replacements.

BLKFLSH

Who sells Lisle? I know you can find them online, but are there any brick and mortar stores that carry it? Sears?

DCFIVER

Pepboys for sure,possibly Oreilys and I believe NAPA. Its even better if you have a good independent parts store in your area, as they generally sell better parts and tools(although usually at slightly higher prices than the big chain stores)

varocketry

I Had success today but it was a long process, starting with going back to Advance Auto for a new Impact Wrench - I guess that's a good thing about their lifetime warranty. No questions asked.

First, both front rotor screws had to be 'encouraged' through the use of the IW, but they can't out relatively easily. So I redid the entire front brake system.

Then I figured I'd give the rear rotor's another try as it was early enough in the day [I gave up yesterday and just put pads in because I couldn't get the screws out on with rear side]. I started on the passenger side rear and I think technique plays a big role in things working right. First I started with the BallPeen hammer just as Eric They Car Guy stated. And, just kept going at it. Ball Peen rounded end on the screw, whack the hammer face with a big hammer. A couple times. Then start in again with the Impact wrench. It was at least five rounds when the first screw started turning. The second gave in several rounds later.

So I moved to the Driver's side rear. I went through 10-12 rounds of Ball peen whacks and the Impact wrench at it wasn't budging. So I brought out the Oxy-Acetylene torch to heat things up -- this time focusing on the rotor body around the screw. Metal color didn't change but it started smoking so it was getting hot. 6-8 Ball Peen/Impact Wrench rounds later one screw is stripped but you can get bite if you push the IW into the screw head without twisting. Finally the non-stripped screw started turning. But the stripped one was holding firm.

I decided to try some advice read early in this thread and used the torch to heat up the screw itself. I got it reddish-yellow several times but I wanted to be careful not to melt it, just get the heat as fully into the screw as possible. Then I took a break so the whole area would cool down. When I returned, several ball peen hammer whacks, then I tried a pointed center punch in the center of the hole and whacked that a couple time. Next round of Impact Wrench the head started moving - I thought I'd broken the head off. But the screw came out intact and I had total success. Perseverance repeating the rounds, heat, center punch, it all helped. By the time I was done, I really felt like I was using the Impact tool correctly. Frequent medium hard whacks trying to imitate an air impact wrench vice big hard whacks that only broke tips. No broken tips using it on four wheels, today, with a better technique.

I got all the new slotted, cross-drilled rotors on, replaced the calipers and news pads, guide pins cleaned and greased, wheels reinstalled, and went out for bedding test drive. Then the garage cleanup started.

BLKFLSH

Success is always sweet in the end.

MSchu

I take it we're talking about the rotor screw?

you used an Impact WRENCH to remove a screw?

are you sure it wasn't an impact driver?

ever hear about drilling out the head or using an extractor?

BLKFLSH

As soon as I thought the impact driver wasn't doing the trick, I would have started drilling. It takes very little time to drill the heads off, and the rest of the screw should be easy to remove after the rotor is off. I don't like using torches, unless as a last resort. I've never tried the punch method, and probably never will now that I have a good impact driver, and a cordless drill.

spoolymcgee

i use the chisel method and brut force, works every time.

tech8

You got it out already. But, using the center punch and a hammer method is different. First, you would make an indentation at a side of the screw head with the center punch and hammer. Then holding the center punch at an angle where you made the indentation, hit the center punch with the hammer to drive it out counter clockwise.

A cold chisel and hammer is the similar method.

https://honda-tech.com/attachment.ph...1&d=1290200100

BLKFLSH

Seems to me, the farther you get away from the center of the screw, the more leverage you would have on it. That little drawing looks like the notch is too close to the center to me.

tech8

It's only a drawing. There is also a link to a photo in the post to show the concept.

wmchenry02

I agree that brakes are very important piece of the vehicle (some may argue the most important). However, should we really knock someone trying to learn something new? A lot of working on cars is trial and error and then fix.

I do recommend trying your new DIY brakes in your driveway back and forth first or a very slow street if you have one out your driveway.

Anyway. Props to all you DIY's!

Leland Sutter

The edge of the brake pad fits perfectly into the groove to turn it. Just use your old break pad and hold it with a pair of pliers. Literally just saved me today. I hope this finds an unlucky person that didn’t know to get the tool lol

SCRUM

ALL i gotta say, is doing any kind of car work on my Honda accord, sucks *****. Wish I still had my toyota camry.