Brake Questions - Honda Prelude Forum

XtremeLude · 04-23-2005, 05:17 PM

ok, so im putting on some brembo blanks and axxis MM pads on this week as well as painting the calipers. now i have done the brakes before, and i just wanted to make sure im doing this right. i have the hemls, so that shoudl be easy, and i know how to take off the rotors. now when my brother did it, he used a screwdriver to twist his rear pistons in, and a c-clamp for the front. should i do the same, or use a c-clamp on both. also is there anything else i need to do for them to be good? thanks

TruNinja619 · 04-23-2005, 11:20 PM

do what your brother did.. screw driver for the rears and c-clamp for the fronts..

there's actually a special type of c-clamp you can use for the rears... I actually wouldn't call it a c-clamp.. but it works the same way..

REMEMBER.... when you're doing the rears that you align the piston to what the helms says... if you don't align it.. you can wear your pads excessivly fast... it happend to me when I was doing my brakes... and also don't forget to clamp the brake line at the opposite rear side when you're pushing the piston on one side...

and most of all.. put down the e-brake.. lol..

XtremeLude · 04-24-2005, 07:15 AM

ok, never heard of this, what do u mean?

Quote:

Originally Posted by TruNinja619

REMEMBER.... when you're doing the rears that you align the piston to what the helms says... if you don't align it.. you can wear your pads excessivly fast... it happend to me when I was doing my brakes... and also don't forget to clamp the brake line at the opposite rear side when you're pushing the piston on one side...

and most of all.. put down the e-brake.. lol..

XtremeLude · 04-24-2005, 07:40 AM

ok, i think i understand the aligning part, i just dont know about the second part. im going to my FF drill now, so let me know what else i have to do, and if you could elaborate on how to clamp the brake line...

Tola · 04-24-2005, 10:19 AM

Don't clamp ANY brake lines. It's not necessary nor does it make any sense - what if you have SS line? Try clamping those.

Keep your master cylinder resevior (sp?) cap off, push in the front piston with a C clamp, twist the rears in with a flat head screw driver or there's a tool that can attach onto your rachet and makes the job alot easier. You can find it at any PepBoys, Autozone, etc. Very cheap.

Other things that might be good to have around: rubber mallet. Since you're taking off your rotors, might want an impact driver. Don't forget to grease (I just use what ever cheap grease I have laying around) the back sides of your pads. Finally, don't forget to flush your fluid.

XtremeLude · 04-24-2005, 10:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tola

Don't clamp ANY brake lines. It's not necessary nor does it make any sense - what if you have SS line? Try clamping those.

Keep your master cylinder resevior (sp?) cap off, push in the front piston with a C clamp, twist the rears in with a flat head screw driver or there's a tool that can attach onto your rachet and makes the job alot easier. You can find it at any PepBoys, Autozone, etc. Very cheap.

Other things that might be good to have around: rubber mallet. Since you're taking off your rotors, might want an impact driver. Don't forget to grease (I just use what ever cheap grease I have laying around) the back sides of your pads. Finally, don't forget to flush your fluid.

how do i flush the brake fluid?

Tola · 04-24-2005, 05:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by XtremeLude

how do i flush the brake fluid?

I thought you said you've done the brakes before? What exactly have you done? You don't necessarily have to flush the fluid just bleed the air out, but this is a good time to flush it. Flushing is the same exact thing as bleeding, except you're doing it longer so that you get completely fresh fluid in the system. And if you're unsure how to bleed the brakes, do a search. There's been discussions of how to bleed it in the past. Good luck.

XtremeLude · 04-24-2005, 06:40 PM

i have done my friends audi, and i helped my brother with his teg. im just making sure im doing it right. i thought i just had to bleed it, so i wanst sure about the flush.

TruNinja619 · 04-24-2005, 10:36 PM

if you're changing pads and rotors.. there is no need to bleeding the brakes..

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tola

Don't clamp ANY brake lines. It's not necessary nor does it make any sense - what if you have SS line? Try clamping those.

Keep your master cylinder resevior (sp?) cap off, push in the front piston with a C clamp, twist the rears in with a flat head screw driver or there's a tool that can attach onto your rachet and makes the job alot easier. You can find it at any PepBoys, Autozone, etc. Very cheap.

Other things that might be good to have around: rubber mallet. Since you're taking off your rotors, might want an impact driver. Don't forget to grease (I just use what ever cheap grease I have laying around) the back sides of your pads. Finally, don't forget to flush your fluid.

you clamp the rubber part of the brake line.. its necessary when you're doing rear brakes... like in this case.. rear disc brakes.. when you're pushing the piston on one side.. if you don't clamp on the opposite side.. fluid will leak out of the caliper on the other side...

you can't have FULL steel brake line... a part of it will crack due to the twisting it takes when you're turning the car... thats why you have a rubber part of the brake line... to withstand the twisting... and thats where you're suppose to use a vise grip at (at the rubber part of the line)..

as for flushing the system..
- basically what you do is take out as much fluid as you can from the master cylinder..
- then try to wipe off as much dirt as you can inside the master cylinder.. then fill up the master cylinder w/ new brake fluid (DOT 3 fluid is what you should use) to the max line... bleed all four corners (start w/ Right Rear, Left Front, Left Rear, and last... Right Front)...
- Fill up the master cylinder to the maxline, put the cap back on.. and when you put the wheels back on.. press the brake pedal a couple times and you should be set..

XtremeLude · 04-25-2005, 06:40 AM

ok, so now i AM supposed to clamp the hose. when we did my brothers car he didnt, and nothin leaked out of the other caliper.

Tola · 04-25-2005, 07:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by XtremeLude

ok, so now i AM supposed to clamp the hose. when we did my brothers car he didnt, and nothin leaked out of the other caliper.

Again DO NOT CLAMP YOUR HOSE!! It's not necessary, and still doesn't make any sense. The brake fluid will not leak out anywhere unless you're unbolting the brake lines off the caliper or you step on the brake without the caliper being on the car. Just follow your brother's method.

XtremeLude · 04-25-2005, 01:42 PM

ok, so i got my brembos in. now its got this gel stuff on it, and the guy told me that they put it on so that they dont rust while they r stocked. do i just install them like that? or do i need to clean them

Tola · 04-25-2005, 02:52 PM

Put that 'gel stuff' on the rotor? No. Basically your rotor WILL rust no matter what. You don't have to clean anything. That gel goes on the back side of the pads where it makes contact with the caliper and piston. This will prevent the pads from squeel, chattering, etc....

Forbidden · 04-25-2005, 04:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by XtremeLude

ok, so i got my brembos in. now its got this gel stuff on it, and the guy told me that they put it on so that they dont rust while they r stocked. do i just install them like that? or do i need to clean them

My mechanic cleans the rotors with brake cleaner before installing them so you don't put that oil on the pads.

XtremeLude · 04-25-2005, 09:17 PM

no, im not talking about the stuff u put on the back of the pads. its like a gel coating that he said is only supposed to keep it from rusting while it sits on the shelfs

TruNinja619 · 04-25-2005, 09:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by XtremeLude

no, im not talking about the stuff u put on the back of the pads. its like a gel coating that he said is only supposed to keep it from rusting while it sits on the shelfs

just spray the rotor down with brake cleaner on both sides.....

TruNinja619 · 04-26-2005, 11:15 PM

okay.. about the clamping the brake hose down at the opposite side when you're pushing one piston in... I was asking my brake teacher about this..

Tola is right in a way that... you don't have to clamp the hose on the opposite end when you're pushing the piston.. AS LONG AS THE OPPOSITE CALIPER IS NOT REMOVED...

since you're probably doing it alone.. you're most likely gonna work on one side at a time..

but...

you do need to clamp the opposite side brake line when you have both calipers removed and you're pushing the piston on side in.... reason is that when you are pushing the piston in.. you're pushing back fluid back into the master cylinder and to the opposite side's caliper... and if you don't clamp the brake line... enough fluid can go to the piston and push it out enough to where it will fall off..

if you have steel braided brake lines.. then you have to one side at a time b/c like Tola said.. its gonna be tough to clamp those lines...

so yea.. I just wanted to clarify on that.. thats all..