PabloDiablo

Hi everyone,

I'm having a problem replacing my front brake pads, '92 civic dx. I've done this three times before with no problem, but now I'm having a hell of a time completing the job, which should take twenty minutes total. One side went just fine, the other side won't work. I removed the bottom caliper bolt and swung the caliper up as usual. I put in the new brake pads as usual. When I try to swing the caliper down onto the disk and new pads, I don't have enough clearance because the top pin won't slide in enough (this is the pin that doesn't need to be loosened, it just pivots the caliper). The problem is NOT the piston, I'm smart enough to compress that with my caliper tool so that it's settled inward enough to clear the inner pad. The outer pad is in place, and the caliper won't swing down because the cast iron housing won't clear it, and I can't budge the whole caliper either out or in to provide enough room for it to swing down over the new pad. In other words, the top caliper stud that allows the caliper to pivot up and down won't allow the caliper to slide side to side on the pin. Any experience with this problem? Right now I'm putting the old outside pad on (which is much thinner than the new one) just so I can swing the caliper down, put in the bottom bolt, and drive. I don't want to drive around with 3 new pads and one old one, can anyone help?

Thanks,

Paul

abusedhusband

iTrader: (1)

that pin is a caliper slide. pull it out clean the hole in the anchor bracket with some brakleen and a skinny tube kinda wire brush. then put some grease in there. also wire brush the pin itself and grease that to. should be done every brake job.

PabloDiablo

I can't budge the caliper either way on that pin at all. It pivots, but won't slide on or off. I tried pounding it with my rubber mallet, used a wood block and my mini-sledge hammer, used a C clamp, and it won't move at all. Pivots just fine though. It must be totally jammed or rusted or frozen in place. Has anyone else ever had this problem?

Mr.EM1_EK

try to heat it up a little. just make sure you don't melt your brake lines. sounds frustrating, if it were me i would just hit it real good a couple times, thats just me though.i get frustrated easy. good luck.

abusedhusband

iTrader: (1)

yes i go through it everyday at work. usually heat it up with a torch and get it out and do what i said before. but the propper way to do it is buy a loaded caliper, also easier.

Mr.EM1_EK

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by abusedhusband &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">yes i go through it everyday at work. usually heat it up with a torch and get it out and do what i said before. but the propper way to do it is buy a loaded caliper, also easier.</TD></TR></TABLE>

i feel you i do the same almost everyday,thats why i had suggested it. but a loaded caliper is the easiest way, but i would heat it up and give it a try first.

PabloDiablo

I removed the whole caliper assembly and ended up having to pound it with my mini sledge about 30 times to get it to move in a little. I put it all together and the brakes feel spongy, probably because I did a crappy job bleeding the brakes. I'll bleed them again next time I have a day off. In the meantime, I hope I didn't screw anything up by blasting the calipers with my sledge. Guess it's time to start saving for new calipers, since I'll just run into the same problem next time too.

Thanks for everyone's suggestions...

Paul

Mr.EM1_EK

yeah just bleed them, you should be fine. just make sure you lubricate the pin and you should not need calipers.