Secret to compressing rear brake caliper piston?
 

I'm trying to change the rear brake pads on my 2004 Honda Accord EX V6. Unfortunately, I can't compress the piston in the caliper on either the driver or passenger side so that the caliper will fit over the new pads. Is there a secret for doing this on a Honda Accord?

I've tried two old reliable methods...(i) c-clamp, and (ii) large wrench...but neither worked. I even tried opening the bleeder bolt to relieve hydrolic pressue, but no luck. Any other recommendations?

I've changed brake pads without a problem on other cars before (although admitidly never a Honda), but I'm stumped on this one. Please help...my credibility is at stake in the eyes of my wife!

Re: Secret to compressing rear brake caliper piston? (slave2waf)
 

look for a caliper tool or a pair of needle nose pliers you may not want anymore...twist them in.

Re: Secret to compressing rear brake caliper piston? (Splaturn)
 

yea, need to turn it in, cannot be compressed.

Re: Secret to compressing rear brake caliper piston? (asnstyle22)
 

Turn with a big screwdriver. Its so much easier then compressing.

Ahhhh yes...the secret twist.

I didn't have a screwdriver that was large enough, but the needle nose pliers trick worked great. It didn't even damage the pliers (thanks Craftsman).

Thank you all, my credibility has been restored to it's normal (albeit low) level.

Re: (slave2waf)
 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by slave2waf &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
Thank you all, my credibility has been restored to it's normal (albeit low) level.</TD></TR></TABLE>

We all gotta start somewhere. Don't be ashamed.

Re: (Splaturn)
 

Its strange how the front is push in and the rear is twist. You would think the car would be the same especially since its 4 wheel disc.

Re: (Accord1234)
 

It must have something to do with emergency brakes in the rear.

Re: Secret to compressing rear brake caliper piston?
 

Thanks for this tip, I was just getting ready to give my Honda dealer a piece of my mind about the prematurely siezed calipers when I found this hint. Big screwdriver worked great.

Re: Secret to compressing rear brake caliper piston?
 

Yep you turn them in.

I know there are all sorts of halfway methods to get these things to go in, but I found Advance Auto sells a tool for it. I think it cost like $11 or so when I got it several years back and it goes on a rachet, but it made this job 100x easier than trying to do it with pliers or similar, and to me was well worth what it cost. I've used it more times than I can count as quite a few rear brakes are this style.

Re: Secret to compressing rear brake caliper piston?
 

Another point is to line up the slot on the piston, so that the little pin on the inside pad fits in the slot. If the pad pin is not in the slot the inner pad will not wear evenly.

Re: Secret to compressing rear brake caliper piston?
 

It does.
Good advice.

Re: Secret to compressing rear brake caliper piston?
 

Good info! Old threads still getting put to use! An oldie but a goodie.

Re: Secret to compressing rear brake caliper piston?
 

I just spent an hour trying to compress the rear brakes, when both wouldnt open up enough, I figured there was a trick to it. Never woulda guessed you had to twist them in

Thanks

Re: Secret to compressing rear brake caliper piston?
 

OK. So I have changed many brake pads on different hondas with the twist-in style. I have a 1997 Honda Accord and when I turn the caliper it only goes part of the way in, then stops. I can't get it down far enough to get on the pads (still need another 3/4"). The piston still turns, but doesn't compress. Any suggestions?

Re: Secret to compressing rear brake caliper piston?
 

So what did you do????

if the piston does not go all the way in?

My rear pads are going to need to be changed and I saw the video on you tube.
the guy uses a real twister and he had a home made tool and he said you can use a big screw driver....

I have done brakes on many GM and Ford cars but never a HONDA....

and I know Honda is all backwards and upside down but they are great cars...

however this caliper thing is a lil scary.. Im thinking about just buying new calipers.

SO did you get your pads to fit?

Re: Secret to compressing rear brake caliper piston?
 

You probably need to push on them, while turning clockwise. The threads on the piston don't seem to be catching inside the calliper. Did you remove the master cylinder cap, or open the bleed screw? It shouldn't be necessary, but it might help.

Re: Secret to compressing rear brake caliper piston?
 

its best to open the bleeder screw I have been told, you do not want back pressure or as I have been told... Also it could blow up out the cap and you DO NOT want brake fluid on paint... it will bubble paint right OFF.

So IMO if you must... remove the bleeder and since you new pads have all the new meat and if you ever added brake fluid over the life of the old pads you might have some extra,

OHH just make sure you take some needles nose pliers that have rubber of the ends or cushion and clamp down on the rubber brake line.... this way you do not damage it or do not get air in your brakes,

I'm so used to American cars... GM and FORD mostly... This Honda stuff is new.

even to change the oil from the first time i saw it was not straight in and it was in on a ANGLE.. I wonder how many people stripped their oil pan screw?

Anyways.. hope this helps.

I grew up in a mechanic shop my whole life.... all my family are Master Mechanics ...

Its funny... on our shop in Michigan we are known over the city b.c we have a sign that say the WORLDS WORST MECHANICS in NEON LIGHTS.

LOL! , its a joke.. but the town folk get it.

Its world famous.

Re: Secret to compressing rear brake caliper piston?
 

Don't open the bleed valve unless you know how to properly bleed the brakes on that application. Do not clamp the brake line with needlenose or anything, lazy is not correct. Is this why so many hondas have problems with air in the brake lines?

Re: Secret to compressing rear brake caliper piston?
 

The rear calipers that have integral e-brakes have a camshaft inside, the piston is bolted on a central screw shaft. Yeah they did that intentionally, so that if you take a c-clamp to it it won't break the first time someone does it wrong. If you have a steel file, that is probably the easiest tool for Hondas. Another tip: twist the piston out a bit first and then go in, it may loosen something (there are springs and bearings and clips inside...just trust me here). To twist it IN, you turn the piston CLOCKWISE. shove a file into the + and rotate.

Re: Secret to compressing rear brake caliper piston?
 

or you could just buy this tool and it fits on a 3/8 rachet or extension and have the ability to do every car under the sun the link is below for the cost and pic

http://www.napaonline.com/Catalog/Ca...037_0361131950

Re: Secret to compressing rear brake caliper piston?
 

so i first tried to compress the rear brakes, i did it very slowly and with not alot of force, saw that it was going nowhere and preceded to check up here. saw that you needed to turn the piston back in and that is what i have been trying to do. i bought that little cube thing, as well as have tried a file and still not enough to put the new brakes on, i am missing it by less than 1/4 inch is there anything i can do to help this. it is extremely difficult to turn so any advice would be awesome.

Re: Secret to compressing rear brake caliper piston?
 

Lots of derp in this thread. Instead of being helpful, I think I will just chastise everyone that tries do DIY their brakes without having a clue wtf is going on.

It's the most important system on the car! Just take it to a professional if you don't know exactly what you are doing!

And the ones regurgitating crap they read on a forum somewhere need to just quit. You aren't helping anyone by talking about something you haven't ever done yourself.

[rant=off]

Re: Secret to compressing rear brake caliper piston?
 

X2!! And a nice rant at that!!

Re: Secret to compressing rear brake caliper piston?
 

I won't restate methods above, but I did my brakes last night and turning in the piston worked. Although, my passenger side was very difficult to turn. To boot, that side the rotor was very warped and the brake pad was chewed up after having been rep,aced about 15k ago. Anybody know how to identify with certainty BAD brake calipers rear (or front) to know when it is time to replace?