Taurus break job

NEVER put a car on cement blocks. NEVER! Buy a set of jack stands or have a shop work on your car.

Al

You may need torx fittings to remove the calipers. They are little star shaped fittings used with a ratchet wrench and come in various sizes. Unless the calipers are leaking, you don't need to replace them and if so, DON'T take the brake lines off during the job. If you're saving the calipers, you will need about an 8 or 10" C clamp. Put one of the old pads on the caliper where the piston is and crank the c clamp down until the piston is all the way back flush with the caliper body. Take the rotors off and when you go for parts, have them check to see if they can be turned (ground down smooth). Do the same with the back drums. If those can be resurfaced, it will be $6-8 each. You may be able to get by with only buying pads and shoes. Work on only one side at a time without taking the other side apart. That way you have something to refer to if you forget how it goes, especially on the back brakes. Money? depends on what ya need. a guess is anywhere from $75-$200. Hope I helped. Doug

The torx fittings resemble allen wrench heads but look back there and see what is needed. Sometimes it's just a bolt. Also, get a fixit book like Chilton from your auto parts store for about $15. Cheers!

snip to focus on this part only / / / /

Question: Should he remove the cap from the master cylinder (and place a rag around the area to catch overflow) so the piston compresses easier?

I have never thought about doing that but I'm sure it would compress much easier. I never had a problem with a good size c-clamp though. That brings to mind the back brakes on my T-Bird. They are disc brakes also but you need a special tool to crank them down clockwise. C-clamp won't work.(Ask me how I know). He mentioned shoes so am assuming they are drums. Doug, Wi.

LMAO, because you did the same thing I did. :)

That seems like the right assumption. I'm a retired machinist. I made a tool for mine (97). Two dowel pins on one side, hex for ratchet on the other. Done the job a few times since I bought the car new. It was much easier with the master cylinder open. I learned the hard way, both to do it and then to use a rag to catch the overflow. Sometimes I'm like Laurel and Hardy wrapped in one but I usually get good results. Eventually. :)

Frank

Chiltons and Haynes aren't worth the paper they are printed on. You can get the Factory Service manual on CD through Ebay for about the same price as Chiltons or Haynes. Do a search for "1993 Ford CD". Here's one:

Al, just curious: Why do you mention not putting a car on cement blocks? Yes, my friends are "amateur" mechanics, but they do it all the time. Not that I'm arguing with you, I just want to know the reasoning behind this. Personally, I'm not comfortable with using jack stands; seems like the blocks would provide a sturdier base -- but what do I know?

They can easily shatter, i've seen it happen. If you are under a car, and the cement blocks fracture, you are going to be a big red mess.

Don't interfere with Darwin.

Plus the cement blocks can collapse, leading to another big red mess.

Jeff

Or Newton.......

Bob

Not to beat this dead horse again but I have to ask. This is where Bozo got my info yet instead of offering a solution to this fella, he attacked me on another thread. What a Bozo! Bozo....Bozo....NaNaNaNaNa! I'm done.

No, you should open the bleeder at the caliper or wheel cylinder. Pushing all the dirty and contaminated fluid into the master cylinder will lead to problems later on. I'm a fan of bleeding until I see clear fluid, Dot3 isn't that expensive.

Bill

Perfect logic with help and hindsight. The first time I did the back wheels I did nothing to ease the pressure in the line. Even had my brother stop by and he didn't think of it either, and with needle nose pliers if I recall correctly. Last time with the tool I made and a little more insight it was a breeze. Next time I'll crack the bleeder. Live and learn.

Frank