alpine003

Normally, you should just be able to slide the pads right out of the calipers but sometimes the pads get stuck to the backing/squeal pads.

Spokayman

IIRC, I used a sharp narrow putty knife to separate the pads from the anti-squeal shims while changing my rear brake pads.
Did this while the caliper was on the car.
They were the little button/star looking things.

Ahsai

The anti-squeal weights are supposed to stick to the brake pad backing so they can be as one with the pad to reduce vibration (basically dampers). It they are separated from the pads, they offer nothing useful. Normally when you remove the pads, you don't need to remove the calipers but you do need to use a scraper to separate the weights from the pad (the weights just stick on with adhesive).

If you remove the calipers, you may need to replace the caliper bolts, which are only one time use if my memory serves.

I reuse the old weights by sticking them on the new pads with hi-temp adhesive and that work well for me.

Paul Waterloo

How do you get the new pads in without removing the calipers? There wouldn't be enough clearance for the pads and the anti-squeal device in the axial direction. Or do you stick the anti-squeal device in, put adhesive on the back on the pad, then slide it into place and then operate the brakes to apply pressure?

Ahsai

The latter except I sprayed adhesive on the backing of the weights.

alpine003

Here's one way that's worked for others.



You have to put channel locks on the ears of the pads and spread it out as much as possible before you remove the pads.

I've ran pads without any glue substance to the anti-squeal backing plates and didn't notice any squealing. Track guys always do this. YMMV.

Paul Waterloo

So here is the track report from today at Blackhawk Farms:

Session 1: go out there, trying to just feel the car out...left PSM on for a bit to see if the back end would just step out....nope, never felt the back end get loose at all during the day, turn it off. Put the heat on HI and set the fan to medium and put it on defrost, the engine temp stayed on the "0" of the 180, the right hand side of it though. Checked the oil pressure on the straights, always 4 or 5 bar. Ran the 25 minutes. Passed by many Lotus Elise's

Did a classroom session, picked up a few great tips.

Go out for the second session, just was going so much faster. About 12-14 minutes into the session, started checking the gauges during the turns, and saw that the oil pressure would drop from 4 or 4.5 bar down to 3 or 2.5 bar at the lowest. As soon as the G's are off, the oil pressure would come right back up. Slowed down and did a lap looking at it (it's sure not easy to do)....pulled in after 15 minutes.

Checked the oil. It was at the high end of the range in the morning (but below the circle part of the dipstick) and was now about 2/3rd's up on the straight part. Added about 7/8 quart of Joe Gibbs 5W40 (what I am running) and then the car cooled off. The oil level was almost to the little circle above the straight part.

Did a third session after lunch, was much faster and smoother, oil pressure was staying where it should be and after about 5 or 6 laps (1.8 miles each) and the engine started to really come up to temp, the oil pressure started to fall off 4 bar to 3 bar in the turns. I am running Continental DWS all season tires! I pulled in and called it a day.

Had a blast, but was so pre-occupied with the oil pressure gauge I will either never track the car again or get a sump kit and try it again. Once my wallet recovers.

Glad I was paying attention!

BTW, running Porterfield R-4 track pads was not an issue with the brakes, they were just awesome, didn't use a whole lot of brake, but never a fade or never not enough brakes!

Rubik

I'm no expert by any means but sounds like a minor oil starvation but you were all over that one bud! Nice.

What was your average RPM and speed? Curious.

Paul Waterloo

RPM during the oil pressure change evolutions was at least 4K or higher and speed was anywhere from 40 - 80 or more MPH.

alpine003

Your observations seem pretty typical. You could've also just used the stock pads if you wanted on that track and would've been fine too.

Any smoke anywhere on the track that you noticed? Either on downshift or fast acceleration redline shifting?

Paul Waterloo

No smoking anywhere. I did not redline shift, there is really no need to, between 1 and 3 you pretty much short shift from 3rd to 4th before you hit the rumbles half way, after turn 4 you want to get to 3rd before setting the bake, and on the front straight, I would shift around 6500 RPM, there is not real advantage to rev it to higher IMO.

Just played it safe with the oil pressure thing. Too bad that this is an issue from the factory.

alpine003

That's good to hear. I agree about the 6500 rpm shift and I guess that's what I was referring to when I meant red line. Yes, I really wished they would've stuck with the dry sump for all 996.