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97 Ford Mustang GT

Hello everyone,

This afternoon I was helping my friend out with replacing the rear brake pads on his 97 Mustang GT (60k miles) and rang into a little problem. I started with the passenger side rear and after turning the piston clockwise for a good 1/2 hr I couldn't get the piston to go back in. I've only worked on foreign cars and haven't had any experience with replacing them on Fords before; usually all you have to do is turn the piston clockwise without doing anything else. So my father suggested that I loosen up the bleeder valve as a last ditch effort. Well that did it and the piston went back in. Now getting to the driver side rear, I tried to do the same thing but the piston wouldn't go back in even with the bleeder valve loose. I'm using one of those "cubes" you buy at Pep-Boys to turn the piston, but is there a specialty tool for this type of brake system, or do I have a seized piston that won't go back and needs to be replaced?

Thanks, Nick

Reply to
Nick
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Done several different rear disks on fords without encountering that (my probs were extreme stiffness).. but did you check the parking brake actuator arm to make sure it was fully released??

Nick wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com:

Reply to
Backyard Mechanic

I had my friend release the parking brake as the passenger's side wouldn't come off. I'll check this morning to make sure that it is fully release before I attempt to try it again. My uncle had suggested that since the fluid wasn't gushing out when I was turning the piston that it may be a clogged bleeder valve that is the cause of the problem, but the rubber cap is still intact.

Nick

Reply to
Nick

While turning the caliper piston, push the piston inward. These can take quite a bit of pressure while turning to get them to go inward sometimes.

Tim (Musttanguy) PonyPerformance.com

Reply to
Musttanguy

Thanks for the help. Unfortunately we couldn't get the piston to go back in so I'm having my friend take it to a local shop. I have to say that this not only has been my most difficult brake system to change the pads for but I think that the system is flawed. The design of a turn based piston is so that you don't need to also push back on the piston thus the reason it is threaded; otherwise you use the standard C clamp like the rear caliper pistons on Dodge cars. I have the same design on my Honda Accord/ Acura Integra and I don't need to loosen any bleeder valves or caps and the piston pushes with ease. Is this type of piston still being used on the newer model Fords?

Thanks, Nick

Reply to
Nick

80 characters per line please, reformating to quote your text is annoying.

I have a '97 and have replaced rear brake pads a few times without problem with the caliper. I don't even have the special tool... just used a pair of needle nose plyers.. Either something is broken or you are doing something wrong. Press in and turn... It's annoying, but not particularly toublesome.

Reply to
Brent P

I understand where you are coming from but you fail to see what I am talking about in my previous post. You shouldn't have to push in on anything on a turn based piston, that is the reason it is designed this way, otherwise you use the C-clamp method. On the Japanese models, all I need is a pair of needle nose pliers.

Nick

Reply to
Nick

The inward push I am talking about is nothing, like removing a childproof cap. Most of it is just to keep the needlenose pliers in place.

Reply to
Brent P

Reply to
Fred V.

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