What to attach to the rewind tool to give me more leverage?
What to attach to the rewind tool to give me more leverage?
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Discussion

RR76

Original Poster:

107 posts

75 months

Friday 11th December 2020
quotequote all
I'm disappointed at the rewind brake caliper tools handle. The handle is tiny and thin really not good for rewinding, cuts through your hand, I've tried with a skiing glove on which is a bit better. Can I attached something to the handle to give me better grip and leverage, preferably a tool made for the job ?

This is the kit.

https://www.eurocarparts.com/p/am-tech-21pc-brake-...

GreenV8S

31,024 posts

314 months

Saturday 12th December 2020
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That web site won't load for some reason. It shouldn't take much torque to wind the piston back in. How much torque are you applying? Is it actually moving, or are you straining at it trying to get it to move?

105.4

4,214 posts

101 months

Saturday 12th December 2020
quotequote all
GreenV8S said:
That web site won't load for some reason. It shouldn't take much torque to wind the piston back in. How much torque are you applying? Is it actually moving, or are you straining at it trying to get it to move?
And have you unscrewed the brake fluid reservoir cap?

ShampooEfficient

4,278 posts

241 months

Saturday 12th December 2020
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If it's like mine you can fit a hex socket (17mm maybe) over the head and use a decent ratchet. Or get a hollow jack handle and skide that over the original handle.

mercedeslimos

1,889 posts

199 months

Saturday 12th December 2020
quotequote all
I've got a Draper one which is identical. Are you sure you're not using the wrong one as they are clockwise and anticlockwise ones? What kind of car is it? I counter-tighten mine with a 22mm spanner and if it's tight use said spanner on the lever, depends on how seized they are. I've bent the handles u-shaped on some calipers!

RR76

Original Poster:

107 posts

75 months

Saturday 12th December 2020
quotequote all
mercedeslimos said:
I've got a Draper one which is identical. Are you sure you're not using the wrong one as they are clockwise and anticlockwise ones? What kind of car is it? I counter-tighten mine with a 22mm spanner and if it's tight use said spanner on the lever, depends on how seized they are. I've bent the handles u-shaped on some calipers!
It's definitely going clockwise.

@GreenV8S, yes I'm applying a lot of torque and it's just just moving.

@105.4 yes I've opened the brake reservoir cap



This is the kit although I only have one rewind tool version.

https://www.screwfix.com/p/hilka-pro-craft-brake-r...

Stigproducts

1,730 posts

301 months

Saturday 12th December 2020
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Can you use a ring spanner? Put the ring over one end of the handle to extend it and give you more leverage?

RR76

Original Poster:

107 posts

75 months

Saturday 12th December 2020
quotequote all
Stigproducts said:
Can you use a ring spanner? Put the ring over one end of the handle to extend it and give you more leverage?
Yeah I see what you mean I'll give that a try, I forgot about ring spanners.

Cheers.

InitialDave

15,142 posts

149 months

Saturday 12th December 2020
quotequote all
If you leave out the "plate" that it braces against, so all you're doing is turning the piston with it, does the piston turn ok? Does it wind itself back in?

What car and which end are you working on?

RR76

Original Poster:

107 posts

75 months

Saturday 12th December 2020
quotequote all
InitialDave said:
If you leave out the "plate" that it braces against, so all you're doing is turning the piston with it, does the piston turn ok? Does it wind itself back in?

What car and which end are you working on?
I'll try tomorrow.

Skoda Octavia 2010 1.6 petrol.

Cheers.

GreenV8S

31,024 posts

314 months

Saturday 12th December 2020
quotequote all
RR76 said:
@GreenV8S, yes I'm applying a lot of torque and it's just just moving.
Based on comments and pictures on some of the other many threads you have running, you may have damaged the piston. The reason the wind-back tool doesn't give you a more substantial handle is that it doesn't need one. Finding a way to apply more force to it doesn't address the underlying problem and may make it worse. Although it looks to me as if you need a new caliper now even if you didn't previously, so perhaps you don't have anything to lose. The bottom line is that if it needs that much force there's something seriously wrong, and if you do apply that force then you're only going to make whatever the problem is worse.

Ignorance and brute force is not a happy combination when you're working on a braking system.

InitialDave

15,142 posts

149 months

Saturday 12th December 2020
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Yes, those pistons should pretty much screw back in without much protest, if they're being a complete sod, it seems like something's up.

mercedeslimos

1,889 posts

199 months

Sunday 13th December 2020
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The MK5 Golf TRW calipers are clockwise and should be easy to push back. Definitely something wrong. I did some on a 2007 Octavia vRS last week and though the dust boots were shredded I didn't need anything more than my hand to spin them back.

RR76

Original Poster:

107 posts

75 months

Sunday 13th December 2020
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Here's the piston. There is what looks like damage to the top of the threaded bore where it screws into. You have to look carefully. This could just be design as it looks like an equal pattern but also kind of looks like a kind of pressed in lip at 4 sections right on the top lip Should this be like that?

https://i.ibb.co/px0LyPH/IMG-20201213-211132.jpg

Drezza

1,471 posts

84 months

Sunday 13th December 2020
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I'd imagine either the piston has seized in the caliper or you're using the wrong one. I used that tool on my 2007 Skoda Fabia vRS and it worked ok without any extra leverage.

Order66

6,740 posts

279 months

Sunday 13th December 2020
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I see trouble ahead........

....and burst brake lines!

Something is wrong here if you need that much leverage.

GreenV8S

31,024 posts

314 months

Sunday 13th December 2020
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RR76 said:
There is what looks like ...
Please get somebody competent to put it back together. This isn't intended as a snide remark. I appreciate that you want to have a go, and we all had to start somewhere, but it is obvious from your many threads about this that you are out of your depth and don't know enough to do the job safely. I don't know what state they were in before, but you now have a displaced seal, damaged handbrake adjuster, a piston that is no longer moving freely in the bore and who knows what other damage. Those brakes are not safe to use in their current condition and you don't know enough to put them right.

This is not something that's just going to leave you stranded; if the brakes aren't working properly, somebody could be seriously hurt.


thebraketester

15,815 posts

168 months

Monday 14th December 2020
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RR76 said:
Here's the piston. There is what looks like damage to the top of the threaded bore where it screws into. You have to look carefully. This could just be design as it looks like an equal pattern but also kind of looks like a kind of pressed in lip at 4 sections right on the top lip Should this be like that?

https://i.ibb.co/px0LyPH/IMG-20201213-211132.jpg
Looks ok. It’s a multi start thread I think.

RR76

Original Poster:

107 posts

75 months

Monday 14th December 2020
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thebraketester said:
Looks ok. It’s a multi start thread I think.
Yes, I've discovered that's a design.

rustednut

807 posts

77 months

Monday 14th December 2020
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If you cannot wind the caliper back with that tool then it is likely you have a caliper issue.