Brake question

[Runnah]

Say a friend of mine accidentally loosened the hose to the rear caliper enough so that a small amount of fluid came out. :-[

Would this friend of mine need to bleed the brakes even if they can't notice the a difference in pedal feel? ;D

Also do new pads stink when they are first put on?

 

[WRXav8r]

It depends how long before he noticed. If it was one brake cycle then more than likely not. rarely does air get too far from the caliper if you catch the mistake early enough.

sometimes pads will stink... especially if you.. sorry they touched the surface with their greasy hands or got some fluid on them.

 

[Evan]

if he doesn't notice a difference in braking than i wouldnt worry about it. he may want to do a couple high speed/intensity stops to make sure they aren't fading with heat though (after the bads are broken in anyway).

 

[Rightseat]

stink? ask your friend if they cleaned out the slots where the pads fit into calipers. gunk/sand/gravel in there might make pads sticky and not retract like they should after braking...leading to excess heat and resultant stink

your friend can check this by driving for a few miles normally. park, get out and feel back rims/brake disk. if disk is warm, that's normal. if disk is hot, (ow!) pads are sticking and your friend needs to figure out why that's happening.

as for bleeding brakes, 1) you should spank your friend for opening banjo bolt on brake line.

2) rear brakes might be ready for a good bleed job anyway...esp after you remind your friend to replace all the brake fluid, I talked to previous owner of your friend's car and he said that job was due sometime soon. maintenance is a PITA, but still your key to long-term happiness with the car.

DG

DG

 

[Runnah]

Yeah I don' tknow what my friend is thinking sometimes. :

Thanks everyone!

 

[Runnah]

stink? ask your friend if they cleaned out the slots where the pads fit into calipers. gunk/sand/gravel in there might make pads sticky and not retract like they should after braking...leading to excess heat and resultant stink

your friend can check this by driving for a few miles normally. park, get out and feel back rims/brake disk. if disk is warm, that's normal. if disk is hot, (ow!) pads are sticking and your friend needs to figure out why that's happening.

DG

Yeah the rims/rotors ares super duper hot and the fronts are cool.

So this may be a case of gunk build up?

Should I apply any lubrication to the slots or to the clips?

 

[Rightseat]

hi temp brake grease goes onto the slots and against the pads where the pistons touch them. a little is good, more is not better. don't want grease on rotors or pad surfaces, and too much grease attracts grit and that's not good either.

other likely culprit is that R brakes need bleeding and/or system flush. air bubbles and/or gunk in lines could keep pads from retracting like they should.

when you have the pads out, look closely at seals around the pistons. if they are cracked or weeping fluid, it's rebuild time.

if troubleshooting this is a bit too much for your mech/tech comfort level, a visit to a good brake specialist is in order. experimenting with your learning curve on brakes is not a good value. investing some bucks in getting the brakes right is $ well spent.

DG

 

[Runnah]

As I recall both piston seals were in good shape.

As for fluid does anyone know what that blue brake fluid is? (I saw it on "street tuner challenge" and "Trucks!")

P.S. does anyone want to help for an afternoon with bleeding my brakes?

 

[Rightseat]

that blue blood brake fluid is ATE Super Blue. sexay, not cheap. works great for flushing old crap brownish fluid out, when the stuff coming out the bleeders is all dark blue, you're good.

DG

 

[rallyXcramps]

(6:43pm I'm at home.)

chris call me at work whenever you're in a pickle like this. I'm there til 4:30ish most of the time.

 

[Runnah]

(6:43pm I'm at home.)

chris call me at work whenever you're in a pickle like this.

 

[Rightseat]

THe new ones where a royal pain to get in (hammer time).

So I think Im going to pick up a set of OEM pads to see if they work better.

So pads should be easy to get in but not too easy right?

gaaah! poor little RS, getting beat on by a big meanie with a hammer.....no wonder the back brakes were getting hot after new pads got installed cave man style.

hammer + new brake pads = problem

tabs on pads need to slide back n forth in those slots, not be stuffed in with a freakin hammer. pads should go into anti-rattle clips in the slots with thumb pressure. correct fit is snug so pads don't rattle but not so tite they can't slide in and out. have encountered probs with aftermarket pads before, same issue where tabs are too big for slots. try a little file action.

maybe your friend who's doing the brake work needs a mechanical chaperone

DG :

 

[rallyXcramps]

yes, sometimes the aftermarket pads have way too much paint baked on to them, making for a too tight fit. Or the manufacturer has cuthem too fat. Filing the 'ears' of the pads works like Dave said, and clean the metal guides so the pads can move back and forth(slide), yet be snug with out up and down movement(no rattle). Def bleed them soon. They wont like this hot session they've recieved.

The Subaru OEs should work well, Napa OE type pads often need filing. I find myself stuffing pads in the grinder at work all the time.

 

[Runnah]

gaaah! poor little RS, getting beat on by a big meanie with a hammer.....no wonder the back brakes were getting hot after new pads got installed cave man style.

hammer + new brake pads = problem