We spent about 11 hours on the car today. Unbelievable. I got back from the garage at 3AM. Long story short: we were replacing the pads and front rotors. The pads were fine, but one of our pistons popped out while doing the rotors. We C-clamped it back in, but nearly all of the brake fluid was drained and apparently replaced by air. We spent countless hours trying to bleed the system and get more fluid in there, but couldn't. The most we achieved is about an additional half of that little tank - that's after spilling many tanks worth. So now the car is jacked up in the garage and I have no wheels. I have no idea what to do. Please tell me how I can get the damn air out of my system and get it filled up with fluid again. We must have been doing something wrong! Also, we didn't manage to replace the front rotors because those last two screws were just impossible to get off. I mean, I've done "impossible" before, but this was the real deal. I don't know how the hell people get em off? Please help, I want my baby back!

 

All of us have been in this sort of situation before.

Here is an excellant article for bleeding the brakes: http://www.advanceautoparts.com/engl...0011001bb.html.

There are bolts in the rotors that you cannot remove?
a. Try penetrating fluid. Let it sit for 20 minutes.
b. Do you have a long handle socket? Say 18 inches?
c. Sometimes the only thing that will work is an air gun.

 

I had my front brakes replaced at Nissan for 225.00. That is why I would never do my own work.

 

I usualy use situations like this as an excuse to buy new tools. Freinds of mone have had great sucess with power bleeders

http://www.motiveproducts.com/02bleeders.html

as far as removing the rotors goes. are you talking about the 2 bolts that hold the caliper to the knuckle? the only thing I've had sucess with for those is using an impact wrench or a cheater bar.

 

What u need to do is give it a "Jump-start" in order to get the fluid flowing ---Forget the "Pump the padal" and open the bleeder. Case like that --I have the hand held vacuum pump that I connect to the open bleeder to get the fluid moving.There has been times I have just stuck a vacuun hose on the bleeder and sucked the line to get it flowing. but it works. 9 times out of 10 if u pop a piston, U mite as well buy a kit and rebuild the Calipers---Its just too easy to mess up the internal Quad Ring in the bore and suck air. Ur piston and Ring have found a home and uv disturbed it, so u need to start from scratch.
U lost me on the 2 "screws"----There are the 2 BOLTS that mount the Caliper and the 2 BOLTS on the Caliper that go through the sliders. Then on the rotor , the 2 small bolts that screw in towards the center so u dont mix up rims ---I generally toss them but use those holes for a longer bolt to break the rotor loose if it freezes to the hub.

 

I think my rear driver piston o-ring is pretty damaged now and the front passenger is too, but perhaps just a tiny bit. I'm not gonna have to buy new calipers, am I? Should I just leave it and see if it causes a problem in the future? And what kinda problem could it cause?

With brake bleeding, where do I get the power (or whatever) bleeding tool? The pump the pedal thing is obviously not working for me. I can't order it online because I need my car back now. Do regular stores sell the damn thing?

 

autozone has them as part of ther loan a tool program.

 

I'm in Canada, but I'm sure someone here has em. How about the rest of my questions?

 

As I said ABOVE there are rebuilt kits for the calipers.

There is no such thing as a tiny bit damaged ---Either it is or its not ---Any question, rebuild it.

Most Auto places sell hand operated vacuum pumps for that purpose and also for the purpose of checking all vacuum operated devises

 

Alright, so:

1) Power tool for rotors - check
2) Power bleeder tool - check
3) Calipers: what exactly is a "rebuilt kit"? Something that includes a brand-new o-ring or something? Or is it a whole-new caliper? Either way, how much are they and who sells them locally? If I can't buy locally, can I drive the car for a few days in the meantime (after I bleed it)?

 

1) Explain which SCREWS u are talking abouton the rotaors ---as above --I asked u to explain
2) DOESNT HAVE TO BE POWER
3) Ur call. A rebuilt kit is just that ---A kit that has the parts needed to rebuild something ---in this case ,ur caliper ---Cost: A few dollars. MAYBE at a GOOD Auto supply , Prob from the dealer

 

1) If u are talking about the one screw on each rotor that is towards the center of the rotor. You DO NOT have to take it out to remove the rotor.If ur rotor does not come off it has nothing to do with those scews, It is because the rotor is frozen--(rusted) to the hub ---Soak it with spray lube and pop it with a hammer around the perimeter and it will come off

 

The rebuilt kit is about $25-30 and includes the outer rubber boot and the inner seal. It comes in pairs so that you can do the RH and LH calipers. I have a front set if you want it.

 

1. The two big bolts on each rotor. I think they're about 20-21mm.
2. I'll take what I can find.
3. Gonna buy the kit on Monday.
4. For the back rotors, one of the bolts is kind of blocked by the axle. How do you get it off?

 

Just loosen all the bleed valves on the calipers and fill the master with fluid, and let gravity take place eventually all the air will come out, did that when I swapped my brakes out.

 

1)The 22 mm bolts are not on the rotor,but the caliper. They mount the caliper to the Caliper bracket.Put some *** behind it with a breaker bar and maybe an extention to make the breaker bar longer
4) Open end wrench? Socket with an extention? U have to use imagination with the tools u have ---- Seems to me , I use a socket with an extention.

As far as the Gravity feed ---Thats fine z2g and I always gravity bleed cuz I work alone, but if ur system has taken a complete dump, as I SAID ABOVE, U have to get it flowing through the ABS and prime the Master cyl. So as I SAID ABOVE u have to coax it with a vacuum to break the air locks. Once the M/C is primed and the ABS is primed it WILL gravity bleed.

Its like syphoning with a garden hose---If the hose isnt primed, all the pressure in the world or all the Gravity there is will not get it flowing

 

Also ---There is an assy lube that is designed to help assy calipers,Master Cyls, Slave Cyls,Wheel Cyls, when u kit them out --It is a Brake Fluid compatable Base and VERY slippery. Napa sells it. It helps to not fock up ur new seals.

 

Looks like your getting lots of good advice. Only things I could add
would be, vacuum bleeder is an absolute must have you'll never get the
ABS cleared w/o it. Watch your piston seals when you rebuild the calipers,
most brakes use a lip seal that will leak if the lip gets bent during install.
And please go out and buy a can of PB Blast rust penetrator. Im guessing
your torque member bolts are a bit rusty and you'll either break the bolts
or break your hands w/o it. Its REAL good stuff.