Serviced the front calipers on the Sport today, thought I'd take a few pics, and write up a guide - it really is an easy job, nowhere near as scary as it seems

I bought the service parts from http://www.brakesint.co.uk/ - each side is £16 for the seals and silicon grease, and £15 for the piston - I bought new ones, as I wasn't sure what condition the old ones would be in.


Firstly, loosen the wheel nuts, jack up that corner, remove the wheel, and stick an axle stand under there
Pop the bonnet, and loosen the brake fluid reservoir cap.

Pull off the plastic cap on the lower fixing - then use an 8mm hex key to remove the bolt - best thing to do is loosen it, but leave it in place while you undo the other fixings

[img]http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u177/marcrs323/brake%20refurb/130220101771.jpg[/img]

Then remove the retainer clip

[img]http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u177/marcrs323/brake%20refurb/130220101768.jpg[/img]

and push the flexi hose through the bracket

[img]http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u177/marcrs323/brake%20refurb/130220101769.jpg[/img]

Use a hose clamp, nice and tight, this will stop you losing too much fluid

[img]http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u177/marcrs323/brake%20refurb/130220101770.jpg[/img]

Use a 12mm to remove the banjo bolt, and pull the fitting from the back of the caliper - be careful with the copper washers - although it's best to replace them if you can
Catch the brake fluid in a pot - don't want it going everywhere

Then fully remove the bottom fixing - you might need to pull it out while turning as it'll probably be a bit stiff - and pull the caliper forwards to loosen its grip on the pads - if it's seized badly, a gentle tap with a hammer works a treat

You can then pivot the caliper upwards

[img]http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u177/marcrs323/brake%20refurb/130220101773.jpg[/img]

and slide it backwards, off the top slider

[img]http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u177/marcrs323/brake%20refurb/130220101774.jpg[/img]

not much left

[img]http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u177/marcrs323/brake%20refurb/130220101765.jpg[/img]


Now it's off the car, take it to the workbench

[img]http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u177/marcrs323/brake%20refurb/130220101775.jpg[/img]

wire brush some of the loose stuff off if necessary - I'm fitting new discs next weekend, so the calipers will get a clean and paint then

To remove the old piston - use a punch (or in my case, the handle of some strange tool, couldn't find my punch anywhere ) through the hole where the banjo bolt goes, and hammer it out.
You can force the piston out with the brake pedal while it's still on the car, but you lose more fluid that way.
If you're not replacing the piston, it might be worth considering a more gentle approach, but the hammer method works a treat, and doesn't do any real harm

[img]http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u177/marcrs323/brake%20refurb/130220101761.jpg[/img]

Here's my slightly rusty piston - although I had already cleaned it up a bit last week when I first investigated the sticky brakes

[img]http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u177/marcrs323/brake%20refurb/130220101762.jpg[/img]

and here is the reason for the problem, a split seal

[img]http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u177/marcrs323/brake%20refurb/130220101759.jpg[/img]

Use a screwdriver to carefully prise out the inner seal

[img]http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u177/marcrs323/brake%20refurb/130220101776.jpg[/img]


You can see from that pic, that there is no rust on the inside part - it is the part between the two seals, and in the recesses where the rust causes a problem - any corrosion "under" the seal lifts it towards the piston, and causes friction.

Clean out the recess with a screwdriver, and 400 grade wet'n'dry...or whatever you fancy, that's what I had, and it worked ok. Keep cleaning it with brake cleaner, and wipe it all with a cloth once you're done.

Fit both the seals, and make sure they fit nice, then remove the outer...

[img]http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u177/marcrs323/brake%20refurb/130220101763.jpg[/img]

smear the inner seal with silicon grease, and the inside of the outer seal, and the piston. gets a bit slippery now

slide the outer seal over the front of the piston

[img]http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u177/marcrs323/brake%20refurb/130220101778.jpg[/img]

and take it all the way down and over, so the part that fits into the caliper is not over the piston

[img]http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u177/marcrs323/brake%20refurb/130220101779.jpg[/img]

carefully position the seal into the recess, and gently push the piston in a little way

[img]http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u177/marcrs323/brake%20refurb/130220101766.jpg[/img]

then use a g clamp - and some wood, and wind the piston all the way in - the seal will find it's way into the recess on the piston...nearly done now

[img]http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u177/marcrs323/brake%20refurb/130220101767.jpg[/img]


Replace the other small rubber gaitors, and smear the insides with silicon grease

Clean up the lower fixing slider bolt - this is the first bit to stick, so it needs to be clean, smooth, and greased

I use a power drill with a flap wheel, secured in the workbench, and clean it with that - takes no time or effort, then smear it with silicon grease and it's ready to go!

[img]http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u177/marcrs323/brake%20refurb/130220101780.jpg[/img]

It's a good idea to clean and paint it while it's off the car if you fancy - and also clean up the area around the bleed nipple, wire brush etc, makes the bleeding process easier

Then it's back to the car - remove the m clips and the pads, and clean and grease (copper this time) the clips that secure the pads to the calipers, and the backs of the pads before fitting it all back together.
Slide the caliper on the top slider, pivot it down over the pads, and fit and secure the lower slider, don't forget to replace the cap!

Re-fit the brake hose, using new copper washers - 1 on each side of the pipe fitting, and tighten fully.
Pull the hose into the bracket, and re-fit the retaining clip - gentle tap with a hammer
Then remove the hose clamp.

Use a bleeding kit, and bleed thoroughly. You know the sort of thing...Press on the pedal, loosen the bleed nipple, tighten it, let the pedal come up...and repeat - until no more bubbles come out...keep an eye on the fluid level - remember some was lost when taking off the caliper

Make sure the fixings are tight, and clean and dry the area, then pump the brake a few times and make sure there are no leaks.

Then it's axle stand out, wheel on, lower the jack, tighten the wheel nuts, check the brake fluid level, replace the cap, close the bonnet, enjoy your new brakes

Took me about an hour each side in total - well worth the money saved

there's a couple of things I see you are doing wrong...
first off, mechanics usually take out the piston by applying air pressure through the banjo bolt hole with a piece of rag on the other side to catch it as it shoots out
second, silicone grease isn't recommended for lubricating the seals, as it's not really meant to be mixed with brake fluid and stuff... again, mechanics use brake fluid to lubricate them
third, DO NOT use a hammer or c-clamp, or any other tool to reinsert the piston back into the caliper.... if the piston binds, it can damage the piston or the seals... ALWAYS push it in by hand... it will take a bit of wrestling, but it is the safest way to do it
finally, use ONLY silicone grease to lubricate the slider pins... mazda and other OEMs uses this, and my experience with them has always been good... garages here in america, usually have untrained mechanics using black molybdenum brake caliper grease on the pins or other types of greases that cannot handle moisture and heat... they get backed on, and dry up, thus leading to parts seizure.... the molybdenum grease is meant for use on the back of the pads under the shims in order to dampen vibrations, which leads to reduced squealing noise.... I use 3M silicone paste that comes in a 227g can with an applicator brush to make the job easy... as for the black grease, I just use the sachets of them that come with brake pads as there's no need to buy the over priced ones from the store... plus you'll always end up with way more than you need!

Mighty fine guide there fella

Nice guide Marc, as The Man said i used brake fluid to lubricate seals and the silicone grease for the sliders only.

I put this up to help people - mainly so they can see that it's a pretty straight forward job...I didn't come here for an argument, but it seems that I got one anyway


[quote="TheMAN"]there's a couple of things I see you are doing wrong...
first off, mechanics usually take out the piston by applying air pressure through the banjo bolt hole with a piece of rag on the other side to catch it as it shoots out[/quote]

that may be the case, but I, like most people here, don't have a compressor in my shed...
How do you do it when you service your calipers?


[quote="TheMAN"]second, silicone grease isn't recommended for lubricating the seals, as it's not really meant to be mixed with brake fluid and stuff... again, mechanics use brake fluid to lubricate them[/quote]

The grease will be in the front section of the piston, where the front seal is - it's a tight fit, and not much will squeeze through the gap that isn't there
Using brake fluid is fine to help assemble the parts, but EBC recommend applying silicone grease to the piston


[quote="TheMAN"]third, DO NOT use a hammer or c-clamp, or any other tool to reinsert the piston back into the caliper.... if the piston binds, it can damage the piston or the seals... ALWAYS push it in by hand... it will take a bit of wrestling, but it is the safest way to do it[/quote]

At no point did I recommend putting the piston IN with a hammer - that would be ridiculous
A centrally located clamp will apply even pressure to the face of the piston, and will gently push it in place, with a much more even pressure than you will with your hands - which is why they make things like piston retraction clamps...wrestling with it by hand is more likely to put it in off centre than using a clamp


[quote="TheMAN"]finally, use ONLY silicone grease to lubricate the slider pins... mazda and other OEMs uses this, and my experience with them has always been good... garages here in america, usually have untrained mechanics using black molybdenum brake caliper grease on the pins or other types of greases that cannot handle moisture and heat... they get backed on, and dry up, thus leading to parts seizure.... the molybdenum grease is meant for use on the back of the pads under the shims in order to dampen vibrations, which leads to reduced squealing noise.... I use 3M silicone paste that comes in a 227g can with an applicator brush to make the job easy... as for the black grease, I just use the sachets of them that come with brake pads as there's no need to buy the over priced ones from the store... plus you'll always end up with way more than you need![/quote]

Yep, just like I said - use silicone grease on the sliders...I did say to use copper grease on the backs of the pads etc - again, as recommended by EBC

Each to his own, and we are all entitled to our opinions, but I don't think I'm "doing it wrong"

Pretty much how I've done it for years Marc, but I have to agree with.....

1. Use brake fluid for lubing the piston and...
2. Push the piston in by hand pressure. Its easier to "feel" binding.

[quote="TheMAN"]there's a couple of things I see you are doing wrong...[/quote]

Not wrong, but perhaps differently.
All us "driveway weekend mechanics" have differing techniques for certain jobs. Just because someone does something "this" way doesn't mean "that" way is wrong.

Thanks for taking the time mate to do the writeup and pics

[quote="Clarky"]Thanks for taking the time mate to do the writeup and pics[/quote]

Amen!

Very useful - cheers Marc

My front nearside wheel was making a squeeky/metally scratchy sound when down in Southampton the other day. I have since returned home and driven to work and back...it shutup, but then started makign it again (can only hear when windows open)...

Anyway, just taken the wheel off, turns out I have no brake pad left on the piston side of the caliper
Now I had it serviced properly and fully about 4,000 miles ago, and they said I had 5-6mm of brake pad left, which is about what I can see when peering through the wheel. I clearly did not have 5-6mm left on the piston side of the caliper

Anyway, I think my calipers will have a full overhaul this weekend and new pads. Thanks for the guide Marc - I'll print it out and use it [img]http://www.zippy-online.co.uk/emot/icon_thumleft.gif[/img]


------------------
EDIT:

Right, just looking online at the website, I can't find those parts you bought online? Did you just give them a call? I've ended up on brakeparts.co.uk Think I might phone them tomorrow morning at work. [img]http://www.zippy-online.co.uk/emot/eusa_think.gif[/img]

I found all parts online, at http://www.brakesint.co.uk/

[quote="marcrs"]I found all parts online, at http://www.brakesint.co.uk/ [/quote]

Duh! I found it now, I was just being a bit special

Entered into mazda - 323 - 1.6 Petrol -> Calipers and Wheel Cylinders then I didn't click associated items when on that menu

Cheers - I'll let you know how I get on. By the Way, what's this place like price wise / quality wise for brake pads?

I get mine from brakes4u.co.uk - as we get a gold members discount

either that or ebc direct...


however, if you're buying parts from them anyway, it might be cheaper to get your pads at the same time, save postage from another shop

Another money saver.

Great guide. I'm glad I now know how to get the piston out without having the needs for a compressor.

Cheers, Marc.

What bleed kit do you use? I need one and looking at a one man kit but Im confused? as normally dosn't the brake pedal have to be held down before tightening the bleed nipple?

The one man kit has a one way valve, so nothing can be drawn back in...but to be honest I still treat bleeding the brakes as a two man job - even with the one man kit

Ive been fighting with the brakes on both the MPS and MX for the last couple of weeks. In the end I took it to my mates garage and we used a pressure bleeder.

It hooks to the compressor and pulls the fluid/air through the pipe. Only thing is its quick to empty the resevoir so technique is one under car opening bleed nipple and using the bleeder and one topping up the res.

Took 2mins for all four wheels and made a HUGE difference. MX done on sunday - going back with the MPS this sunday coming.

The one man kits usually run off the air pressure from a spare kit and attach to the top of the resevoir - but it wouldnt mate properly to the top of the one on the MPS - and didnt do that great a job on the MX hence sundays trip.

I knw it's an old thread, but do I need to change the piston or just the seals?

Had a look today and need to order the bits as I can see the split and the piston is a little rusty.

First it I have had to touch the sport since we got it and what a nic car to work on.

You don't [i]need[/i] to replace the piston, some fine wet'n'dry paper or wire wool etc should clean it up...depends how corroded it is I guess...I chose to fit new just to be on the safe side, one of mine was quite bad

Thanks for the quick reply! Wasn't expecting it so quick

Have priced the bits and will change the piston, and I may as well change the seals on both fronts too before the other one goes.

I m new on here are folk quite friendly with advice? Things I want to do but am struggling with parts and fittings.

Cheers

people on here are friendly and great with advice. im in process of doing my front breakes, iv done the rears.. but iv got a rounded caliper bolt (alan key shape) so im dead in the water untill i can get it sorted,need to deal with warped disc horrendas noise it makes when breaking.

Good luck and of course welcome

Just a price update!

I ordered a new piston and calipar service kit (seals) and including delivery it came to £50.45

part numbers: BCK5741 - Service kit (17.16+) - BCP5719 - Piston (18.23+)

from brakesint.com

Will all be here tomorrow, brakes really need bleeding, a bit spongy!!!

hope this helps.

Having done mine at the weekend, one important thing to remember is to ensure that the piston is ALL the way back, especially if you have new disks and pads as its a tight fit. i managed to nick the new seal by not pushing it all the way back (It looked back)

I also didn't take the calipar off, i pushed the piston out using the brakes (two man job and we didn't loose much fluid) undid the bleed nipple and pushed the new one in.

I cant seem to find the seals on http://www.brakesint.co.uk/

search for and select the caliper...then click on associated items

cheers mate. Have taken it all apart and I have the same problem as you - split seal. Will keep the same piston and just replace the seal.

if my slider rubbers look fine is it still worth going for the caliper service kit or can I get away with the caliper seal kit?

Hello all...I know it's been ages since I've posted here, but I've still got my 323! I did the front brakes about this time last year following the guide (also changed the hoses too) and it made a huge difference (that said, I knowingly drove to the Alps and back with a very sticky front brake, but it only stuck if you used the brakes - as in it would gradually free up if you didn't use the brakes; so I just drove without really using the brakes which was interesting round the alpine hairpin bends Made it, then replaced everything when I got back).

Anyway, I now need to do the rears, got myself some discs and pads from friendly local motor factors. Brakes int haven't got stock of a seal rebuild kit for the back (1.6 petrol BJ), or the rear hoses (want to change them just in case and it's good form given the age). Anyway, the whole point of this post is if anyone know of any other suppliers? My local motor factors who are pretty good can't get hold of any.

Cheers for any help.