Rear brake calliper rebuild

[Paulprior]

Hi
I am having difficulty refitting the spring for the handbrake lever on my rear calipers, is there a knack to doing this?

[phillpot]

Not much help but seem to recall when i did mine I put hook into the lever thing and "somehow" found a way to wind spring up enough to get bolt in.

[s p a c e m a n]

I wish that I could help as I feel your pain in doing these, took me an hour doing both of mine. I used a pair of grips, a screwdriver and a lot of swearing.

[s p a c e m a n]

Just asked a ford friend and his advice is to get a long nail and bend one end into a hook, grab the other end of the nail with a pair of grips and then pull the end of the spring into the hole..

[Paulprior]

Hi Spaceman, I will try that tomorrow, but the difficult part is the main spring is not actually mounted onto anything, so when you pull on the locating finger the whole lot wants to pivot on the lug at the other end, but I will try, it came apart easily without suddenly springing off, we will see

[Andav469]

Long nose pliers did the trick for me

[Paulprior]

I think i will wait until its mounted, hopefully it will be easier if im not just trying to hold it with my knees, but first i have to get the spring and circlip in under the piston, another one that came out easily but not so easy to get back in, any thoughts on that?, i have tried using a G clamp on a socket but that doesnt hold it exactly square as it needs to be?

[phillpot]

Paulprior said:

I am having difficulty refitting the spring for the handbrake lever on my rear calipers

Paulprior said:

hopefully it will be easier if i'm not just trying to hold it with my knees

Blimey, no wonder you were struggling!

Top of the shopping list................

[Brithunter]

Paulprior said:

I think i will wait until its mounted, hopefully it will be easier if im not just trying to hold it with my knees, but first i have to get the spring and circlip in under the piston, another one that came out easily but not so easy to get back in, any thoughts on that?, i have tried using a G clamp on a socket but that doesnt hold it exactly square as it needs to be?

Ahhh hate to point this out but a bench vice is one of the most basic maintenance tools there is. Trying to make do without one is just plain stupid IMHO. After all it is not like they are expensive today.

[Paulprior]

good point, i actually bought another one a few weeks ago but dont have it mounted yet, i was trying the G clamp route as i imagine using the vice will prove difficult to gain access with the circlip pliers to refit the clip, i will try tonight

[Andav469]

Paulprior said:

I think i will wait until its mounted, hopefully it will be easier if im not just trying to hold it with my knees, but first i have to get the spring and circlip in under the piston, another one that came out easily but not so easy to get back in, any thoughts on that?, i have tried using a G clamp on a socket but that doesnt hold it exactly square as it needs to be?

Jeez Paul, no wonder your struggling, without a vice lol

[m4tti]

Paulprior said:

good point, i actually bought another one a few weeks ago but dont have it mounted yet, i was trying the G clamp route as i imagine using the vice will prove difficult to gain access with the circlip pliers to refit the clip, i will try tonight

You should be able to do this with the G clamp and socket. The vice will get in the way, as it won't help compress the piston mechanism. This isn't the work of a blacksmith either. My caliper bodies are being powder coated so won't be seeing the jaws of a vice.

What circlip pliers are you using. Are they like this? If not your attempting a krypton factor final challenge.

Edited by m4tti on Tuesday 14th March 21:40

Edited by m4tti on Tuesday 14th March 21:44

[Paulprior]

they look the business, i removed the circlips with straight ones, but even that was not so easy, i have 90 deg ones but the prongs are only half the length of the ones you have shown, i will check my local garages and see if someone has a pair i can borrow like that.
I have also powder coated my calipers, the vice could work with a long reach socket, but it will need to open pretty wide, please let me know how you get on rebuilding yours, have you done it before? i am also seeing that getting the cage that surrounds the spring to be perfectly in line and compressed to exactly the right depth will be a challenge, i think when i removed mine i must have compressed a little to much as the flats at the end of the cage fingers have bent backwards a little, i assume that they should be at 90 deg to the cage body, any deformation here will prevent the circlip engaging, there doesnt seem to be much of a window on centering or depth

[Paulprior]

m4tti said:

You should be able to do this with the G clamp and socket. The vice will get in the way, as it won't help compress the piston mechanism. This isn't the work of a blacksmith either. My caliper bodies are being powder coated so won't be seeing the jaws of a vice.

What circlip pliers are you using. Are they like this? If not your attempting a krypton factor final challenge.

Edited by m4tti on Tuesday 14th March 21:40

Edited by m4tti on Tuesday 14th March 21:44

Hi m4tti
Where did you get that photo?, a quick look around the web and i cant yet see anything like that

[Tony91]

Ebay http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Long-Nose-50-mm-Snap-Rin...

[tofts]

Not understanding all the fuss, grab the spring with a pair of mole grips, just next to the bend of 90deg, twist in to the hole. Takes longer to set the mole grips up, doesnt need a vice, just hold with one hand do it with the other.

I must do this 2 times a week on various calipers? If done rght, it wont even mark the coating!





Just like that!


Besides, if you think thats tough, try refitting the circlip that holds the spring retainer inside the piston, thats quite tricky!

Edited by tofts on Wednesday 15th March 00:31

[m4tti]

Paulprior said:

Hi m4tti
Where did you get that photo?, a quick look around the web and i cant yet see anything like that

Amazon prime is your best bet if you want them fast

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Laser-4739-Internal-Bent-...

[Paulprior]

tofts said:

Not understanding all the fuss, grab the spring with a pair of mole grips, just next to the bend of 90deg, twist in to the hole. Takes longer to set the mole grips up, doesnt need a vice, just hold with one hand do it with the other.

I must do this 2 times a week on various calipers? If done rght, it wont even mark the coating!





Just like that!


Besides, if you think thats tough, try refitting the circlip that holds the spring retainer inside the piston, thats quite tricky!

Edited by tofts on Wednesday 15th March 00:31

Hi tofts
Any recomendations on fitting that internal circlip then, yes i have tried, yes its very difficult.

[m4tti]

Have a look at this link Paul. It suggests what to do in the absence of the Ford special tool

http://www.fordmanuals.org/page-1567.html

It has an easier method if you don't want to use socket and g clamp

Edited by m4tti on Wednesday 15th March 20:10

[Paulprior]

m4tti - sorry, I mixed up the tasks, I have done the inside of the pistons, it's the spring, cover and circling inside the calipers that goes over the hand brake adjuster screw that im struggling with, unfortunately the write up in the link made that sound rather easy "24 Refit the washer, spring and spring cover.
Compress the spring and refit the circlip, then release the spring compressor."
Not sure what this spring compressor looks like so I am thinking of just making a metal bar with a threaded hole in it and then while supporting this inside the outer calipers fingers I could screw the bolt in to push on a socket and hopefully still have space for my circling pliers, if not I will buy one of those long 99 deg ones.