Once again, reading Helms and trying to do the right thing has gotten me into wondering what they are referring to when they say to lube the rear brake calipers with a rust preventative agent. I'm familiar with removing all the rust scale as possible and using brake caliper grease on the pad edges and the backings, but to me that is not using a rust preventaive agent. Its got me wondering about this especially since there is no mention of doing anything to the front calipers. So, I'm thinking that Helms must be referring to something specifically besides the usual maintenance.

 

i dont know about lubing the calipers w/ a rust preventative agent...but all you really have to do is make sure the pad brackets are clean, apply moly coat to the brake pad shims, clean and lubricate the sliding pins on the calipers and make sure the piston is lined up correctly for the parking brake and you should be fine...

 

WTH, is this you are referring to: "Make sure the notch in the rear caliper piston is lined up with the tab on the in-board read brake pad."

... and this also, which I copied from the net: " Being equipped with a mechanical hand brake, it's necessary to turn the pistons as they're retracted."

i have never done rear brake on a Honda. What is this all about, lining up and manually turning this and that, notches in the piston lined up with a tab, OMG!, [I never disassemble the caliper unless needed], dont use a C clamp, turn pistons as they're retracted, OMG, WTH!

To summarize [skipping minor details]: All I have ever needed to do as per instructions on non-Honda vehicles is remove clips holding pads in, [or remove the pins if needed], pull pads out of the caliper, and push the pistons back in their bore using the pad itself [or pad plate without the pad] and a prybar [never had to use a C clamp]; remove rust; clean it all up; grease backing plate, boot rubber ends, and pad edges; spray brakleen to rotor surface. Put back together, apply proper torque if needed. I have never needed to turn any rear piston. I have seen reference to a certain angle of the piston on the rear calipers and SST's being used. But when I asked local techs about that they all said, that was only if I was rebuilding the caliper and getting it set up by myself. Pad or rotor replacement, or bleeding, or even replacing with a rebuilt caliper did not require that.

I'm totally confused now, but I', concerned that maybe I have not been doing something that I should be.

 

alright so you know how normally when you change front brake pad you would have to push the piston back into place so the pad will fit? well the rear calipers pistons have to be turned (or screwed) back into place. When you take out the caliper and take out the pads you will see the piston looks kinda like a really large Phillips screw head. you can use a pair of needle nose tweeters, or you can grab a rear disc piston tool at auto zone for $8, and you turn the piston clockwise (I believe) and the piston will screw down back into place. If it doesn't turn, that means it seized.
Hope that helps

 

... or get one from HF for $3