Trying to do my own brake job - Help!
12-17-2003, 02:33 PM
#17
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Really appreciate the help - wish I could knock it out this Saturday but the sensors probably won't be here by then. It is tempting just to snip the buggers like Jim944S2 says - hmmm. Brian/Alex - do you have plans for Sat morning - I'll treat with doughnuts and coffee!
12-17-2003, 03:30 PM
#18
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1 suggestion I have is instead of pulling the pads away, the only thing they are caught on is the ridge on the edge of the rotor so what you do is have someone spin the rotor while you hold a file on it and that will take off the extra meat off the edge so you can then pull them off
12-17-2003, 03:43 PM
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Plans? Uhhh, you could say that. 
I'll be doing some 'calculated falling' down a BIG hill with wooden boards strapped to my feet.. 
In otherwords I'll be in Montana hitting the slopes for the next week (leaving tomorrow). Of course the week after X-mas I'll probably be in Alaska so it looks like I may NOT be much help... d'oh. :\
I'll be doing some 'calculated falling' down a BIG hill with wooden boards strapped to my feet.. In otherwords I'll be in Montana hitting the slopes for the next week (leaving tomorrow). Of course the week after X-mas I'll probably be in Alaska so it looks like I may NOT be much help... d'oh. :\
12-17-2003, 03:53 PM
#20
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Sounds like fun Brian! - I should be able to knock this out - I think what held me back before was just those ridges on the brake disk.
12-17-2003, 04:10 PM
#21
1 suggestion I have is instead of pulling the pads away, the only thing they are caught on is the ridge on the edge of the rotor so what you do is have someone spin the rotor while you hold a file on it and that will take off the extra meat off the edge so you can then pull them off
No offense Lizard, but this is an awful suggestion. Almost laughable actually. Are you aware that rotors are balanced assemblies? Do you know that when turning a rotor it is important to get parallelism? Why would you do that? If you cant get the pads off because of the lip on the rotor I can almost guarantee that you need new rotors. Just compress the piston (good idea is to remove the MC cap), by pushing the old pad back (large channel locks work well), pull them out and put the new ones in.
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No offense Lizard, but this is an awful suggestion. Almost laughable actually. Are you aware that rotors are balanced assemblies? Do you know that when turning a rotor it is important to get parallelism? Why would you do that? If you cant get the pads off because of the lip on the rotor I can almost guarantee that you need new rotors. Just compress the piston (good idea is to remove the MC cap), by pushing the old pad back (large channel locks work well), pull them out and put the new ones in.
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12-17-2003, 04:25 PM
#22
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Josh, I did the brakes on my S2 a few months ago when the sensors kicked in. I replaced all four pad sensors and brake silencers. These aren't mandatory, but they're a nice feature from Porsche and not expensive, either. The pads definitely are, though!
Problem with the silencers is that they're a dealer item only, although I suspect with PCNA HQ being in Atlanta, you should have them available locally, no? There are a whopping 16 silencers! Pretty nifty little spider shaped metal thingies with adhesive backing. If your current pads have them installed, you'll need to separate them first in order to get the pads out.
Once the caliper is separated from the disk, you can pry the old silencers off with a flathead screwdriver. Use needle nosed pliers to get the silencers out and also to fit new ones on the fresh pads. You'll need to feel silencer the holes with your fingers to know which ones to install. There are 2 different sizes per caliper, and the front setup is different from the rear. Also, you should coat the exterior brake pad corners/edges with copper grease, staying clear of where the silencer adhesives go, if you use them.
I also went with OE pads, which were super expensive, but last a very long time and are easiest on the rotors. One trick I used to protect the anodized caliper coating was to wrap the channel lock plier jaws in duct tape before using them to pry the calipers apart.
Be sure to have a good supply of brake cleaner fluid on hand, as you'll need to spray the old pads liberally to get the dust deposits off and allow them to slide out. Make sure to wear gloves, because brake dust is very messy.
I didn't turn the rotors and the car brakes great. Be very careful when inserting the sensors into the gaps in the new pads. Don't use a screwdriver to tap them in. Using your fingers to push them in as far as they will go is enough, or they can crack and you'll have to buy a new one.
The S2 sensors have two tabs each, and the wires cross over the locking pins. There should be a small bracket on the pins to hold the wire in place without coming in contact with the wheel or pads, but if not, you'll have to get creative winding the wire around the locking pins across the caliper, like I did.
Finally, keep some fresh brake fluid handy if you don't empty the reservoir with a syringe, because it will overflow when you push in the new pads.
Problem with the silencers is that they're a dealer item only, although I suspect with PCNA HQ being in Atlanta, you should have them available locally, no? There are a whopping 16 silencers! Pretty nifty little spider shaped metal thingies with adhesive backing. If your current pads have them installed, you'll need to separate them first in order to get the pads out.
Once the caliper is separated from the disk, you can pry the old silencers off with a flathead screwdriver. Use needle nosed pliers to get the silencers out and also to fit new ones on the fresh pads. You'll need to feel silencer the holes with your fingers to know which ones to install. There are 2 different sizes per caliper, and the front setup is different from the rear. Also, you should coat the exterior brake pad corners/edges with copper grease, staying clear of where the silencer adhesives go, if you use them.
I also went with OE pads, which were super expensive, but last a very long time and are easiest on the rotors. One trick I used to protect the anodized caliper coating was to wrap the channel lock plier jaws in duct tape before using them to pry the calipers apart.
Be sure to have a good supply of brake cleaner fluid on hand, as you'll need to spray the old pads liberally to get the dust deposits off and allow them to slide out. Make sure to wear gloves, because brake dust is very messy.
I didn't turn the rotors and the car brakes great. Be very careful when inserting the sensors into the gaps in the new pads. Don't use a screwdriver to tap them in. Using your fingers to push them in as far as they will go is enough, or they can crack and you'll have to buy a new one.
The S2 sensors have two tabs each, and the wires cross over the locking pins. There should be a small bracket on the pins to hold the wire in place without coming in contact with the wheel or pads, but if not, you'll have to get creative winding the wire around the locking pins across the caliper, like I did.
Finally, keep some fresh brake fluid handy if you don't empty the reservoir with a syringe, because it will overflow when you push in the new pads.
12-17-2003, 04:33 PM
#23
Luis, one way to avoid that last bit is to open the bleed screw a tiny bit, this will not cause the MC overflow.
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12-17-2003, 04:50 PM
#24
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Matt, that is such a good tip. I wish I had done that. Do you open each caliper bleed screw, or is one enough? I think it's a great suggestion for the Clark's Garage procedure.
12-17-2003, 05:07 PM
#25
You only want to open one, it doesnt matter which but I would probably open the bottom one. Only a little bit is all that is needed. When you compress the piston without opening it, you run the risk of pushing contaminants back through the entire brake system.
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12-17-2003, 05:18 PM
#26
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Originally posted by Matt H
You only want to open one, it doesnt matter which but I would probably open the bottom one. Only a little bit is all that is needed. When you compress the piston without opening it, you run the risk of pushing contaminants back through the entire brake system.
You only want to open one, it doesnt matter which but I would probably open the bottom one. Only a little bit is all that is needed. When you compress the piston without opening it, you run the risk of pushing contaminants back through the entire brake system.
Last edited by dualblade; 12-17-2003 at 05:35 PM.
12-17-2003, 05:26 PM
#27
Andrew - dead on! What you can do is use a small vacuum hose attached to the bleeder and put the open end into a glass (measuring cup, whatever), both problems eliminated.
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12-17-2003, 05:39 PM
#28
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Originally posted by Matt H
Andrew - dead on! What you can do is use a small vacuum hose attached to the bleeder and put the open end into a glass (measuring cup, whatever), both problems eliminated.
Andrew - dead on! What you can do is use a small vacuum hose attached to the bleeder and put the open end into a glass (measuring cup, whatever), both problems eliminated.
i actually use the hose that came with the motive power bleeder and i would suggest to anyone to get a hose like it. the thing that's nice about it is that it's clear so you can see the air bubbles going through it as you bleed the brakes/clutch. you can also see if your fluid looks dirty on the way out. i don't really clean out my fluid buckets after using them so i can't just look at the fluid in the bucket to see if it's dirty.
12-17-2003, 06:06 PM
#29
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Josh, I'd LOVE to come over since its right after EXAMS!!! Ahhhh!!! Damn them!! I'm in for Saturday. Be sure to shoot me an email a_kaduck_at_mindspring.com to remind me what time and what to bring. I'll bring the stuff I needed to use on my car. See you Saturday!
12-17-2003, 09:35 PM
#30
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Hey guys,
This is a great thread, I'm looking to replace my front brake pads in the spring...
I have a couple of questions to add. What does it mean to "turn" your rotors? Does this mean to machine grind them to a smooth finish? Or is there something else involved? And, what brake pads do you recommend for the NA? I was looking on some old threads, I came across Ferodo Street and Metalmaster and Pagid...the ones I have on now I find are really dirty (I don't know what kind they are the PO did them last), I just want some that are pretty durable, none of those super soft track ones that you have to replace every time, and perhaps if possible that aren't so dirty....
Thanks,
Brendan
This is a great thread, I'm looking to replace my front brake pads in the spring...
I have a couple of questions to add. What does it mean to "turn" your rotors? Does this mean to machine grind them to a smooth finish? Or is there something else involved? And, what brake pads do you recommend for the NA? I was looking on some old threads, I came across Ferodo Street and Metalmaster and Pagid...the ones I have on now I find are really dirty (I don't know what kind they are the PO did them last), I just want some that are pretty durable, none of those super soft track ones that you have to replace every time, and perhaps if possible that aren't so dirty....
Thanks,
Brendan