Idiot car question - Page 2

wju425 · 04-05-2003, 10:24 AM

[quote]
I have done brake jobs with nothing more than a pair of vise grips,allen wrench, screwdriver, and a c-clamp.
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Same here. I am a mechanic retired by disability and still work on cars sometimes. Most people cannot afford a complete brake overhauls which I rather do but I patch them up. In your case you need to look at your rotors see if there is discoloring or cracks. If you see fine cracks it must be replaced. If it's discolored it's not getting help from the back brakes. It's possible to put pads on those but better to replace the back shoes also. As long you didn't disconnect your calipers from the lines or the wheel cylinders in the back from the lines then you won't get air in the lines but make sure the master cylinder didn't go too low on fluids. You do not need to disconnect the lines to do a brake job unless you are replacing those parts. Anytime you do a brake job and not replace the master cylinder be prepared for a possibility of a master cylinder failure. How to check your master cylinder? Stick your finger in the fluid reservoir and wipe the bottom. How much black did you come up with? The more black you got the less rubber (cups) in the master cylinder. To tell you the truth, brakes are nothing to cut corners with.

\o/ Billy

RedFury · 04-05-2003, 05:14 PM

One other thing to consider with the issue of bleeding/not bleeding. IF, and I stress IF, you can get the bleeder screws loose ( should loosen relatively easily, don't force them or they WILL break ) the best bet when you C clamp the calipers is to pinch the brake line with a vice grip and then loosen the bleeder before you start cranking, otherwise you might over fill the master cylinder and make a big mess. This way you can get a piece of hose to fit over the end of the nipple and drain it right into a tin or plastic cup ( no STYROFOAM!

). If you can't go this route, at least make sure to take the resevoir cap off the master cylinder and crank that C clamp slowly, maybe a half a turn every second or so, to allow the fluid to pass up into the resevoir. You can syphon the excess out as needed that way.

One last note, if you really want to get the brake job done right, you need to replace all that brake fluid, which would involve a full 4 corner bleed job, but that old fluid is sure to be contaminated with some level of water and dirt by now. sure, you'll get by with it the way it is, but it's one of the most overlooked fluids in your car, right next to the power steering fluid.

lester1 · 04-05-2003, 05:28 PM

I've never herd of disc's (Rotors) being "Turned" at a pad change! It should only be necessary to machine disc's if the calipers have siezed and the swept area is corroded or the "Run out" is in excess of the manufactures tollerences, or if the minimum disc thickness has been reached ( American laws may be different?). Install the new pads.

MDS · 04-05-2003, 07:05 PM

If the rotors are worn to thin I've seen a set off new pads punch through the rotor locking up your tire. If they are indeed worn as you say replace them even if it is with a cheaper rotor from say Autozone or something. Changing pads and rotors are very easy and drums are not that bad either but do as Ed S said since you have not done it before, meaning remove both tires and drums and do one side and use the other as a reference.

fyxxer32 · 04-05-2003, 08:47 PM

Dave, Remember when we fyxxed your washer? See if these guys can point you to a step by step site. Do It Yourself

Cruez · 04-06-2003, 01:28 AM

If its the same setup as my '91 taurus. It should be a snap.

The front brakes are a piece of cake to change... and the rotors, brand new from a local parts place is about $20. As for a set of pads....

The rear brakes are a different story if they are disc rears.....they are a PITA...

daveleau · 04-06-2003, 01:32 PM

Thanks for the great input guys. I replaced the brakes and the drums and rotors because they were bad. There is a lot of stuff wrong with this car that I did not know about. The CV joints are in need of replacing. The boots that cover the joint are not only torn, but torn all the way around and cut in two.

A transmission coolant line is rusted and about to break. The tie rods have play in them. No to mention the oil and coolant leaks. Good grief.

Thanks again. It was a great help.

MegalosSkylaki · 04-06-2003, 07:06 PM

working on brakes was dangerous to health do to exposure to Asbestos and that Brake Shops had to have special equipment to cover the break and protect the mechanic while working on them.

Is this just a NYC law ?

Still, while I dont know anything about fixing brakes, I would be leary of going near Asbestos [if that be the case].

nunyadam · 04-06-2003, 07:07 PM

hell of a gift, eh..

Urban_Squrill · 04-06-2003, 07:13 PM

A place near me Libby Montana. Jsut god a huge amount of money from the epa to clean it up of Asbestos. There were juge piles of it hundereds of tons of it just sitting there.