new brake pads - quick question

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c13tay

New Member
Posts
354
Location
Standish, Lancs
About to fit new discs and pads

usually i push piston back in with cap off reservoir then remove excess fluid from reservoir.

haynes says to open bleed nipple to remove excess


Is this just their preferred method or is this to stop you popping a seal or summat ??
 
Personally I pushed the pistons back with just opening the reservoir cap as that was the way my dad showed me.

But I think doing it from the bleed nipple stops dirt and crap getting pushed back up the system perhaps?

I'd probably do it from the bleed nipple myself next time I do it.
 
use a hose clamp on the flexible, just crack bleed nipple open the tiniest when pushing piston back. use a ratchet clamp or similar on the piston so you can have one hand free for the nipple.

I think it's to do with inverting the seals, but if you go very gently, shouldn't be a problem.

good luck.
 
I always open the bleed nipple for two reasons, firstly the brake fluid at the caliper end is most likely to have water contamination and you are removing this from the system, secondly some ABS pumps do not like that much brake fluid going backwards thru the valves.
 
I'm not an motor engineer more an enthusiast, however I think they suggest using the bleed nipple as there is a chance that you could flip the master cylinder seal if you simply open the filler cap and wind back your clamp.

Having written this I have been fitting brake pads myself since the 90's using the remove cap and wind back piston with 'G' clamp. I have never had a problem to date.

Regards,

Steve
 
Been doing it that way for 35 years+ with no problems.

But we didn't have ABS 35 years ago.
If you are worried about letting air back into the cylinder put a short length of pipe on to the nipple and hold it vertically with a piece of string around the front spring. The escaping fluid then acts as a seal while you re-tighten the nipple. A self-bleed kit ~£4 saves a lot of mess.
 
The first time I did mine it was much harder to push the piston back with just the cap off. Bleed nipple every time now.
 
With Andyb66 on this one, threads on here last year where ABS unit had to be changed after pushing cylinders back in for new pads. Dirt into ABS valves - no ABS and lots of lights on dash = loads of money!
Think I remember one chap got lucky and his ABS unit cleared after much bleeding thro' of clean fluid?
Definitely going the nipple route myself. :)
 
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