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Brake caliper won't retract on 98 Protege
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mystic2
User
Sep 9, 2014, 1:35 PM
Post #1 of 14
(1953 views)
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Brake caliper won't retract on 98 Protege
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Hey,
I'm in the process of changing out my CV axel and pressed on the brake pedal to shift into neutral so I could rotate the drive shaft before prying on the inner joint hoping to get past the clip ring. No luck so far but I noticed that my brake shoes on my front left caliper have moved closer together so that I can't get the caliper back on over the rotor. I started the car and pressed the brake pedal thinking that maybe that would cause the caliper clamp to retract but it didn't and now the brake pads are even closer together. Do I have to bleed some brake fluid in order to release the pressure? Is there an easy way to get the clamp to retract?
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Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky
/ Moderator
Sep 9, 2014, 1:49 PM
Post #2 of 14
(1945 views)
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Re: Brake caliper won't retract on 98 Protege
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If you keep stepping on that brake with the caliper removed you will be buying a new caliper. NEVER step on the brakes when the brakes are apart or a drum is removed.
If it hasn't started leaking fluid yet, you can probably press it back in with a C clamp. Make sure it goes in straight.
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We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.
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mystic2
User
Sep 9, 2014, 2:53 PM
Post #3 of 14
(1936 views)
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Re: Brake caliper won't retract on 98 Protege
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Thanks for the info.
I'll pick up a C clamp tomorrow and let you know how it goes.
And just to be sure, I should tighten the C clamp directly on the piston or on the brake pad?
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Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky
/ Moderator
Sep 9, 2014, 3:03 PM
Post #4 of 14
(1934 views)
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Re: Brake caliper won't retract on 98 Protege
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Hmmm - Would rather see you use a nice hard piece of wood that fits square/flush to the piston OR if a good "C" clamp that swivels at contact right on dead center of piston and shouldn't take tons of force or it's not right. Any fluid showing that caliper is toast as HT said,
T
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mystic2
User
Sep 9, 2014, 3:12 PM
Post #5 of 14
(1925 views)
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Re: Brake caliper won't retract on 98 Protege
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Got my fingers crossed that it doesn't start leaking between now and tomorrow. Any quick/easy way for me to release the pressure? Would any pressure be relieved if I loosen the cap on the brake fluid reservoir?
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Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky
/ Moderator
Sep 9, 2014, 3:12 PM
Post #6 of 14
(1925 views)
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Re: Brake caliper won't retract on 98 Protege
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You could do it either way but the C clamp may mark up your brake pads if you plan to re-use them. Just make sure it is pushing straight and you don't cock the piston to one side an jam it. It's OK for the C clamp to go inside the piston if it fits and it's a metal piston. If it happens to have plastic pistons, be a little more careful and put something in between to push against.
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We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.
(This post was edited by Hammer Time on Sep 9, 2014, 3:14 PM)
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Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky
/ Moderator
Sep 9, 2014, 5:01 PM
Post #7 of 14
(1915 views)
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Re: Brake caliper won't retract on 98 Protege
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Quote">>Any quick/easy way for me to release the pressure? Would any pressure be relieved if I loosen the cap on the brake fluid reservoir?<<"
Just remove some fluid at master cylinder and pushing piston back will have room without spilling. There's no pressure to fight unless there's another issue at the same time.
Listen to what HT said about piston being cocked. If you force it cocked it's all over leaking or not it couldn't be trusted. A "C" clamp pushing properly should retract piston with little effort as said. If it's a fight - stop as something is wrong. Yes also that you could use the pad to push on just careful and at some risk of harmlessly marking it a tad or at worst crack it then do them all if so.
If you removed fluid do so with like a turkey baster or something totally clean and do NOT use that for anything but again or throw it out not to be mixed up with food anything after brake fluid. Chances are it will just refill back to where it was. Loosen cover/cap but leave it in place as it could splash/squirt out and brake fluid can wreck paints.
If it goes well make sure it's full enough when back together and just pumping puts pads in place and then re-check fluid level,
T
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Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky
/ Moderator
Sep 9, 2014, 7:23 PM
Post #8 of 14
(1909 views)
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Re: Brake caliper won't retract on 98 Protege
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You shouldn't have to remove any fluid. The piston was retracted when you started so it shouldn't overflow. It wouldn't matter if it did.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.
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Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky
/ Moderator
Sep 10, 2014, 2:25 AM
Post #9 of 14
(1906 views)
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Re: Brake caliper won't retract on 98 Protege
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Right - OP it shouldn't overflow if you did nothing but retract the piston UNLESS brakes are say 1/2 worn and fluid was topped off and you fully retracted piston. This isn't the real issue as it can or might leak harmlessly almost always out of master cylinder. The scare is that you applied the brakes when the caliper was NOT in place (right?) and if that went all wrong piston could be crooked.
I don't trust seals twice to just put it back in with unknown dirt or stress on seals, that's all,
T
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mystic2
User
Sep 10, 2014, 1:33 PM
Post #10 of 14
(1891 views)
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Re: Brake caliper won't retract on 98 Protege
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The C clamp trick worked. Thank God.
Only problem - and I'm not sure it really is a problem - but the M-shaped caliper spring was very rusted and broke when I was taking off the pads. It's such a weak spring that I'm not even sure that I need it. What do you guys think? And if I do need it, do I have to go to the Mazda dealer to get one?
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Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky
/ Moderator
Sep 10, 2014, 1:53 PM
Post #11 of 14
(1890 views)
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Re: Brake caliper won't retract on 98 Protege
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Those springs are important. They keep the pads from constantly rubbing on the rotors when not applied.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.
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Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky
/ Moderator
Sep 10, 2014, 2:04 PM
Post #12 of 14
(1885 views)
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Re: Brake caliper won't retract on 98 Protege
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If that rusted it's time to do up the front brakes, both sides the same to each. There are better parts for rust and think you mean the clip for outer pad but doesn't matter it really can't stay that way and if like I think it's part of the pad not a separate kit of hardware but even so it's time and if a keeper go for it,
T
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mystic2
User
Sep 12, 2014, 11:56 AM
Post #13 of 14
(1816 views)
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Re: Brake caliper won't retract on 98 Protege
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It's all fixed and back together.
O'reilys sells the M-clips I needed for the caliper.
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Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky
/ Moderator
Sep 12, 2014, 3:21 PM
Post #14 of 14
(1812 views)
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Re: Brake caliper won't retract on 98 Protege
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Yes, those hardware kits are readily available.
Closing this now as solved.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.
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