So before I swap over these calipers onto my civic, I decided to do a rebuild. I thought it would be pretty complicated, but it turns out it was a pretty easy process until I got to the last step. I was able to do my front Integra calipers easily enough, but noticed the CRX calipers are constructed in an entirely different way. The piston is actually screwed onto a threaded push rod that is used to extend and retract the piston. I've never done this before so I need some advice as to how to proceed with re-installing the piston.

The piston was able to be pushed out with compressed air just like the front integra pistons. I wonder how this was possible if it was actually threaded onto the push rod? I didn't notice it rotating as it came out, but I did notice it took a lot more pressure before it came out. So was it actually threaded on the push rod or am I missing something here?

What's the correct way to re-install it? Here's what I'm doing so far. I place the dust boot near the bottom of the piston, then place the piston into the caliper. It looks like the boot is seated in the caliper correctly at this point. Then the only way I can figure out how to get the piston to retract is to use a cold chisel (it's the only thing that's wide enough and thin enough to use as a screw driver on the piston head) to screw the piston back onto the threaded push rod. This seems to work well at first, but as soon as the piston seal side of the dust boot locks into the piston it looks like the caliper side seal unseats itself. Anybody have a homegrown method of doing this easily that I could be overlooking?

For anyone who took the time to read this, a thousand thanks to you. To anyone who can offer any encouragement or advice on this matter, a million thanks more to you. I know this is something that I can figure out eventually own my own, but I've learned if I have access to the past experience and knowledge of others I might as well use it. Hopefully somebody knows what the deal with this is.

 

I read it but I don't really have any useful insight. Perhaps something to do with the ebrake part of it?

Also are you doing it with the bleeder screw on? Perhaps it has to be off to let the air out of the back of it?

 

You will have to rethread it back on, it's threaded because it works as the ebrake. When you pull the ebrake it is mechanically turned out. And when you step on the pedal the hydraulic pressure turns it out. If you've ever done a rear brake job on discs, you would've noticed that to compress the piston you have to turn it back in to get it in. You can buy special tools to turn it back in!!

 

I just use a chisel to turn it back in. On Hondas it is a + sign so not a big deal to screw in.

 

Ok, I didn't realize that's why it has the push rod (b/c of the e-brake). That at least explains why it's there. I'm able to get the piston back in quite easily using the chisel, but it's just proving to be quite a bitch to get the damn dust boot to seat correctly. I guess my main question was is there an easier way to get the piston back in and keep the dust boot seated in the caliper seak groove while doing so. It's just kind of a pain in the ***. And man, those piston are itsy bitsy compared with the front Integra units. I guess my post was kind of pointless, more of a "you're on the right track track, just keep at it" kindof thing. Although I did learn why the push rod is threaded.... Thanks for the replies