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Right all, after posting another thread regarding a suspected seized Caliper i went about having it sorted.
After only just cleaning the car and going for a small drive the rear N/S wheel would always have more break dust on than the other wheels, after looking into taking it garages to have the work carried out they were only interested in me buying a new Caliper and having that fitted.
Although iv'e previously fitted pads/disks, steering pumps and suspension i felt confident attacking such a job on my own, with the help of the old man !
I've took pictures step by step for anyone wanting to carry out this work themselves. Having now completed the job i think its fairly simple to do once you have all the right tools !
Here is a link for the seal kit: LINK
Tools
Step 1:
Cut a length or either wood, plastic tube, (or use the correct brake de compressor tool) to 23" long, this is used to push the brake pedal in, seat should be pushed all the way back on the rollers or you can measure your own length of wood/tubing. keep the car on the ground at this point.
Step 2:
place two wheel chocks on both front wheels. Jack cap up using either trolley jack, or VW's jack. Ensure either axle stands or a wheel is placed under the car, At this stage, grab the 'Vizibleed' kit and push the neoprene tubing on the nipple. Rubber bung on nipple just pulls off
Step 3:
Using an 11mm Spanner open the nipple and release whatever fluid is in the line, keep the container underneath to catch the fluid, for me only a small amount of fluid came out, not enough to even fill much of the tube. once done the brake compressor must stay in place.
Step 4:
Using both your 15mm Spanner and 13mm spanner remove both the bolts on the rear of the Caliper. use the 15mm to keep the pin in place while removing the bolts. at this stage release the handbrake and you should hopefully be able to slide the Caliper away. if not, using a large flat head between the bracket and Caliper body, work the screwdriver to release the Caliper. Drop both pads out and place out of the way. support the Caliper with a box or something.
Step 5:
At this stage you should have the Caliper body off, you will be able to see the piston aswell as the dust boot. the tell tale sign for me that i had a seized Caliper was that i couldn't wind the piston back using the wind back tool. have another person lift the handbrake up and down repeatedly to work the piston out, you will hear a creaking as it move out.
Step 6:
At this point your piston should be around 1.5" out of the Caliper body the next few pumps of the handbrake will be the final stage and both fluid and the piston will come out. try to tilt the Caliper so that the fluid runs out from the piston and into a container (Brake fluid will ruin whatever paint is on the Caliper)
Step 7:
The following picture is what you should now see, both piston and dust are removed. from here clean the lip inside the Caliper where the lip of the dust boot sits. with the piston in your hand, turn it over and look into the back of it, you will see a threaded adjuster and a Circlip holding it in place. at this stage you want to grab your Circlip pliers and remove this.
Step 8:
Once the Circlip is removed you will be able to remove the insides of the Piston. pull this out but take note of how the insides go, this is the order...
Step 9:
You should be at the stage now where you have the insides of the old piston in one hand, and the fresh new Piston in the other, you now want to push the internals into the new piston, using the provided Circlip fit this behind and ensure it is secure.
Step 10:
Using a small terminal screwdriver remove the piston seal from inside the Caliper body. Clean this recess out and ensure that it is clear from corrosion or dirt build up. Grab your new seal and cover it in fresh Dot 4 brake fluid, fit the new seal in the recess and ensure that its seated correctly and isnt twisted.
Step 11:
You're now at the stage where you have to fit the new piston, push your new dust boot over the pistons body and leave an overlap at the rear of the dust boot, this will allow fitting the dust boot into the calipers body.
offer the new piston upto the calipers body and push in the new seal (note, using a small screwdriver, gently push in the seal to the calipers body, do not be rough at this stage, if you can fit this without using the screwdriver do, i found it hard so used the screwdriver)
Step 12:
With the dust boot fitting slide the piston into the Calipers body, and begin to screw clockwise. using your brake wind back tool, wind the piston back so the dust boot and piston face is flush.
Step 13:
In the kit you will see two new dust boots for your sliding pins, remove the old dust boots and fit the new ones, i filled the dust boot itself with a small amount of Cera Tec grease before pushing the pins in too.
Step 14:
At this stage, either fit your new pads, or pads that were removed previously. Ensure the Mintex Cera tec grease is used on the piston face, and the backs of the pads. Offer the Caliper body back up to the carrier, and fit both bolts using the 15mm spanner to keep the pins still.
Step 15:
Bleed your brakes...
Hope this can help some people out there, i have never done anything to do with brakes before, and wasnt really looking forward to it, after now doing this i now feel very confident to both strip the front half of the Caliper, and bleeding brakes.
Thanks to those who posted in my other thread, really appreciated the information you all posted.
Sam.
After only just cleaning the car and going for a small drive the rear N/S wheel would always have more break dust on than the other wheels, after looking into taking it garages to have the work carried out they were only interested in me buying a new Caliper and having that fitted.
Although iv'e previously fitted pads/disks, steering pumps and suspension i felt confident attacking such a job on my own, with the help of the old man !
I've took pictures step by step for anyone wanting to carry out this work themselves. Having now completed the job i think its fairly simple to do once you have all the right tools !
Here is a link for the seal kit: LINK
Tools
- Brake Piston Wind back tool
- 15mm Open Ended Spanner
- 13mm Open Ended Spanner
- 11mm Open Ended Spanner
- Large flat head Screwdriver
- Small flat head screwdriver
- 23" piece of either wood, plastic tubing (or brake decompresser for wanting to use the proper tools)
- Bleeding kit (Vizibleed brake and clutch bleeding kit, halfrauds £4.99)
- Circlip Pliers (with small point tips)
- Mintex CeraTec Grease
- 38mm Piston
- Seal Kit (Check the one ordered is for 38mm piston)
Step 1:
Cut a length or either wood, plastic tube, (or use the correct brake de compressor tool) to 23" long, this is used to push the brake pedal in, seat should be pushed all the way back on the rollers or you can measure your own length of wood/tubing. keep the car on the ground at this point.
Step 2:
place two wheel chocks on both front wheels. Jack cap up using either trolley jack, or VW's jack. Ensure either axle stands or a wheel is placed under the car, At this stage, grab the 'Vizibleed' kit and push the neoprene tubing on the nipple. Rubber bung on nipple just pulls off
Step 3:
Using an 11mm Spanner open the nipple and release whatever fluid is in the line, keep the container underneath to catch the fluid, for me only a small amount of fluid came out, not enough to even fill much of the tube. once done the brake compressor must stay in place.
Step 4:
Using both your 15mm Spanner and 13mm spanner remove both the bolts on the rear of the Caliper. use the 15mm to keep the pin in place while removing the bolts. at this stage release the handbrake and you should hopefully be able to slide the Caliper away. if not, using a large flat head between the bracket and Caliper body, work the screwdriver to release the Caliper. Drop both pads out and place out of the way. support the Caliper with a box or something.
Step 5:
At this stage you should have the Caliper body off, you will be able to see the piston aswell as the dust boot. the tell tale sign for me that i had a seized Caliper was that i couldn't wind the piston back using the wind back tool. have another person lift the handbrake up and down repeatedly to work the piston out, you will hear a creaking as it move out.
Step 6:
At this point your piston should be around 1.5" out of the Caliper body the next few pumps of the handbrake will be the final stage and both fluid and the piston will come out. try to tilt the Caliper so that the fluid runs out from the piston and into a container (Brake fluid will ruin whatever paint is on the Caliper)
Step 7:
The following picture is what you should now see, both piston and dust are removed. from here clean the lip inside the Caliper where the lip of the dust boot sits. with the piston in your hand, turn it over and look into the back of it, you will see a threaded adjuster and a Circlip holding it in place. at this stage you want to grab your Circlip pliers and remove this.
Step 8:
Once the Circlip is removed you will be able to remove the insides of the Piston. pull this out but take note of how the insides go, this is the order...
Step 9:
You should be at the stage now where you have the insides of the old piston in one hand, and the fresh new Piston in the other, you now want to push the internals into the new piston, using the provided Circlip fit this behind and ensure it is secure.
Step 10:
Using a small terminal screwdriver remove the piston seal from inside the Caliper body. Clean this recess out and ensure that it is clear from corrosion or dirt build up. Grab your new seal and cover it in fresh Dot 4 brake fluid, fit the new seal in the recess and ensure that its seated correctly and isnt twisted.
Step 11:
You're now at the stage where you have to fit the new piston, push your new dust boot over the pistons body and leave an overlap at the rear of the dust boot, this will allow fitting the dust boot into the calipers body.
offer the new piston upto the calipers body and push in the new seal (note, using a small screwdriver, gently push in the seal to the calipers body, do not be rough at this stage, if you can fit this without using the screwdriver do, i found it hard so used the screwdriver)
Step 12:
With the dust boot fitting slide the piston into the Calipers body, and begin to screw clockwise. using your brake wind back tool, wind the piston back so the dust boot and piston face is flush.
Step 13:
In the kit you will see two new dust boots for your sliding pins, remove the old dust boots and fit the new ones, i filled the dust boot itself with a small amount of Cera Tec grease before pushing the pins in too.
Step 14:
At this stage, either fit your new pads, or pads that were removed previously. Ensure the Mintex Cera tec grease is used on the piston face, and the backs of the pads. Offer the Caliper body back up to the carrier, and fit both bolts using the 15mm spanner to keep the pins still.
Step 15:
Bleed your brakes...
Hope this can help some people out there, i have never done anything to do with brakes before, and wasnt really looking forward to it, after now doing this i now feel very confident to both strip the front half of the Caliper, and bleeding brakes.
Thanks to those who posted in my other thread, really appreciated the information you all posted.
Sam.
