A case of bad "breaks" - a cautionary tale

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Last November I had to replace rotors and pads all around. The rear calipers needed rebuilding, and I also wanted to replace the rear brake lines. Now, I've done this many times before, and the worst thing I've run into was a rotor that was stuck to the hub.

Keep in mind this is a week before I have to leave with the car for a two-day trip. I have all the required parts and tools. I replace the front pads and rotors. No problem. I replace the brake piston seal, boot, and guide bushing on the passenger side rear caliper. I also replace the two brake hoses, which are 8 years old. No problem.

Mistake 1: It's getting dark, and instead of finishing the job the next day, which is what I would normally do, I press on. I rebuild the caliper, I replace the two brake hoses on the driver side. Because it's pretty dark, I have to do some fumbling with the brake hose connectors. It takes a bit longer than anticipated, mostly because my back, which I had thrown out a while ago, doesn't allow me to bend and flex like Gumby. Well, I get it done by the light of a new moon, a 60 Watt overhead bulb (12 feet away), and with the aid of a rapidly fading LED flashlight.

No problem, I think, I'll get this done in no time. I insert the brake piston tool with the proper adaptor into the caliper and begin turning the handle to push and turn the brake piston back into caliper housing. Suddenly I can't turn the handle further, although by the weak light I can see the piston isn't in far enough.

Mistake 2: Oh well, I think, I'm probably tired and just need to put more muscle into it. Using a pain-suppressing Zen technique, I turn the handle with all my might-about 1/8th of a turn. Now it won't budge. I try the other direction until I am most certainly blue in the face. My fingers are numb and swollen. I take my fading flashlight and take a belated close look at caliper piston tool and the piston. It becomes immediately apparent that the adaptor plate, which has two short prongs that fit into two matching notches in the piston, is canted. Only one prong is in the matching slot, the other prong is not. The adaptor plate is canted and has slipped to the side, becoming an eccentric cam. The second prong is next to the brake piston. *insert lots of swear words*

Mistake 3: I begin twisting, turning, pulling, I use a crowbar, I use a 2-foot screwdriver for leverage, I huff, I puff, I am bathed in sweat and filthy with grime, likely I stink. I think I may suffer an untimely demise due to a spontaneous cerebral event. My arms are numb and a feel ten inches longer, my hands look like the swollen paws of a bear. I have actually bent the steel handle of the tool with my bare hands. I've had enough. The tool won't budge, and even Conan the Bavarian would give up. I don't remember what happened then.

A new day! I take a look, first at my swollen hands, then at the messed up caliper. Nice. Never ever will I work on my car in dim light-lesson learned. I decide to remove the caliper. After contemplating my still deteriorating (increasing in size) hands and the impossibility of removing the tool without cutting with a Flex (I don't have one) through either the caliper of the brake piston, I decide to order two new calipers (No point in replacing just one-the other one is an antique). I order online and am promised delivery within 48 hours. Great, because I need to leave in 5 days.

I wait. And I wait. I check the tracking info. And I wait. While I'm waiting I am getting more and more sore muscles.

It's the day before I have to leave. The calipers arrive in the late afternoon. I install them. I flush and bleed (also the brakes). No problems. The next morning I go on my trip, feeling like I just did a triathlon and some wrestling with wild beasts.

Fast forward: today I take a look at the caliper/brake tool unit. I take a small metal handsaw and saw straight through the brake piston in about 7 minutes. I make a second cut and remove a 3 mm slice of solid piston. I remove the brake tool, which, having spent 7 months in the garage, has acquired a nice rusty patina. The tool is now soaking in Ballistol.

Lessons learned:

1. Don't work in dim light.
2. Don't try to force it if something won't budge without first determining why it's stuck.
3. Don't overexert yourself to the point where your finger joints pop and fluid collects outside of the joint under the skin. Don't ignore pain, it's there for a reason.

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We've all been there. What took me five unsuccessful minutes of finagling while tired and cranky took the guy on the lift next to me at the hobby shop 15 seconds to do.

Oh, and Conan was actually from Cimmeria, and was quite the gentleman, contrary to popular lore.
 
Originally Posted By: gathermewool
Oh, and Conan was actually from Cimmeria


I'll just argue that Conan has an Austrian accent, which in English is indistinguishable from a Bavarian accent.
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Sharing both good and bad experiences helps everyone learn here. But, the only responses that I can think of are:

Originally Posted By: Volvo_ST1
This is the point where I get annoyed. Have you even bothered reading the instructions that are printed on the bleeder caliper tool? Do you have a repair manual for you car?


and

Originally Posted By: Volvo_ST1
Yeah, you really should to pummel yourself.
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Originally Posted By: Volvo_ST1

2. Don't try to force it if something won't budge without first determining why it's stuck.


Totally agree. I've had enough screw up that if something remotely doesn't seems right I stop and start second guessing myself.

Back in school that saved me from adding pure 100ml 10M acid to 100ml 10M base (due to misread instruction), 1 drop into the other and caused a big pop and acid splash, if I pour the whole thing in the splash could have injured many classmates.

On a brake job that saved me from an accident of faded brake (due to twisted brake line).
 
Originally Posted By: Volvo_ST1
Originally Posted By: gathermewool
Oh, and Conan was actually from Cimmeria


I'll just argue that Conan has an Austrian accent, which in English is indistinguishable from a Bavarian accent.
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I enjoyed the story, btw. Thanks a lot for sharing!
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I'd say you need to go out to Home Depot or Lowes and install a pair of florescent lights.

I'm talking about 2 of those 8' long high output lights that each contain four 4' bulbs. I have that setup in my garage and I am putting in some more 4' jobs.

Is it overkill? Absolutely.
My wife says people on the space station can now work safely when on the dark side of Earth due to the residual light of me working in my garage.
No more looking for a flashlight to find a part I dropped either.
Just don't look directly at them and you will be ok.
 
The brightest overhead lights do nothing when you are working under a dashboard or hood.

I just use one of those big LED droplights.

Apparently, I'm the only one at work that likes the light output from the thing. The other installers will fight over the fluorescents. I never have to worry about who's got my light.

It stays cool and has been pretty [darn] shockproof.

I had one tech that preferred a big aluminum reflector clip on incandescent. Freakin' thing was a burn hazard. As many times as my LED has fallen against my face, I'm glad my eyes don't need incandescent bulb light
 
Originally Posted By: mechtech2
Yeah... Like I'm gonna wade through that blog.


Is it because you are a slow reader?
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I know most people prefer reading only blurbs and snippets. It shows in how they write. Some people are even confused by anything longer than a short sentence and can't follow. It's sad!
 
Originally Posted By: gathermewool
I enjoyed the story, btw. Thanks a lot for sharing!
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To entertain was my primary goal. Otherwise I could as well just have posted a couple truisms. The latter are now being fleshed out with anecdotal stories by others.
 
Originally Posted By: SuperDave456
I'd say you need to go out to Home Depot or Lowes and install a pair of florescent lights.

I'm talking about 2 of those 8' long high output lights that each contain four 4' bulbs. I have that setup in my garage and I am putting in some more 4' jobs.

Is it overkill? Absolutely.
My wife says people on the space station can now work safely when on the dark side of Earth due to the residual light of me working in my garage.

No more looking for a flashlight to find a part I dropped either.
Just don't look directly at them and you will be ok.


LOL! I almost spit my coffee out!

That sounds like something my over dramatic wife would say (in jest of course) - I call mine "Drama Queen" and she lives up to it so well that it's her caller I.D. on my phone.

I wonder if they're related?
 
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Originally Posted By: Volvo_ST1
Originally Posted By: mechtech2
Yeah... Like I'm gonna wade through that blog.


Is it because you are a slow reader?
48.gif


I know most people prefer reading only blurbs and snippets. It shows in how they write. Some people are even confused by anything longer than a short sentence and can't follow. It's sad!


Volvo_ST1, I know exactly what you mean!
I usually write a book when I explain a situation. I'm sure few read my whole story. Your story was great and I read it in it's entirety. Now, I am completely out of breath!

It was very discriptive as I could picture everything that you were doing and I felt you pain. I too have been there myself therefore you have my empethy.

Recent story about a year ago.
My daughter took a 1 week vacation to see my FIL in FL. She left her car(Mazda3) with me so I could "WASH" it prior to her return. I decided to bleed the brake system just because! I busted off the bleeder valve on the Pass Rear Caliper and she was returning in 4 days. No one had the caliper localy. Not the local Mazda dealer nor AdvAutoParts, PepBoy's, AutoZone, CarQuest, NAPA...No One!...AHHHHHHHH!

Any of them could get it in about 5 days at a total of around $200. Mazda wanted more! But I only had 4 days. I went online to RockAuto and ordered a reman caliper and paid a little extra for 2 day shipping($15). The whole cost was about $84. It arrived at noon on the 2nd day and I had it installe by 1:30pm...RA saved the day!

And No, I didn't charge my daughter for the caliper and Yes, I did wash the car!
 
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