stevenr

Are there any special tools required to replace the Brembo rotors and pads? It was my understanding that there was a special tool needed to compress the pistons or something similar during pad replacement. I ask this because I need new rotors and pads and I am getting after market. I need to take it to a shop for installation and need to make sure that they can do the job. My dealer will not install anything that is not Acura stuff.

Kennedy

iTrader: (2)

Yeah... It's called a C clamp to compress the piston. Make sure to remove the brake fluid reservoir top.

You also may need an impact screwdriver to get the set screw loose.

JD TL-S

iTrader: (1)

Wow

Kennedy

iTrader: (2)

It's that easy bud. Your sarcasm is not received well considering your level of experience.

I've changed 20 or so sets of pads/rotors on pretty much every import make and model out there. I just did my first Z350Z 2 weeks ago, and it was no different in any way.

The only special tool I've ever needed was on a VW, which required a special tool that "rotated" the rear piston at the same time it compressed it.

There's also a great DIY write up with service manual scans in the3G garage. The only special tool it speciifes is a "piston comressor", which a $2 C-clamp can be used for just as easily.

01tl4tl

Sorry to burst your bubble guys- I did this exact job on despers car 2 weeks ago

First- ASK the shop if they have ever done Brembos- its the techs job to own the right tools, take it to someone who knows your car
If you have to bring tools yourself- do the whole job and take yourself out to dinner instead

BREMBO is different and a standard c clamp will not work because there are pistons on each side of the caliper. Press just 1 side and guess what happens!
There is a special tool that looks like salad tongs- it spreads apart as you tighten it.

The cheater way: Use a screwdriver- thin tip prybar in between the rotor and pad on one side- jiggle back a little - then the other side- a few times of that and you have retracted the pistons enough- they do not need to be flush to get everything back together- thats just more work for you.
On the back side of the calipers- there are 2 allen head bolts DO NOT TOUCH
those hold the caliper halves together!!!
The normal bolts hold the caliper and bracket on
Make sure to use caliper grease everywhere and flush the brake fluid till clear

01tl4tl

DO NOT REMOVE MASTER CYLINDER CAP while working on brakes !!!!!!!!
That open top- with pressure being pushed up from below- will result in the need for new paint job under hood and on fender- bummer! brake fluid is nasty stuff

Since you need brakes- the fluid be be low anyway- if its not- use a turkey baster to suck out some brake fluid. See above post regarding flushing brake fluid annually

stevenr

01tl4tl-

Thanks, I have done brakes at least 20 times in my life, so it is not a new deal to me. I just remember someone saying that the Brembos were different.

If the only difference is the piston compression tool, then I should be okay. I will check out the local service company that works on mostly imports (Porsche, etc.).
This should be no problem for them.

Steve

01tl4tl

I dont want to remember how many brake jobs I have done!!

There are a few things different about the Brembos- being 4 pistons instead of 1 like regular TL has

If you have ever done an old RX2 you are familiar with the 2 pins that go across the caliper and thru holes in the pads- push the pistons back as I described with everything still bolted up
remove those pins by using nail set or similar device- they go inward to remove
then remove the pads vertically from the caliper
remove bolt that holds brake line to strut
remove caliper bracket bolts and caliper
hang from zip tie or wire hanger
rest is normal

Kennedy

iTrader: (2)

OK, sounds like a more prudent approach with the prybar.

My Harley has 2 piston Brembos (piston on each side), and I had the same issue you described. I solved it using a C-clamp to pin back one piston, then similarly as you describe, a tactfully wedged screwdriver between the caliper/c-clamp to compress the other piston.

I WOULD reccomend you remove the MC cover, just be watchful of spills. It makes the compressing of the pistons a lot easier(I could almost do it by hand on the Z last week). Check the lever after each caliper, and if you start getting close to overfilling, use a baby nose sucker to remove the excess fluid from the reservoir.

He's right. Dot3-4 is bad for paint.
It's not rocket science. Just use some common sense.

Excelerate

iTrader: (1)

If you don't have the right tools don't attempt the job. A 4 piston caliper like Brembo or ROTORA or Stoptech, etc requires simultaneously pushing in all 4 pistons equally. You do it incorrectly and you will have uneven pressure on the pad. There is a tool to do the job and it's nothing like doing pads on a 1 piston caliper like the A/T TL's get.

trancemission

You are the last person that I would expect to see acting like this. All the fucking questions you asked.

Consider this a warning. Next you get a vacation.

Kennedy

iTrader: (2)

Ummm...
OK.

It's just a hydraulic chamber, there's nothing technically different or fascinating about it. The pressure will equalize on the first pedal press if the pistons aren't even. I fail to see how that will hurt anything.

You do have to be careful to not bind the pistons (which can happen from to much force or pressure applied at an angle. I "binded" piston will certainly result in uneven pressure.
Another reason I advocate for removing the MC top. Doing so you can almost compress them by hand, and no way your hand will cause a piston to bind.

There's a special tool specified for single piston calipers too, it looks very similar, doesn't mean you HAVE to use it.



Sure, using the tool is ideal, but I hardly see how it's necessary... especially considering the many here and in the RL forums have already DIY without the tool using a prybar/channel locks.

...But by no means am I a mechanic, but I don't plan to buy no stinkin tool. The physics just don't make it needed in my mind. Perform at your own risk.

01tl4tl

NEVER take the brake master cap off to assist in piston retraction
I ran a shop- wrenched and raced for over 30 years
If we EVER did that, we bought the customer a paint job! wanna guess how much to repaint the front fender of a BMW?
Not to mention the possibilty of foreign debris/dust particles,airborne whatever, entering the normally o-ring sealed hydraulic system
If level is full- which if you really need brakes it wont be- then use turkey baster to remove most- not all- the brake fluid- leave a level that keeps air from entering system
You should all be flushing your brake fluid anyway- so suck out most of it
then push the pistons back and no worries!
By doing it without the special tool- and using the prybar method while caliper still mounted and pads in- just go slow and easy, this was no big deal on a members 05 TL 6MT we just did at the house.
No fluid trying to bubble out the cap or anything strange.
That is why I posted such detailed instructions with do and donts included!
Recent experience on actual thing we are talking about

01tl4tl

I used the $5 tool picturesd above to do the rear brakes
Set in place with an old pad against the piston - a few turns and all slides right into place

Channel locks on Brembo yikes! They are a bit $$$$$ for that sort of abuse

Kennedy

iTrader: (2)

I think we're kinda saying the same thing.
I've done LOTS of brakes too, and never had an issue with overflow as long as you periodically check your progress. Any excess gets sucked out with a turkey baster/snot sucker before it overflowsas I described. It's not like compressing the piston causes it to explode out of there. It's a gradual thing that you can easily watch.

Secondly, as for contamination, I usually do a fluid flush with a motive power bleeder at brake service time, so that's never been an issue, and that's the exact procedure I use (suck out as much as you can, refill, bleed in order).

I don't advocate for use of channel locks either, but there are numerous DIY references to this in the RL forums. Feel free to to take a look.

I hear your 30 years of experience... Just following my 10 years of my own. Perhaps I'll change my tune when I have to repaint a BMW fender, but till then, I'll keep doing what works for me.

Excelerate

iTrader: (1)

I guess the difference is that for you it is your own personal car. I'm not saying your way won't work, but I am certainly not going to take a chance damaging someone's expensive brake calipers or even possibly screw something up and cause their brakes not to function. I do not want that liability: financially or safety-wise. And so I have to pay for whatever tool is necessary to get the job done properly, like someone would expect from a professional shop. So I guess we speak from two different point of views. I would never recommend doing a job without the proper tools b/c it is too time-consuming and too risky IMO.

01tl4tl

Just because the cheap or uneducated people on other forums take the wrong tool to their car does not mean its the right way or OK for you to do on your $$$$$ Brembos!!

I agree with Josh the right tool should be used- and there are ~reasonable~ things you can use if not available.
How Kennedy can work on the brakes and watch the master cyl is a feat I want to see!
So much safer to just remove some fluid to start with and never have an issue.
My turkey baster holds more fluid than a baby nose sucker- and I have a turkey baster already.
I worked on customers cars, race cars, airplanes and my own cars.

And dont get me started on power bleed- powered by AIR- versus the ~bribe a buddy and bleed them method. But if working alone- sure- pressure bleed them.
Once the cap is off and something gets in- I dont care how much you bleed them- crud can still be in the system- again- why take the chance and liabilty
I also vote synthetic as my choice of brake fluid too

subinf

I use a flat head screwdriver to compress the piston back into the caliper. never had a problem with it. don't need another damn tool in the tool box.

Kennedy

iTrader: (2)

Joshe, agreed. Your shop can justify the purchase of the tool considering the volume. The 2-3 times I expect to change the pads of this car does not. I'll carefully take my chances.

01tl4tl
bah... you act like I just tear into the job. If the MC is REALLY full, sure I'll pull some out with the sucker before I begin. After doing one caliper I'll check again, and pull as necesary. Again, this is common sense work... and I fail to see the real risk... in the many sets of pads/rotors I've changed, I've never spilled a drop of fluid, I've never over-pressurized the pressure bleeder, I've never bound a piston... Your method is the shop method, and great. I'm lazy, but let's not be so doom and gloom dramatic of the risks.
Ever watch how the boys at meineke change brakes? They're proffessionals supposedly, and why I do my own.

Sure, a $300 tool makes the job take < 1mniute, and will give you the pleasure of knowing you "did it right"... but I'd rather take 20 minutes, find another way using the tools I have, and spend the $300 on beer.

01tl4tl

We are talking about a $10 tool here- same as owning an impact screwdriver
For the number of times I will change brakes on my cars and the neighbor who helps bleed brakes-his cars, and the wifes kid is coming tomoorrow with his girlfriends car.....
And this is all after I no longer work on cars!!!

I dont know what Josh uses- but there is a simple tool I used many times on similar brakes
It goes between the old pads- with caliper off rotor
Looks like salad tongs- 2 pieces crossed over at center- a threaded rod and handle
Turn the handle and it pushes apart both sides- easy

94eg!

Here is what I found on eBay. This will definitely work on all 4 pistons at the same time, and the price is good. You can also use it without removing the caliper. Simply pull the pads out, and slip this in their place so the plates are pushing on all 4 pistons. Then turn the handle till the tool bottoms out against the caliper...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/DISC-...spagenameZWDVW

94eg!

Here is what I found on eBay. This will definitely work on all 4 pistons at the same time, and it's not too expensive at $29. You can also use it without removing the caliper. Simply pull the pads out, and slip this in their place so the plates are pushing on all 4 pistons. Then turn the handle till the tool bottoms out against the caliper...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/DISC-...spagenameZWDVW

ARX-01b

iTrader: (1)

Can someone confirm this works on the Brembo's

Xx06SickspdTlxX

Well there is a thread with a good DIY write up that THE DOUGLER did here it is
https://acurazine.com/forums/showthr...t=brake+brembo

ARX-01b

iTrader: (1)

Thank you